[NLRS] Rover advice needed

[Glen Overby]

On Sun, May 10, 2015 at 11:20 PM, W. S. Mitchell <wsmitchell3 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> I plan to borrow the parental car (no holes are or may be drilled),
> and borrow a 1 kW generator (source needed!) so I can run a laptop and
> my Yaesu FT-857d at full power (stop-and-shoot).  Bands will be 6m
> (Moxon) and 2m (Arrow V/U satellite yagi).  While I would be a little
> interested in 70 cm, it complicates the antenna switching/feedlines
> and the polarization of the antenna (2m and 70cm are orthogonally
> polarized).  For simplicity I think 6m and 2m will be enough.
>

Consider building a WA5VJB Cheap Yagi (wa5vjb.com, look under References)
for 2m (and 70cm).  I think there are a few rover loaner antennas floating
around the twin cities.

My plans for a mast are not yet finalized.  When I use the 6m Moxon at
> home, I have been using about 7' of 3/4" PVC lashed 4' up to the deck
> railing for my mast.  For the rover I am thinking I would use a
> Christmas tree stand to help support a sturdier mast of some sort (2"
> or 3" black ABS tubing?), but would want to then have an adapter of
> some sort to get to the 3/4" fitting needed for the Moxon.   Fittings
> to get the 2m antenna attached to the mast haven't been determined;
> lashing it to the mast with rope is an option, though not a very
> fast-deploying one.  An Armstrong rotator will be used.
>

6m works a lot better if the antenna is a wavelength up off the ground.
I've used a collapsible mast for a dipole.  Lately I've been using two 10'
lengths of conduit.  There was an article in QST a few years ago describing
using larger diameter PVC pipe (e.g. 2" with 1 1/2" inside) to build a
"crank up" mast.  You can get 4' and 6' lengths of steel TV mast at Menards
(or borrow it from locals who feed rovers :-)

I'm not sure what your christmas tree stand looks like, but you might have
more success with a TV antenna tripod.

Some portable operations use a antenna support where you drive the car on
one half of a board, the other half has something to hold the mast (e.g. a
steel pipe floor flange and a short length of pipe).


> Apart from the logistics of mounting the antennas, I have some
> additional questions:
> * What if it rains?  Do you use some form of shelter for the generator
> to keep it dry, or do most rovers have a vehicle with a beefy
> inverter?
>

I operate from inside the car, except for 5ghz & 10ghz.

I run from a deep cycle battery and the car's alternator.  I have a MOSFET
switch in-line to cut power from the car when I want to turn the engine
off.  The only thing I use an inverter for is the rotor, and I need to
build a DC switch so I can get rid of that.

* What are the good ways to route the feedline out of the vehicle if
> it is raining and having the window/door open isn't an option?
>

Out the window.  Get some pool noodles or heavy pipe foam insulation and
pinch the coax between it.  I put a noddle between the coax and the top of
the window and a half noodle over the glass (I sliced through half the
noodle so it goes over the glass).


Glen, kc0iyt