[Rover] Choice of Rover Vehicles

[Rick R]

If you can afford the head space, a full size van is my choice. You can walk 
on the roof of it, with some limitations, and they come in a variety of door 
and window combos. Spacious enough for plenty of gear, and even the ability 
to sleep in the vehicle when needed. Lots of different ways of attaching 
antennas to the front, rear, tilt-over. I have a 6 Cyl Ford E-150, 1994 with 
almost 120K mi on it, that I bought at a reasonable price from a contractor 
when it had 105K mi on it. The back was empty, and I went to the local 
U-Pull-It van and truck boneyard and picked up a folding bench seat and a 
swivel captain's chair, complete with all the seatbelt stuff. I built an 
operating desk that houses the gear-bottom is batteries, next shelf is amps 
for ABCD, next up is transverters and amps for bands 9EFGH. The base rig is 
an FT736R for ABCD, each of the bands has a brick/preamp. I use an FT100D 
for IF for higher bands, and a laptop for logging and hopefully soon, for 
WSJT. I store the dishes for bands IJK in the rear when on the move, 
erecting them with a simple drop into a short piece of mast on the rotor and 
a single bolt thru for latching. I have the main antennas on a short 
telescoping mast thru the center of the roof of the van, with a bunch of 
coax thru another roof hole beside the mast hole. Both holes have home-made 
flanges and almost water-resistant gaskets. The main mast slides off the 
mast that serves as the post into the rotor, and again, a single bolt as a 
latch. That way, all the antennas can be removed from the top, and it just 
clears into my garage. The antennas are stored on a simple hook and rope 
pulley system to the ceiling and wall of the garage. The microwave loopers 
are on an additional mast that fits into the main mast when the activity 
calls for bands above 432.
I have the ability to have this as a dedicated radio vehicle, so the rigs in 
it are set-up on a more-or-less "permanent" basis, although everything is 
modular for ease of change, maintenance, etc., and it is always 
"ready-to-go" as I really have no capability of operating VHF-UHF from the 
home QTH (yet!), although I do operate the HF bands with a G5RV in the 
attic. I also have a Hygain Mini-tribander and an all-band "Spider" antenna 
for operating HF out of the rover van---I have a drive-on mast plate for the 
beam. All powered by 12VDC, I do have a 300W pure sinewave inverter, and 
just-in-case, a 1750W generator, although I've really never taken that 
along, except to use it on Field Day. Yes, AC and a good heater are a must!

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