Amateur Radio on the Road

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A bit of an update

Posted: 16 Feb 2017 06:24 PM PST
https://va3qv.wordpress.com/2017/02/...-of-an-update/


A couple of posts back I mentioned a Brutal Winter. Â*I was in error.. Â*Its
been a really lousy Goshdarn Brutal Winter so far

At this time I am wondering if my original timetable of getting the rig out
of the storage and on the road by the 1st of April is actually
realistic. Â*So far we have had 245 cms of snow fall (which is nothing if
you are from the Maritimes VE1, VE9 VY2 or VO1) but its been a few years
since I have seen that much snow and I have a feeling its not over yet

On the RV Side of things The hunt for a suitable Tow Vehicle for the
trailer and a suitable radio platform continues Â*I think I found one and
hopefully I can get it out a different snow bank and take it for a test
ride shortly Â*It just seems every time the current owner and I have common
free time Â*It snows again Â*I want dry pavement for the test drive so we wait

On the radio side of things Â*I managed to make my first DX also my first HF
Contact of 2017 this morning. Â*CT9/DF6QV (Franz from Germany vacationing on
Maderia Island) managed to hear my 5w QRP SSB signal on 17m.

I was using my FT 817 in the shack and the 55 foot long wire in the back
yard. Â*I plan to get the Flex 1500 back up and running soon. Â*One of these
days really.

Back to RVs again for a quick one Â*You might remember me shilling the idea
of urban camping for those who cant find (or dont want to find) a motel
room when they come to visit Ottawa for the Canada Day week festivities

To refresh your memories

For more info on the Urban Camping …

Please visit the City of Ottawa Website
(Â*http://ottawa.ca/en/residents/recrea...pecials#urban-
camping-2017 )Â*

I was talking to my local City Councilor who is also on the committee that
is running the urban camping issue and asked him if they had thought about
dumping the Black and the Grey tanks of the campers

After a quick explanation of how they worked. They are now looking into
it Â*Good to know that if you have to go. we should have a way to get rid of
it

One final Radio comment. Â*After checking the ARRL Website for their contest
results it seems that I managed a respectable score in the 2016 IARU
contest. Â*

Operating in the QRP Mixed Catagory my score was good enough to get 1st
place in Canada and 3rd place in North America. Â*

As I have mentioned in the past Â*If you dont enter you cant
compete Â*Submitting my score with no expectations suddenly gave me the
highest placing I have achieved ever in a contest..

Thats about all I have for now More once I get a tow vehicle and then we
can talk about how to set it up to tow the trailer and hold all the radio
gear

Bob

PS sorry about the look of this post Â*still having trouble importing stock
photos into the blog