Below are the stories and the updates of the Rover Stations we have for 2024. We will be posting pictures and additional information about each of the Rovers as we receive it.
W6V – CALIFORNIA ROVER… traveling the entire route
W6V will be “start to finish” Rover in 2024 on “the Mother Road”. A few years back, our partner in crime with Cal QSO Party activations, Dan KB6UNC, Annie N6ACL and I started talking about the idea of doing a “start-to-finish” RT66 rover from one end to the other. This was in 2019. Dan and I had done multiple Cal QSO Party activations from Glenn County, to Mariposa, Merced and San Benito during Parks on the Air in 2016. We penciled it out and created an antenna design that would allow us to work from my F350 Truck mobile and quickly change to multi-op, multi radio when stopped for the night. Dan was a force to be worked on SSB when contesting CQP. Dan was also born blind, and it was inspiring to watch him – run – log – repeat. Sadly, Dan passed away suddenly in 2019 right before Route 66 20th running – he was 53. And, for a few years, so did the idea of doing a RT66 rover.
So, for the 25th running of RT66 ON-THE-AIR, Annie N6ACL and I will be on the road as W6V, on APRS, on the AIR and taking the route from Santa Monica to Chicago from September 7th 0000Z through September 15th 2359Z. We will be on SSB, FT8 and CW while on the road from stop to stop, multi-op single transmitter and then both on the air when we stop for the night. We will be activating historic sites, points of interest and blogging the adventure !
Come join us as we take to the airwaves from Santa Monica to Chicago in memory of our friend and fellow adventurer Dan KB6UNC. Listen for “Whiskey Six Victor” on the Mother Road. Work us once, work us in every state, work us in every mode – we want to share our adventure with you!
73,
Annie N6ACL and John NZ6Q
__________________________________________________________________________________________
W6S – ARIZONA
The current W6S AZ Rover One (East AZ) started out in 2011 when I participated in the event as a “m66” station. Back then there was a certificate endorsement for a Rover station on the event certificate and a contact with any mobile station on 66 counted (including the ‘official’ Rovers).
My call sign that year was NJ0W/m66. Starting 2012 I took over the W6S Rover call sign and operated from my F-150 pickup mobile (with an HF screwdriver antenna) and portable (wire inverted-V antenna) from various locations along AZ Route 66.
In the years since (with a family hiatus in 2022 & 2023) NJ0W has operated W6S each year from 5 or 6 different locations East of Flagstaff as far as the Petrified Forest National Park (Route 66 actually transits the park). This year’s planned locations include ‘40s 66 North of Walnut Canyon National Monument, ’20s & ’30s 66 four miles East of (Don’t Forget) Winona, ‘40s 66 Southeast of Buffalo Range Road I-40 exit, ‘30s 66 in the Ghost Town of Two Guns, and ‘40s 66 Northwest of Meteor City. Other locations that may be used include the ‘20s 66 1918 Padre Canyon Bridge, the ‘40s Twin Arrows Trading Post, ‘40s 66 in East Winslow, and the ‘20s 66 on the West side of Petrified Forest National Park. This is monsoon season in Arizona so each daily location and operating hours vary depending on the lightning/rain forecast. I generally operate SSB phone on 40m in the morning and 20m mid-morning through evening every day running around 300w.
David Schaubert, NJ0W – Flagstaff
Operating from the Conoco Gas Station Ruins on ‘20s Route 66 in the AZ Ghost Town of Two Guns.
__
9/7/2024 Four miles East of “Don’t Forget” Winona.
_9/7/2024 Afternoon: Meteor city trading post geo dome is on the horizon. Route 66 is road to left of pickup heading towards the dome