Transceivers and Transverters
- IC-7100 Transceiver for 50, 144, and 432
- FT-818 Transceiver to Drive Transverters
- SG-Lab
- 900 – 144 IF
- 2304 – 434 IF
- 3400 – 432 IF
- Ukranian 220 – 28 IF
- DEMI 10368
- ID-1 (Unless time) Transceiver for 1296 FM, if time, Microwave Modules driven by FT-818
Antennas
- M2 6m Halo
- Create LPDA 2-1296
- The plan was to move to independent antennas, but that’s a battle for another time – getting back on the road in time for the contest was the priority
- Directive Systems 2304 Looper
- Directive Systems 3400 Looper
- Dish – fed with Directive Systems Monoband 10ghz Horn
Supplementary Systems
- MacBook Pro 2013 – hits 10 years old this year, and still running like a tank
- RoverLog, WSJT-X (If I hit a wall on voice)
- Bencher CW Paddles
- Well… I can try… I can usually muddle 2 or 3 rough CW contacts
- Legal Pad
- Backup if battery problems occur with laptop for emergency logging, and for scribbling calls in the mud and when attempting CW
Our weekend forecast looks to be holding above freezing until Saturday, so getting the outer work done while it’s warmer will be the first focus – getting the desk assembled and in the car, and all antennas setup on the vehicle on Friday eveningbefore our club meeting. The temperature is supposed to drop overnight with some rain, so ensuring that coaxial connection points are covered through the night is also going to be key, so they don’t fill with ice. I’ll have about three hours between work and the meeting, which should be plenty of time.
Then, on Saturday Morning, I can run coax, get radios mounted, and be outbound. This is typically about a two-to-three-hour process, however admittedly most are still sitting together ready to go from Field Day (I just haven’t been on the radio from home short of the local repeater in a while), so it should just be bringing the bin out to the car and hooking everything up… should be… but we all know how that goes.
I rarely charge my car to 100%, but based on projected time on the road, and likely mileage plus heat running time, it’ll be necessary to this weekend. The plan is to only cover the local four grids for the time being – beginning in FN02, then moving to FN12 for Saturday, and then starting out Sunday morning in FN13, moving down to the rover blitz at noon, and this is where the question comes in… The Bills are playing again this Sunday in the Playoffs at 3pm, and I hate to say it again this year, but I’ve been a Bills fan longer than I’ve been a ham, so I may end the contest after the Blitz. This is going to be time dependent. The game should be over by 6:30-7, so in theory I’d still have a couple of hours, but frankly I’ve been known to pack up between 8 and 9 in the past – either due to weather, or just so I have enough time to get gear loaded back up before it gets too late, so there’s a good chance I call it then.
Anyway – this will (likely) be the last post prior to the contest so I can focus on getting all the loose ends tied up… and those ends that are still just completely untied… so thank you to everyone who’s followed along the brainstorming sessions, and hope to see you back here next week for the contest summary! (And with a Bills Victory taking them to the AFC Championship Game)
Roving On 