Daysee swant Ki7CNG
Daysee with her Rover
Overlanders need radio. That’s how the Swants, Daysee KI7CNG and husband Jason (Jay) KG7SYX, got started in ham radio. They love to overland, which means driving their Land Rovers over back roads and through public lands instead of driving on highways. Often there is no cell phone coverage, and Daysee needs her radio to stay in touch.
Overlanders travel in a caravan, and in Daysee’s and Jay’s group, the Rocky Mountain Rover Club, only Land Rovers are allowed – no Jeeps! Her first trip was to Portland, where Jay likes to attend a British vehicle show. They took their four sons, Rigby, Kerwin, Gus, and Hudson (now 17, 15, 14, and 12), and traveled the scenic backroads all the way. On the way out they went through Lolo, and on the way back through Packwood, Washington. In 2017 they all got to see the solar eclipse from a mountain in Oregon. When Daysee was a girl in 4H, she didn’t raise animals. She signed up for electronics. Her father and grandfather were into electronics, and as a girl Dayzee was fascinated with their various meters and tools. She loved experimenting and making and building, a love that carried over into her adult life. Now her project may be quilting, but she still wants to know everything her Rover needs. Land Rovers do have needs. Overlanders are hands-on owners that are continually working to keep their Rovers going. They take pride in keeping older Rovers road-worthy. In fact, Daysee’s and Jay’s group meets at their house once a week so they can all work on their vehicles. Many of these friends are hams, too. Once Daysee got into amateur radio, it was natural that she would teach part of the Radio Merit Badge course in the Merit Badge University. She was already active in Boy Scouts with her sons. Although the boys are gradually growing past some of their previous activities, Daysee continues to help with MBU and the Elkhorn run. In fact, Daysee usually serves as Race Control for the Elkhorn Run. She would also like to make it to a Saturday coffee once in awhile. Her goals for the future are to help son Gus get his Technician license (she likes the FCC study app,) learn to use APRS on her Yaesu VX-8, and establish a base station at home. One thing for sure, Daysee and Jay look forward to more overlander excursions. |
Overlanders / Hams: Daysee Swant KI7CNG, Jay Swant KG7SYX, Roy Caldwell KG7SZA, Kern Kemmerer KG7SYZ
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Daysee on the road
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