Category Archives: Roving
2026 ARRL June VHF Contest – Never As Planned!
Preparations for June’s ARRL VHF contest went well. The car’s annual paint maintenance looked great and the concurrent roof rack inspection revealed no apparent issues. Someone asked how long reinstalling the rack takes. So, I shot a video of me … Continue reading
2026 Virginia QSO Party (VAQP)
The 2026 Virginia QSO Party (VAQP) took place over the weekend of March 21-22. The sun experienced a coronal mass ejection (CME) on March 16 that drove geomagnetic storms to reach Earth in time to disrupt HF communications around the … Continue reading
2026 January ARRL VHF Contest
It was just a few weeks ago that I finished installing my big battery upgrade. January’s contest is always a challenge: Unpredictable weather can make working on the car outside unpleasant, the evolving long-term weather forecast can make route planning … Continue reading
Installing New 4kWh Battery Box
Last month, I shared my latest lithium iron phosphate (LiFePo4 or LFP) battery project. I went into enough detail that I decided to share its installation in this separate article. I mentioned that I would mount the battery in the … Continue reading
Tower-Delete: Is THIS Still a “Micro-Tower?”
I discovered roof rack fatigue in July when I removed it for the car’s annual paint maintenance. I was able to find the misplaced parts from my old RhinoRack, shown here, a discontinued rack that I had not yet used … Continue reading
Roof Rack Functional Failure: AGAIN!
I had been collecting parts to make what I think will be a final change to my micro-tower setup. Yeah, right: Will it ever be “final?” š I had delayed the change until after performing my car’s annual paint maintenance. … Continue reading
2025 Virginia QSO Party
I don’t participate in HF contests with one exception: the Virginia QSO Party (VAQP). Mobile HF stations are at a disadvantage when compared to home stations, especially those with HF Yagis and 220V amplifiers. The disparity can make operating during … Continue reading
2025 ARRL January VHF Contest
Contrary to what online photos may suggest, I do not drive year-round with my micro-tower and VHF contest setup on the car. There are places where I drive that a 10.5-ft tall vehicle can not go, especially during the months … Continue reading
Feed Line Pass-Thru
I have a cool widget in my setup that I haven’t detailed beyond a small paragraph on my Rover page. I presented the question, “How do I get so many feed lines out of the car and to the roof?” … Continue reading
Yet Another New Tower: Is It the Last?
My trailer-mounted tower was a success during ARRL’s January VHF contest. Unfortunately, there was one area in which it fell short: AGILITY. Sure, the trailer works fine when my goal is to proceed to a destination, park, and operate. On … Continue reading
Hood Mounted Antennas
Updated in 2026 to include latest configuration with a fourth and lower Yagi; plus, shorter tower configuration… The idea of hood-mounted antennas had not appealed to me. With my sedans, I would either use a lip mount or (eventually) a … Continue reading
January VHF Contest: Trailer Tower Retired
Happy New Year! Yes, I know I’m a bit late. I’ve been both busy and distracted. I mentioned my decision to build a tower trailer in November. I can’t believe it’s been so long already! What have I been doing … Continue reading
Tower Trailer – Still a Mobile Station?
You may recall that I experienced a functional failure of my roof rack due to the extra leverage applied by its roof-mounted antenna tower. Read here for more info. Note that nearly any factory-installed roof rack is up to this … Continue reading
Roof Rack Functional Failure: An Analysis
Even before I had improved my micro tower, shared here, I recognized that something was not quite right about my roof rack. I couldn’t find any damage, but could see one tiny sign that the rear crossbar was not quite … Continue reading
Improving the Micro-Tower
NOTE: As I built this improved tower, I noticed a minor deformation of what turned out to be internal rack damage. As a result, this tower now rides on my utility trailer. Keep reading to learn about the tower improvements, … Continue reading
2023 CQ Worldwide VHF Contest
CQ Magazine’s Worldwide VHF contest takes place each July and seems to get mixed reviews. It takes place only on 6m and 2m, or 50 Mhz and 144 MHz. Those who like to work the higher bands often skip this … Continue reading
June 2023 ARRL VHF Contest
My plan for June’s ARRL VHF contest was ambitious: 10 grids and 700 miles of driving! I started my rove at Red Wing Park in Virginia Beach, grid square FM26. That park is usually a bust for me; and that … Continue reading
VHF Contests – KE4WMF/R
I took an interest in VHF/UHF contesting in 2022. My interest isnāt with sitting at a desk and contacting stations all over the world. Instead, it was natural for me to try contesting as a āRover.ā Rovers are not just … Continue reading
Compact Moxon Module
You may recall reading about my “Contest Module,” used for VHF/UHF contesting and exhibitions. It’s quite large, heavy, and impractical for routine use. So, I built a “compact tower” after being asked to bring a VHF setup to a group … Continue reading
Guying the Tower
I built a road-going “micro-tower“ for my compact contest rover. The complete setup weighs ~75 lbs (34 kg) and extends about 7 feet (2.1 m) over the roof of my VW GTI. The overall height is 11’6″ (3.5 m), which … Continue reading