I have been out to Go Outdoors today to make a shopping list of the things I may well need for the National Hamfest and have picked a tent, which they actually had on display and the best bit I discovered is that it had a cable entry which I can use to bring in the coaxial and power cables for the portable station (assuming I have a solar charging system operating, I have also selected a camping stove (though this is subject to change) for cooking and those all important cups of tea and a table for the operating position within the tent, though the tent is set in stone the operating position table isn't as I will probably be taking a tape measure to check the size of table I can actually get in the front of the tent as the more working space I have the better it will be for me.
The cable entry on the tent, as if you're looking from the front of it, is on the right hand side, this means antennas would have to be on the right, that is the car is parked on the right hand side of the pitch for the mast stand and space in front or behind the car for the rest, my lowest band of interest until I get an FT-817 or FT-991A will always be 10-metres (I don't count 11-metres as that is CB though I'm using that as a two-way communication between me and guests anyway), this would also apply for any power generation, for instance solar panels and battery boxes as solar panels need to be outside to work and batteries can't be kept inside a tent, the same sort of thing applies to generators though for practicality a solar panel will work much better alongside a charge controller and battery, I shouldn't need mains power.
I also have to look on the Internet for suitable hardware for mounting antennas, my current telescopic fibreglass mast has a couple of the top sections removed from it as these were damaged, shortening it to about 7-8 metres. a replacement can be sourced online though this shorter one should be fine for the T2LT for CB though I want to buy a new one (from SOTAbeams, who usually attend the Hamfest anyway) and guying kits for both (though my shorter one will be in a drive on mast stand it still should be guyed as it will be up overnight both nights.
Of course things will change as time moves closer to the National Hamfest 2018
73 de 2E0EIJ
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