Windows Vista - The virus disguised as an Operating System.

I would go back to XP.

Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.  Ever been QRP mobile?  You'll need the best antenna you can get. 

Try it, you may be surprised.
I have 3 10m mobile antennas that I have and run.
10m Anttron hamstick
Hustler 10m standard resonator
Monkey Made MM-9 LS Trimmed cb antenna.

I like the MM-9 the best followed by the Hustler and then the hamstick.
I have made many contacts on the hamstick and it is the least visible to others.

I have my HF antenna mounted very high and always get people staring and not watching where they are going.  So the Hamstick is my choice for driving in town, HIHI.

K9GEM,
Do the best install you can with what you have.
Then just go have fun with it, that's what this hobby is about.
You have a nice rig, nice antenna, and a nice tuner.  You WILL make contacts even if the system
doesn't have K0BG's seal of approval.
Go have fun and welcome back to the hobby!! I hope I get to chat with you on air sometime.
73 and safe mobiling.

Joel - N5XTR

I agree with K2PHD.
The Q codes have their place in radio, be it CW or SSB or even digital. 
It really sounds funny when folks use them on FM repeaters, Especially when they use the wrong ones. 

I use them a little on CW and less on SSB, but more on contests.  It is really funny when two stations wrap up a conversation on a UHF repeater and they both give their calls and then say QRZ? instead of QRT.  I hear them do that at least every week, HIHI.

Yes, the TS-480 has the 6 pin, mini-DIN connecter. 
On the radio it is on the front, top center jack.
The front of the radio because the face is detached. 

The first number depends on the number of transmitters you have in operation.  If it is just you operating from home, it is 1D.  4A is four transmitters at a club.  2E is two home station transmitters on emergency power.

The class is the letter
A - Club
B - battery power
c - mobile
d - home station on commercial power
e - home station on emergency power (solar, battery, generator etc.)
F - I have to look this one up so for now it stands for "I Forgot"

HIHI
73
Joel - N5XTR

I will be running a solar panel, battery and my 817 on CW and PSK31 for a 1E station.  Not going serious this year but just having fun.  Last year I went 1C High Power Mobile.  Used a lot of gas running the amp and AC.  See U on the air!

Joel - N5XTR

So how did the class turn out?
When are the students going to get their first on air QSO?
I would love to help with my slow 5 wpm fist.

I'll agree with that.  I tried my luck on CW on Sunday for about 45 minutes but nobody slowed down to answer my 5 wpm CQ.  Hopefully next year I will be a little faster with the key.

     Just curious how everyone did this year.  I personally did much better than last year and I thought last year was great!  Six meters was open for me the entire duration although I heard in some area of the US it was not.  So for all those fantastic operators that I had the absolute pleasure of contacting, thank you all very much.

     I had planned on setting up the video camera and making a few Youtube videos of my experience, especially Saturday evening where I held a QSO rate of 65 per hour for three hours straight.  Unfortunately I did not get the tripod from storage prior to the contest so it didn't happen.  VE3TMG always uploads good videos after the contest so I encourage everyone to check those out.

     My score this year was 142,506 points with 701 QSO's and 203 Multipliers.  I only made one QSO on 144 and one on 432 simply because I was so busy on six meters.  My score last year was 19,758 points with 219 QSO's and 89 Multipliers.  I attribute the better score this year to the new antenna, a 3 element Cushcraft yagi at 35 feet, and much better band conditions.  I couldn't have asked for a better contest experience.

     So how did everyone else do this year compared to last year?

Joel - N5XTR  DM83

Hustler even advertises that the mast will work on 6m.

If it is going to be removed while in motion, I would try for a small 3 element yagi.  If you went with the square loop, you could just leave it mounted and maybe work some ssb while traveling.  I know a few hams that have 5/8 wave 2m mobile antennas that they use for 6m ssb.  I haven't had much luck with them but others might have.  The Hustler mobile 54" mast is 1/4 wave for 6m but I haven't tried using them either and I own 2 of them. 
I am building/designing a full wave mobile 6m vertical but I need to buy some argon for my TIG welder so it is just a bunch of parts right now.
My advice is to just try a few different antenna designs and see what works for YOU like ease of installation and removal, performance, and storage.   You are going to be operation QRP so performance is the big issue here but it would be difficult to store a 6 element yagi in your RV.  It will take a compromise but almost all antennas are.

I have cut the brag file down to just the basic stuff.

Well <NAME> here is my QRP Station.
Digipan -> Signalink USB -> FT-718nd @ 2w, 5XH Antenna @ 30' agl, 3400' asl
QSL info on QRZ.com
Age is 31 and been a ham since 2005, love CW.
BTU <NAME>,
<CALL> DE <MYCALL> KN

That is all that is necessary. 
But I am working psk31 qrp only because it seems that I can make the same number of QSO's with the 817 as i could with the ft450 at 20 watts.   

Yeah, grids are always sent on psk for some reason.  I only send them on six meters but I also notice many ssb operators on ten meters exchanging grids also.  No reason to but they do anyway.
The only reason I can see exchanging grids on HF is for the Grid Awards for the 30 meter digital group.