Expedition the easy way
If you are considering operating as expedition for the Virginia QSO Party you have choices. You could rent a van, bolt in a table, bring along a portable mast, throw in a generator, chairs, heater and you are all set. Or if you are like me and have to settle for doing something with a Taurus get these things:
- Decent 12V powered HF rig
- Cheap 135′ All bander from Van-Gorden
- MFJ Antenna tuner with balanced outputs
- Laptop PC with N3FJP Software
- Wal-Mart DC to AC Power Inverter to charge up the laptop
- Cig. lighter power cord
- Tape
- Ball of string or twine
Here we are in Highland County on a road-side near a Civil War Battlefield…
This worked well enough for NVIS contacts with most of Virginia. Other articles on this site show how to do better, but if you are interested in Expedition just do it.
Here are some additional tips to consider…
- The AC Inverter is perfect for recharging your laptop batteries, but do not use it while trying to make HF contacts. Affordable units generate too much HF noise and the magnetic nature of the noise may frustrate attempts at noise mitigation with toroids.
- Try to tie power into your battery if possible, but if you cannot, just use a cig lighter power cord. You should limit your transmission power if you do this, however.
- Get the antenna as high as you can place it in trees and such. It will not work as well as a 40′ elevated Inverter, but it will perform some.
- Do NOT skimp on antenna length. If you are going for 80 meters, try to get 135 (that’s two 63 foot pieces of wire from the middle ladder line feed). Low antennas have compromised efficiency already; Full length antennas have more area to collect signal and you will need it.
- Do not bother to pre-tune your antenna before you leave. An antenna this close to ground will de-tune to something else. The only practical approach here is a tuned feeder system with a balanced antenna matcher. Any cheap MFJ should do well enough for 100W or less.
Many times Amateur Radio is about compromise. If you will follow the tips above you can make the most of little and make contacts with your fellow hams around the state.
Good luck.
