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Fall 2005 Issue |
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VHF+ Roving In this second part of their two-part article (see the Summer 2005 issue of CQ VHF for part one), ND2X and N4FLM give an overview of roving and discuss the proper and efficient configuration of the rover station. By Paul S. Goble,* ND2X, and Wayne Gardener,† N4FLM |
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The four main functions involved in roving are
driving, navigating, operating, and logging. For the “shoot ‘n’ scoot”
rover, operating includes functions similar to those used for Field Day,
such as raising/lowering antennas, operating generators, etc. Driving: Note that the first function on the list of roving functions is driving. Do this properly or risk your life! This is not a threat; it’s a statement of what could very easily happen if a rover doesn’t do it right! Whether traveling between stops or on a full-effort mobile-in-motion rove, keeping the rubber between the lines and the shiny side of the vehicle up is paramount! Piquing the ire of local gendarmes is also to be avoided; nothing ruins a roving budget more needlessly than a stiff traffic fine. Perhaps more important, stopping to talk to law-enforcement personnel can ruin a schedule—hi!
All the standard “going on a trip”
preparations apply to roving. The vehicle must be mechanically sound and
all fluids should have been checked and where applicable changed or topped
off. Tires must be in good condition with good tread and proper air
pressure. The success of the rove depends more on the vehicle than any
other single factor. To illustrate, on the ND2X 35 grid effort in
September 2000, 43 miles west of Grand Forks, North Dakota the ND2X “run
‘n’ gun” rover ceased to rove. The engine temperature was rising to
unacceptable levels. This is bad enough for a gasoline engine, but it can
be the death knell for a diesel engine! Only nine grids had been activated
up to that point, and it was still relatively early on Saturday. KD5ABM
was driving for us as a “non-operator,” and his background as a diesel
mechanic proved to be invaluable. He was able to determine the cause—a
thermostat stuck shut, and thankfully that was a “roadside fixable”
problem. It did cost over three hours for diagnosis and to let the engine
cool sufficiently. The top cooling-system hose was then removed from the
thermostat housing and a long screwdriver was used to jam the thermostat
open permanently. There were no further cooling problems for the rest of
the trip! |
Figure 2. For the ND2X 35-grid effort, the east-west travel was from the far southwest corner of EN28, across 96 degrees longitude and EN18 to 98 degrees longitude and EN08. The route north to EN28 was along 96 degrees longitude. |
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