You may have read my blog post on contest antenna setup. I call it my rooftop rotator/antenna system. It’s all part of my Phase III rover setup. The rest of the story is the operating position inside the rover.
Operating Table
I managed to build an operating table, remarkably from chunks of wood that were left over from previous projects. Everything fit together perfectly and in that way even presented the best layout. I used bolts and wingnuts to hold everything together.
In the photos below, you can also see some yoga mats on the table tops to help prevent the equipment from sliding around while driving. They, too, were scraps that fit exactly where needed.
The position uses the small section of the back seat folded down to support the desk and provide cable access to the rear of the SUV. I also use the window on that side of the car to route the coax and rotator cable from the rooftop. A piece of pipe insulation seals the window and allows the cables through. Not much if any wind noise, no experience with heavy rain yet.
This setup could probably be pretty good for two operators, with one operating while the other was driving. My own preference, is solo extreme radio sport — setting up in each location and focusing on the operation for about an hour before moving on.
Equipment
The rig is an IC-9100 and for the moment only operating on 6m, 2m, and 70cm. 1.25m will come later. I have a boom mic headset and PTT via a footswitch. The rotator is a Yaesu G-450A, just the right size for this effort.
I have two laptops at the moment. The MacBook Air runs MacLoggerDX in contest mode as well as WSJT-X, plus JT-Bridge to move the FT8 and MSK144 QSOs directly into the log. The HP Windows 10 laptop runs Ping Jockey Client so I can monitor the chatter. It also watches DX-Maps for 6 meter openings.
The back of the SUV holds a battery, also connected to the car’s battery, an inverter to run the rotator and laptops, the preamps, and lots of spares/tools (not shown in the photo. I also managed to stuff a small step ladder into the back to allow me to made antenna repairs.
That’s my new operating position. It worked great in the January 2019 VHF Contest and I’m looking forward to the June VHF Contest where I expect to be roving in the Texas Panhandle.
