[NLRS] Rover advice needed

[dave.w0zf at gmail.com]

Bill,

I probably have a diplexer for you.

After Dayton, you and Matt should plan a couple sessions at my place to get you set up. I can help with tools and such to build a proper mast support, etc.

Some great advice and ideas in this thread... Anybody have a source for those laptop supplies that run from 12 volts?  



—
Sent from Mailbox

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

> Greetings,
>   This June, I am planning to be a rover in the ARRL contest, heading
> from Minneapolis (EN34) out to DN85 and back, in a two-rover pack with
> the team of K0BBC and W0ZF.  I'm comfortable with SSB and CW, and feel
> comfortable with using WSJT for FSK441 (haven't made a QSO with it
> yet, though).  It will be my first rover operation, and among the
> first few serious VHF contest efforts I've made.
> 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.
> 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.
> 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?
> * 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?
> * During a contest, what is the typical FSK441 meteor scatter calling
> procedure?  I expect to be without internet access, so online
> skeds/spotting won't be of use to me.
> I'm also open to other advice which would be useful for a first-time
> rover.  This year my theme is going to be starting small and keeping
> things simple.  Setup and tear-down times need to be fairly small (15
> min?), because DN85 is a long drive away and there are a bunch of
> grids in between.
> For those of you in the Minneapolis area, I am interested in borrowing
> the following items for the operation:
> * 1 kW generator (+oil +gas can +rain shelter?)
> * PL-259 feedlines.  I have a 50' and a 100' of LMR-240, but that's
> longer than needed and more lossy than I like.
> * Better portable mast than described above (note: I don't have a
> trailer hitch on the parental vehicle)
> If all goes well, and I return from my voyage in the Southern Ocean
> with the VK0EK expedition (http://www.vk0ek.org), I will see about
> putting together a presentation on being a first-time rover for the
> Aurora conference next year.
> Thanks and 73,
>   Bill
> AE0EE
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