[Rover] Planning for Upcoming Contests

[rover@mailman.qth.net]

Hi Dan,

> Hi Mark,
>
> Great page!  That's quite a list, I know you must have put a lot of
> work into it.

Writing the code that massages the database was the hard part. But,
getting the source material to put into the database is turning out to
be equally hard. However, "borrowing" ideas from other web pages that
have done maps was kind of easy....   :-)

> I have a couple of favorite sites here in Indiana, but nothing
> really outstanding.  I'm still scouting for a good site down in
> Kentucky for the north east corner of EM67.  EN60 & EN70 north of
> Indianapolis seems to be so flat that it really doesn't matter
> where you operate, hi hi.  I know a couple of good hilltops in EM68
> & EM69, but it takes so long to get to them, that I hate to give up
> the time.

Even if they are just so-so, why don't you write them up and send them
in? Put some comments with it and I'll add them. If everyone sent in a
couple, then we might wind up with some really good ones.

I would love to get some additional sites in there from outside the
northeast. I'm thinking that if I can add a couple more, it would
generate some more widespread interest and other sites would then
appear.

> I have developed somewhat of a strategy.  I try to hit the
> farthest, and/or the "poorest" locations at the beginning of the
> contest, and early Sunday morning when activity is highest.  Then
> hit the best spots as the day goes on to increase my range.  There
> is nothing more frustrating on a Sunday evening than driving an
> extra hour and a half to an unknown spot in a "far-away" grid only
> to realize that everyone else has quit!

That's an interesting approach! Yes, the beginning of the contest and
Sunday mornings are the best times. However, I've found that the end of
the contest is also a good time. A lot of people are out there trying
to get their last points, so there's plenty of people on the air. If I
can activate a new grid during the last two hours, I find that it plays
very well. I've also had good success with bringing up FN51 at the end
of the contest. The semi-rare grid seems to attract a lot of attention,
especially from people who wouldn't turn their beams for you earlier in
the contest. And, if I'm lucky, I'll get some coastal ducting that
forms at night and pick up some range from that.

73, Mark, N2MH