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Old 04-27-2014, 12:15 PM   #1
W7JZE
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Default New To Open Roads - Will be Retiring & RV'ing 2016

Howdy all,

I am 62 1/2 and SOooo ready to retire at 65

I was originally licensed as a novice in 1968 and worked 40 meters CW back then. I married young and I let the license lapse, "recently" relicensing in 2009 and reclaimed my original call, sans the novice "N".

Wife says I am retiring at 65 and that we are going RVing for 4 or 5 months of the year. Gosh, what a shame . 30 more months to go.

I want to take my hobbies with me, including amateur radio. I've perused a few RV parks in my area and I've seen a few verticals attached to roof ladders but no other obvious AR antennas.

Looking to get a few ideas about amateur radio and RVing before I buy the RV. Maybe it makes a difference to look for certain amateur radio friendly accessories before buying the RV? Maybe?

Anyway... Looking forward to chatting with y'all in the future.

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Old 04-27-2014, 05:07 PM   #2
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Anyway... Looking forward to chatting with y'all in the future.
Looking forward to hearing from you as you count the days and finally hit the road. You'll like it here. Helpful folks.

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Old 04-28-2014, 02:24 AM   #3
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Looking forward to hearing from you as you count the days and finally hit the road. You'll like it here. Helpful folks.

Thanks, Wade.

Yup... I've been cruzin' through the threads here the last few hours. Nice friendly bunch on these boards. Thank you for the welcome and I hope I can contribute some myself shortly.

73,

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Old 04-28-2014, 05:55 AM   #4
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There are two things you need to do..

First a URL http://twit.tv/hn

Check out a few episodes.. Epically those that mention Quartsfest

Second, mid Jan go to Quartsite AZ,, The center of town is the intersection of I-10 and AZ State Route 95

About five or six miles south, on the right, you will find a number of RV's parked for Free on BLM land.

Those folks will show you more RV mounted Antennas than you can imagine.

I have seen portable beam antenns for some of the shorter HF bands.. I use a long wire myself tossed over tree limbs or supported on poles depending on if there are trees to toss over.

The Screwdriver type antennas are popular but I like my long wire, current one is Eighty-something long (About 3 people heights shy of 100')
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Old 04-28-2014, 10:07 AM   #5
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In case you want to search for it online, it's useful to spell it right: Quartzsite. Really, with both the z and the s.

Welcome aboard. I think you'll like it here.
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Old 04-29-2014, 11:56 AM   #6
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There are two things you need to do..

First a URL http://twit.tv/hn

Check out a few episodes.. Epically those that mention Quartsfest

Second, mid Jan go to Quartsite AZ,, The center of town is the intersection of I-10 and AZ State Route 95

About five or six miles south, on the right, you will find a number of RV's parked for Free on BLM land.

Those folks will show you more RV mounted Antennas than you can imagine.

I have seen portable beam antenns for some of the shorter HF bands.. I use a long wire myself tossed over tree limbs or supported on poles depending on if there are trees to toss over.

The Screwdriver type antennas are popular but I like my long wire, current one is Eighty-something long (About 3 people heights shy of 100')
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Originally Posted by NN5I View Post
In case you want to search for it online, it's useful to spell it right: Quartzsite. Really, with both the z and the s.

Welcome aboard. I think you'll like it here.
Thank you John and Carl for the very nice welcome! I am familiar with the town of Quartzite, but being still employed, I never made time to attend the annual week-long (month long?) "Quartz-fest". I am in fact a member in good standing (Heh, heh, heh...) of the Quartzite Yacht Club with the membership card and boat "Birgie" to prove it . I've stopped at the "Yacht Club" a dozen times or so traveling between Phoenix and my (current) CA QTH. My XYL won a few $$ there, picking ponies out-of-thin-air while we tossed back a few cold ones.

Great idea on attending the annual Quartz-fest to get ideas on RV antenna mounting. I will remember "5 or 6 miles South, on the right on BLM land". Thank you for that hint!

OK, back to clock watching for now. Only two more days until May when I can say: "29 more months to go!"

73,

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Old 05-01-2014, 12:45 AM   #7
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Red face OOPs... Mixed up Quartzsite Gem Show with Quartzfest

OOPS, I mentioned above the "Month Long" Quartzsite event... that is the annual gem show there: http://www.desertusa.com/cities/az/quartzsite.html

Hard to imagine a million(!) people in that tiny community, but I have seen the aerial photos that seem to substantiate that.

Quartzfest is the "week long" Quartzsite ham radio event... Duh... http://www.quartzfest.org/php/main.php?home

It looks like the 2014 times for these events were coincident, but my only excuse for mixing them up is that I've been nasty sick for last 5 days (flu??) and my head was clogged up tight and not working well. Seems to happen more and more, lately (Head not working, not the flu) .

OK... squared away now. I'll keep checking the above Quartzfest website for when the 2015 dates are posted.

