January 2022 VHF Contest - KI7OFL/R Rover

January 2022 VHF contest.

Operated as KI7OFL/R (Rover).

Started on A Mountain in Tucson Arizona (DM42). 2m, 70cm, 6m, FT8 6m. No takers on 222.

Moved up the road to Picacho, Stanfield, Maricopa, Sacaton as I worked four grids in a close area. Sunset pic again this year at the Sacaton rest stop off I-10. 

 F150 loaded up with radio's - Laptop for logging and FT8 on 6m, Yaesu 3000 for 6m FT8 and SSB, IC-705 for GPS and Grid data, Yaesu 857d for 2m and 70cm. Kenwood D-74a for 222fm points.

Good time, exhausting as I worked by myself for about 14hrs.

Antenna stack was 222 sitting up top, 6m Moxon (will replace with a beam next contest), 2m beam, 70cm beam.

Sitting atop "A Mountain" Just West of Downtown Tucson for the start of the contest. I think this will become my usual position for this contest going forward

2021 JANUARY AND JUNE VHF RESULTS

MAUI HI SOTA KH6/MA-001 POTA K-0036

 11.25.2021 Thanksgiving trip to Maui HI.

Took a morning break from the beach with a 1.5hr drive up to SOTA KH6/MA-001 POTA K-0036.

Fair warning, it is very windy and cold there at 10,000' - I Figure it was about 30* plus a windchill.

Yaesu 857d, Bioenno 74w battery and the ATAS-120a screwdriver antenna. 18.142mhz made the trip back to California, Washington, Oregon and even my hometown Tucson Arizona.

2021 January VHF Contest - ROVER KI7OFL/R DM31 Start..

Worked the VHF Contest Jan 16th 2021.

Started the day at 7am with final set up of the mast antenna's for the ride. The prior day was installing all the electronics.... Not an easy task.

While inspecting the truck, I found a leaking water pump on Friday at 2:30pm, burned the remainder of the day installing a new one to be ready for the long drive ahead of me.

Noon start I was way west in DM31ox, this is just outside of Lukeville which is the entrance to Mexico.

Made the trip on 2m and 6m with K7EME in Tucson AZ. Not a sound from anyone else. Worked this grid for an hour before heading north.

Next was Gila Bend, no contacts but a great lunch.... Why the Mask? Covid19 is a worldwide epidemic.

Then over to the Maricopa area to work several grids. By this time it was late, we were tired and I decided to make the run home to DM41.

Learned a lot with this VHF Contest and rover. Think I will try again in June..

Plan is to be LIMITED ROVER for the January 16th 2021 VHF Contest

Equipment available: 

Yaesu 857d, ICOM 705, Icom 5100, Kenwood D74 (222mhz). Maybe the Dx 3000 running 100w on 6meter.

Will be starting in Tucson with DM42 a 1900.

Quick test 12.13.2020 - Yaesu 857d 

Set up took 8 minutes. Drove down to the historic area of Canoa Ranch just outside of Elephant Head at exit 56 off the I-19 Freeway. Found several RV's set up in the desert.

Slipped the mast into the hitch (This is a 2' Extended square tube as it is designed to be used at camp, with my tailgate down and my truck tent). 

Placed the Diamond A430S15R2 on the mast followed by the Diamond A144S10, connected the coax and slipped it up about 15'. First issue is the coax is cold and hard, very unforgiving as it is in the 36*F neighborhood (Will bring it inside prior to the January contest). 

59 Signal report into the Globe area with N1AV (Jason) and AC7FF (Dave) working SOTA on Pinal Peak W7A/AW-009. I Figure this to be about 150miles on 144.41fm.

Also checked in on the SWOT Net 144.200usb with 59 reports both ways. 70cm was fair to KI7OFN, figure this was due to my coax not allowing me to swing the antenna, will fix this issue.

OK, on to the next step.

SOTA W7A/PN-077 Picacho Peak 3.25.2018

Picacho Peak

I remember seeing this peak for the first time in the early 1970's as our family moved to Arizona.

Every year I would look at it and wonder if you could get to the top.

Fast forward to 2018, Picacho Peak is SOTA W7A/PN-077

This is a historic location as well as a prominent mountain sitting between Tucson and Phoenix Arizona just south of Casa Grande on I-10.

A dangerous mountain with a number of deaths related to the Arizona heat. This climb took everything I had to complete, make sure you are in shape prior to taking this peak on. I went through 100% of my water by the time I returned to my truck and it was only March. Luckily the Dairy Queen sits just across the freeway, a great place to cool down and a nice view of the peak.

Radio was the 857d coupled to the ELK antenna for 2m 70cm and a roll up 6m dangling off the edge of the peak. 6m contact way south with Mark W7GMO, 2m was a easy trip into the greater Phoenix area.