Report on January 1998 VHF QSO Rover Operation - Rod Blocksome / K0DAS

I thought I would add my $0.02 worth to Brian's excellent account of our Contest Adventures.

I really thought we were dead in the water Sunday morning when my one and only IF rig failed. Brian responded on 2 meters that he had "good news and bad news". The good news was that they could give us a rig; the bad news was it would knock them off 222 MHz.

We all got a good laugh when it was discovered that the 222 transverter was actually a 50 MHz transverter! Joe Culwell made the observation "that would explain why we haven't been able to work any of our 222 MHz skeds". Home stations usually expect to have to tune around for Rovers stations, but I thought 172 MHz was asking a bit much.

Bill Caldwell has really honed his diplomatic skills. Last September, we pulled into a corn field in pea soup fog. A few hours later the fog lifted and a pick-up truck pulls up containing the farmer, two big dogs, and a rifle across the rear window. Bill explained while I tried to work W0GR on 1296 MHz. At the end, the farmer said it was alright, but if we had been "government people" he was going to run us off. So during this January expedition, we were setting in the middle of a country road in EN24 when the police pull up. Someone had reported us as a "suspicious vehicle" and they were checking us out. After Bill expained everything, the officer commented "I wish more people had hobbies like this to keep them out of trouble" - then drove away.

I also remember a most hectic run that occurred during the time we were getting off highway 52 and onto the I-494. It is very complicated. Bill was driving, I'm navigating for him and at the same time working Q's on 2 meters from the front seat. We then had several requests for 432, 50, and 902 MHz. So I climb to the back, Bill is dodging traffic as we go by the Mall of America, and I manage to work a couple of contacts on 902 MHz while we were moving and through all the garbage that big cities seem to put on our "shared" 902 MHz.

I haven't done my logs yet. Will post the results when available.

Rod
K0DAS
January, 1998

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Last Update: January 19, 1998