Thank you all again for the nice welcome.
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Old 05-01-2014, 09:13 AM   #8
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Bill,
Welcome to the site and RVing. Good luck with you search and ulitmate decision on antennas.

I previously owned a small antenna farm (5/5 on 10, 5/5 on 15m, 4/4 on 20m, 2E on 40m and a steerable 1/4w verticals on 80m) and going to a Tar Heels II screwdriver type is quite humbling.
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Old 05-02-2014, 12:23 AM   #9
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Bill,
Welcome to the site and RVing. Good luck with you search and ulitmate decision on antennas.

I previously owned a small antenna farm (5/5 on 10, 5/5 on 15m, 4/4 on 20m, 2E on 40m and a steerable 1/4w verticals on 80m) and going to a Tar Heels II screwdriver type is quite humbling.
Hi John,

Thank you also for the nice welcome .

I've never had the real estate for an aluminum farm at the same time I was licensed. Bummer! Not sure that I'll have the opportunity going forward for that either. Retirement plans currently revolve around moving back into a big rental property we have in the Phoenix area then RVing north during the 4 or 5 hot months. Even though the house is on a large city lot (1/3rd acre), it is in a subdivision tightly controlled by HOA-CCRs.

I use a lil' Tarheel II now in my Towncar with an ICOM 7000. Seems to work OK, especially for the size and band flexibility convenience it offers.

I imagine the difference between that and your large ANT farm though would be, ahhhh... staggering!

PS: Any chance to tow a big ole' Towncar behind a large RV? I should probably go search and/or start a thread on that topic in a more appropriate area.

Thanks again for the friendly "hello", John.

73,

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Old 05-02-2014, 05:00 AM   #10
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A town car would be pretty heavy for most RVs, even most of the largest ones.

I have read that the Renegade Ikon can tow up to 30,000 pounds; if so, a town car would be no problem. But the Ikon is unusual in many ways, including size and cost (about a million bucks).

Most RVs, even really big, expensive ones like Newell or Foretravel, would be at hazard of sudden loss of control in emergency with as much as 5000 pounds towed. Check the towing specs carefully before deciding, since death is so darned permanent.

___ Wups! Posted this in the wrong thread. Senility, I've read, is a lot like being drunk.
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Old 05-02-2014, 07:04 AM   #11
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Welcome Bill.. I believe '68 is when I got my Novice as well, Tecnician later that same year, Kept it current (let it laspe for just a couple months, renewed during the grace period) Finally upgraded to general, and then Extra, in 2006.

Now I can relax, no more tests to take.
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Old 05-07-2014, 09:20 AM   #12
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Coming in late here....

Welcome aboard Bill!!!
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Old 05-07-2014, 11:27 PM   #13
W7JZE
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Coming in late here....

Welcome aboard Bill!!!
Thank you Galen .

I have been pleasantly surprised by how just darn nice (and helpful) everybody is here. I hope to be able to contribute myself shortly rather than just ask questions.

Now that we are in the month of May, I've only got 29 (maximum) months to go to retirement and then 4 or 5 months per year on the road with an RV of some sort.

Yes I have a calendar on the wall and yes every month wife and I cross off another month .

Thanks again for the nice welcome!
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Old 05-07-2014, 11:52 PM   #14
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Welcome Bill.. I believe '68 is when I got my Novice as well, Tecnician later that same year, Kept it current (let it laspe for just a couple months, renewed during the grace period) Finally upgraded to general, and then Extra, in 2006.

Now I can relax, no more tests to take.
Hi John,

I have a few old call books from that era and yes, your novice call is clearly listed in the 1968 Spring call book. Page 495 . You may also be in other, earlier call books, but that is the oldest one that I have.

Congrats on getting the Am. Extra. I studied "pretty hard" for a couple of months a couple of years ago, then a life event with the nice wife happened and I never finished studying nor took the test. When I retire, upgrading to extra is on my bucket list, even if I can't keep up with the CW speed demons down on the "lower 25" .

Wife is much better now and she continues to support my Am. radio hobby very much. She is also the primary "driver" for us to dive into the RV lifestyle for 4 or 5 months per year after my retirement. I am a lucky guy !
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Old 05-08-2014, 07:39 AM   #15
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THe RV rally is the last 2 full weeks in JAN every year.. My brother, who was on over the road truck driver, says that normally he goes through there and there are miles of .. well, miles. but the last half of Jan it's wall to wall RV's and traffic jams (If you have a 4x4 (IE JEEP) find old Yuma Road.. it is a gravel goat trail that runs to the west of the BLM land, no traffic jam getting to the big tent via Old Yuma Rd, FWD Front wheel) Can likely make it TO the tent but you will need to take 95 back south).

You can get more info on it watching the Ham Nation episodes. IF I make it back there Ill be flying my groups site marker (Not sure if Ill make it yet) which can be seen from far out, it is a 7 Balloon.
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