Club Trailers

HOTARC owns and maintains a trailer to provide emergency communication services when needed. The air-conditioned and lighted trailer can operate on commercial or self-generated electricity. This large trailer is equipped with two gasoline-powered generators, two HF rigs, one VHF rig, one VHF/UHF rig, a PC with LCD television/monitor, ATV receiver, TNC, and a collection of HF, VHF, and UHF antennas and supporting hardware (40-ft crank-up mast, switches, rotators, coax, etc).


Here are some pictures taken during Field Day 2000 (click to enlarge).




In October 2001, the trailer had some cabinet work donated by Rodney Baden K5YKC. Improvements include ash drawer fronts, a pencil caddy, and a file folder bin. The last photo below is the location for an additional proposed cabinet at the "front" of the trailer.




In the Fall of 2006, the Club was pleased to add to its resources a small, sturdy trailer suitable for rapid deployment for emergency HF/VHF/UHF communications.

The trailer was made possible by generous donations from several Club members:
  • Mike Ross N5MVL: trailer frame and tires
  • Rodney Baden K5YKC: cleaning and painting
  • David Bush KC5UOZ and Larry Bush W5NCD: remodeling and embellishing the trailer, including a 30-foot collapsible fiberglass mast, with storage and mounting tubes.
Below are the before and after photos, showing the Club's new "grab 'n go" trailer. Our sincere thanks to the above members!

The completed trailer includes side shelves for operating or other activities, and a 30-foot antenna mast (see the storage tube underneath?), suitable for mounting a dipole or VHF/UHF yagi. The trailer is light enough to be moved by any Club member's vehicle equipped with a 2-inch trailer ball. One can easily load onto this trailer a deep-cycle marine battery, antennas, radio gear, and other essentials (folding chairs, ice chest, pop-up shelter, and so on) for quick emergency portable HF and VHF operations.




 

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