[PaQSO] rover questions

[Jimk8mr--- via PaQSO]

Hi Pete,
 
Welcome to the world of HF contesting (and VHF contesting as well) !
 
HF roving is a lot different from VHF roving. 
 
1. Height doesn't matter much in HF roving, so long as you aren't down in  
some deep valley. So look for parking lots, roadside rest areas,  etc. Do 
pay attention to power line noise, which you'll want  to avoid. And of course 
don't put up your vertical near power lines!
 
2.  The PAQP does have a rule that rovers aren't allowed to make  contacts 
while moving. While I personally disagree with it, it is  not my contest 
(that one is the Ohio QSO Party!). They have  allowed both mobile and rover 
entries by the same team, the  former for the QSOs from stopped locations, the 
later for those while  moving (or at least able to be moving the vehicle). 
I've done that, using  different callsigns to avoid confusion. (I would not 
expect anybody to  distinguish K8MR/M from K8MR/R). 
 
 3. For best results in any contest try to CQ as much as you can so  long 
as you are working people. You will want to search and pounce if CQing  isn't 
producing, or to do a quick scan for good multipliers.
 
4. Pick the band with the most activity. Most of the time that will be 40  
meters. Do try the higher bands, both as a courtesy to out of state ops, and 
to  increase your multiplier total.
 
5. CQing on the higher bands is difficult. Your signal is not loud, and it  
may be difficult to hear other stations within your skip zone, that will 
often  be louder than you elsewhere.
 
6. Sometimes mobiles and rovers exchange phone numbers, more to ensure that 
 all counties get covered, in case problems arise. In general use of 
telephones,  etc., to arrange QSOs if frowned upon. I don't know what the official 
position  of the PAQP organizers may be on this subject.
 
 
Have fun. I'm intending to be doing a one day roving and mobile effort in  
WPA, details not yet known pending weather forecasts, etc.
 
 
73   -   Jim   K8MR
 
Also known to show up in PAQP as W3USA/M or R.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
In a message dated 10/6/2014 4:13:26 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
paqso at mailman.qth.net writes:

Beginners questions, just getting started in ham activities this  year. I 
participated as a baby rover in two VHF contests this year; never  entered 
any HF contest until yesterday when I tested out my 27ft elevated  radial 
vertical in a South Jersey tidal swamp intending to participate in the  NJ QSO 
party. Thanks in advance for any help, especially from other HF  rovers.  1) 
In VHF roving, height is key, so using accessible clear  elevated locations 
is a major goal. In HF roving, operating at elevation and  with a clear 
horizon should be a lot less important, but I would think it's  still 
advantageous to some extent. Reflexively, I've been looking for roads  that at least 
get me above the valleys of the main route. What is the  experience of 
roving/mobile operators regarding height ... should I instead  just be looking for 
open parking lots (e.g. schools) close to the main route  to assemble the 
vertical and forget trying to get up the hills?  2)  I don't currently have 
mobile capability (just the vertical that requires  assembly), but I have a 
screwdriver antenna on order that may or may not be  ready by the weekend. In 
the last VHF contest, I used omni mobile  antennas to make contacts with 
strong signals en route between locations where  I raised beams to make longer 
distance contacts. If I use the same pattern in  the PA contest, doing some 
S&P while driving, then stopping to assemble  the vertical, I'm not sure of 
my entry category. Rule 10.d defining "rover" is  pretty clear that "Rovers 
do not operate as a mobile en route between  stations." But rule 10.c 
defining "mobile" says "The antenna must be of a type  generally accepted as a 
mobile antenna", which implies that using a non-mobile  antenna like my 
elevated vertical would not be allowed. I think I should enter  as a mobile if I 
do make contacts between antenna assembly points, but I'm not  sure. What is 
the intention of separate rover and mobile categories  anyway? I noticed 
that the top scores in the 3 rover/mobile divisions in  2013 were very close, 
and there were only 9 total entries in the 3  divisions.  3) After I get to 
the county operating location and  assemble the antenna, what's considered 
the best operating practice for  rovers? I'm theorizing that it's best to 
immediately find an open spot on a  band and start calling CQ, to give other 
stations the opportunity to find and  work a rare county ... but I don't know 
if that's best for working as many  stations as possible given my short 
window of operating at each  location.  4) Similarly, what's the best practice 
for finding the  best band to start calling CQ? Should I just quickly listen 
for the band with  the most Party activity, and find an open spot? I see 
there are suggested  times for high bands, but unfortunately I don't know code 
yet (forgive  me), so the CW part of the schedule doesn't help. (In VHF 
contests, this isn't  an issue because there are only 2 high population bands, 
both in a narrow  frequency range.)  5) One article I read said that some  
rovers/mobiles exchange phone numbers to help each other out in case of  
emergency. I'm not comfortable sharing my phone in a reflector, but I'd be  happy 
to exchange numbers with any mobile/rover in a private  email.  Thanks for 
reading this far, I tend to be wordy on the  keyboard. I appreciate any 
suggestions you can throw my way. Thank you to the  organizers NARC; I am looking 
forward to my first HF rove. -- Pete  K0BAK  
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