[NLRS] Extremely tentative rover schedule, W0JT, Rovermania

[John P. Toscano]

I am hoping to go out roving for the August UHF contest. I would likely 
bring out all 8 bands between 222 MHz and 10 GHz. I guess there is room 
on the mast for 144 also if this will be useful for liaison with the 
fixed stations in the area.

**EXTREMELY** tentative schedule is as follows:

1300-1500 CDT: EN13xa
1500-1700 CDT: EN23aa
1700-1900 CDT: EN22ax
1900-2100 CDT: EN12xx

2100-0000 CDT: en route east 2 grids = 3 hours

0000-0200 CDT: EN32xx
0200-0400 CDT: EN33xa
0400-0600 CDT: EN43aa
0600-0800 CDT: EN42ax

0800-1000 CDT: en route north 2 grids = 2 hours

1000-1100 CDT: EN44ax
1100-1200 CDT: EN45aa
1200-1300 CDT: EN35xa

Notes:

1) Plan is to operate as close as feasible to grid corners,
    to minimize move times among grids at the 4-grid
    intersection, so the times above show zero travel time
    at those points, which is obviously impossible. Rover
    setup has everything self-contained for 144 - 3456 MHz
    with roof-mounted antenna rotator, also to minimize the
    setup/teardown time, but 5760 and 10368 will almost
    certainly still be on tripods, so some setup time will
    be needed.  If things go extremely well between now and
    then, I **might** arrange for a second az-el rotator
    on the back of the vehicle so that ALL would be ready
    to go at a moment's notice, but in view of how poorly
    my recent prior plans have gone, I would not count on
    this. (Murphy, though *NOT* my friend, does seem to be
    my constant companion!)

2) It sounds like EN12 and EN22 are not yet going to be
    activated by anyone who's announced their intentions,
    so these could be high-priority grids.

3) I really hate driving out to a distant grid only to find
    that no one hears me calling CQ like crazy, and though
    my first two grid corners are pretty far from the Twin
    Cities (200 and 150 Km), the first four grids are real
    close to KM0T, and the second four grids are fairly
    close to K2DRH, so hopefully I'll find *SOMEONE* to
    talk to from all 8 of those grids. Naturally, I will
    point towards the Twin Cities also (and everywhere else
    of course).

4) Last grid corner is closer to civilization and much less
    rare grids, and near the end of the contest, so I only
    allocated one hour for each and then I'm out of time.

5) Yes, I really would (try to) operate all 24 hours without
    sleeping, but by ending up reasonably close to home, I
    should be able to hit the sack by 2 or 3 PM on Sunday and
    get some much-needed shuteye then.

6) Any advice on good spots for those 3 grid corners (those
    11 grids plus EN34, which I won't activate) would be
    more than welcome. I have no pre-scouted locations at
    this time.  If things go well (have they ever?), I might
    be able to take a long drive during the week before the
    contest to scout out some locations, but like I said,
    if you know of some choice spots I'd love to hear. Likewise,
    if anyone knows of a *FAST* way to get from EN12xx to
    EN32xx, I'd love to hear it. It looks like I-90 is the
    only interstate highway going west to east around there,
    and it puts me a whole grid too far north when I get as
    far east as I want to go for my second grid corner.

More information as I figure it out...

73 de W0JT