Gang,
I like to take a rig with me camping. While the wife is zonkered out in the
tent, I'll be on 40 meters trying for a contact or two.
I've used a Scout before and it works fine for me. I have an Argosy, but the
Scout is lighter. I only pack a few band modules. I have a FT-897 and that's my
rig to take camping with. Bigger than the Scout, smaller than the Argosy, with
its internal battery packs I'll run out of steam before it does.
A small 25 watt solar panel and a 32 amp/hr lead acid battery runs the netbook
for PSK31 as well as the rigs if need be.
I've tried the buddy pole and dipole antennas consisting of two mobile antennas
connected back to back. Wasn't too impressed with either system. I've tried the
Par end feed antenna but I can't get the warm and fuzzies out of it.
Because we normally camp in state camp grounds, keeping a low profile if
necessary. I don't believe they'd take too kindly to someone raising up a 30
foot tall pole. So for me, the best antenna is a random length wire tossed up
into a tree. Fifty pound nylon fishing line is used to hold the wire up. A
simple wire tuner from MFJ used to match the wire to the rig. I've tried
autotuners, but find good 'ol manual about as easy to use.
I don't normally use a counterpoise as I've had other campers get caught in the
wire laying on the ground.
I use black plastic covered wire I purchased from the 'wire man' at dayton.
Strong stuff and once up in the air, it's invisible, a good thing when you
don't want additional attention brought your way.
40, 20 and 30 meters are the ones that work the best for me. Unless I wind out
a lot of wire, I can't work 80-75 meters with much success.
A few years back, while staying at a Holiday Inn in Port Clinton Ohio, I
managed to drop my wire down the side of the building (we were up on the 7th
floor) and made quite a few contacts. However most hotels now have sealed
windows and you can't get a wire out.
For the past ten years or so, I've tried ever antenna I could think of while at
the Dayton Hamvention---and without much success---inside our hotel room. One
problem I can't solve is the noise from the hotel itself. So, three years ago I
stopped bringing down HF radios to try out in the hotel.
Ooh, I still work HF from Dayton in my hotel room-----I use the hotel's wifi
and my netbook to talk to my Omni VII at home.
Mike, WB8VGE
On Mar 28, 2012, at 9:50 AM, John wrote:
> Steve,
> As much as I would like to be the source of those ideas. Bob, WB2VUF,
> was the one that made the suggestion of using chalk line or clothes line
> reels as storage devices, as well as information on battery capacity and
> use. Rick, DJ0ip / NJ0IP also had some suggestions on working
> portable. This really is an amazing list and is a source of great
> ideas and suggestions.
>
> John / WA1JG
>
>
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