[PaQSO] Portable Op

Tue, 22 Oct 2002 20:08:01 -0400

Chris,

I'm sorry that you thought my (private) question to you regarding why you
were "laughing" at the thought that portable operation could be easy
translated to "stepping on my toes."  That was certainly not the case... and
I still don't understand.

Portable operation does not have to be difficult.  Can it be?  Sure.  But a
little care and planning ahead of time goes along way.  Checking with people
who have already "been there" to see where some of the "good" spots to
operate from (which I guess I didn't spell out that specifically in the
original email that sparked this... I implied it but I guess some missed
that) is a huge help, especially since it can let the portable op get right
to the right person, the right forms, and sometimes the right fees.

Should some of these guys get "broken in" first on club or other multi-op
operations, and other portable ops, before hand?  Sure!  No argument!  Great
idea!  Have you started talking up the contest amongst the non-participating
hams?  Have you invited them to a future contest (not neccesarily PaQP
operation) to see what it's like?  And again... if someone has participated
in a "real" Field Day portable op, then they should have some clue as to how
to put a portable station together -- and some of the other FD ops can help
them.

It's just not that hard!  I've won several counties with little more than a
100 W rig, a long wire through a few trees, and a card table.  And again...
if someone is interested but lacks experience, then you and your club should
NOT just "throw them to the wolves," but get someone to mentor them and help
them set up!  I speak from experience on this too... it wasn't that long ago
that a certain not-yet-General was sitting in my shack during the CQ WW,
totally amazed at how the contest went, and he took to contesting like a
duck to water.  Many of you worked him this year... N3ZNI/M.

But I digress.  In any event Chris, I will agree with you that Rover is a
tougher category than Portable, since Portable stays in one place, and can
(often) set up antennas etc. ahead of time.  The Rover has to dismantle some
or all of the station, pack up, move, and set back up again -- definitely
more demanding.  So I'll agree with you that Rover is not for the
uninitiated.  But Portable?  Nah.

73, ron wn3vaw
"Be who you are, say what you think, people that matter don't care, and
people that care don't matter." -- Dr. Seuss

----- Original Message -----
From: Chris Robson <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, October 22, 2002 4:32 PM
Subject: [PaQSO] Portable Op

I'm sorry if I stepped on some toes as far as my comments(ie.Ron WN3VAW),
however Portable operation is physically demanding and I probably won't
want to do this when I am 65 years old (at 47 years old, after Rovering I
feel 20 years older...). For newbies in the PA party, I suggest working
with a club station like we do at the Radio Assoc. of Erie club station
W3GV. After getting a feel for the contest and getting that PA QSO hunger,
try Portable from any hunting camp or friend's house in another county, it
doesn't have to be rare. My first Rover venture, after doing many portable
operations, was a disaster, however I have worked hard to improve my
operation. I would have chucked it all if I had tried to do my first QSO
party as portable or rover. If I'm wrong then N3FR and WA3SES(the portable
ham gods!) will set me straight.
As far as getting my antennas in a tree, My tree hammer is a trade secret!!
Basically it is a tack hammer with a hole in the back to tie my nylon
string thru. I don't use fishing line, too hard to see and I would be doing
twice as much work. I just throw my hammer into a tree and aim for a good
branch. The hammer is heavy enough to pull the nylon line down to grab, I
cut the line, tie the center of the G5RV to the line and put it up. Then
grab the ends and tie them off with the excess line. My whole station stays
setup in the back of the Jeep. I pull the generator from the back, put it
on the ground and fire it up. Since the laptop has batteries, I get it
started as soon as I park the Jeep, by the time I get the G5RV up, and the
generator started, the computer is ready to go. I actually practiced
setting up and taking down prior to Rovering. Scouting sites before the
Party is a good idea. I find some of the best logging roads and isolated
fields! My only real fear is that someone mistakes me for a terrorist,
since most people I run into are hunters or getting stuck in some of these
wilderness areas(GPS is a necessity). There you have it, Rovering in a
Nutshell, Hard cover version will be available at your local bookstore HiHi.
73, Chris KB3A

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