The Mike's
The father and son ham radio duo of Mike NG9B and Mike KD9TQW are a mainstay of the annual Wisconsin Ham Radio Campout. The have an attention getting setup of military surplus gear that has been configured into an amazing base camp for POTA.
The Mike's have been to all three of the annual Wisconsin Ham Radio Campouts with no intentions of ending the trend. You can see them playing POTA together at their campsite for long stretches at a time, and are always welcoming to fellow POTA campers who want to take a closer look at their setup.
The Trailer
While painted in the M81 US Woodland military camouflage pattern, the surplus comms trailer stand out when you drive by their campsite. Mike NG9B picked up this trailer with the interior pretty much gutted. I don't want to think about how many hours he spent tracing wires to get everything working as he has it setup!
Besides being able to operate his amateur radios comfortably from inside this trailer, he has created a bunk bed from two military surplus stretchers. This was the sleeping area for the Mike's during the campout and it worked out well for them.
Beside the annual Wisconsin Ham Radio Campout, the trailer is used throughout the camping season and events like field day. When they have a campsite with power, they can make good use out of the air conditioner mounted to the front of the trailer.
The Mast
If one doesn't notice the MILSURP comms trailer, the heavy duty antenna mast that the Mike's have should get the attention of passersby.
This all metal monster has three telescoping sections that extend by a rack & pinion gear actuated by a hand crank. According to Mike NG9B, he can get this massive mast setup in a matter of minutes.
More MILSURP
The Mike's weren't the only one rocking some heavy duty military comms gear. Another camper had the below vintage field radio kit that took three people to carry. I guess the two extras would come in handy working the hank crank generator.
