AmateurRadio.com

I made a quick bike trip from Andover to the old Potter Place railroad station this afternoon. The fall colors were beautiful and I worked Texas and Germany.

I rode along the old Northern Rail route. It’s a rails to trails bike path now. I heaved my wire over an oak tree across from the station and sat down in the grass with the KX3. I was using a 30 foot wire as a vertical with an EARCHI 9:1 unun. I started out on 17 meters and heard N5WNG calling CQ from Dallas. He was really strong… we must have had an excellent path because Mike gave me a 599 and judging by his signal, I think it was a real report.

I didn’t hear any other stations on 17 meters, so I switched to 20. Ralf, DK7AH in Munich was just finishing up a QSO and I called him. He was also very strong. He gave me a 579. He was running 500 watts with a 5 element yagi. “UR LOUD ES CLEAR,” he sent. We chatted for a few minutes and then I packed up for the return trip.

These beautiful fall days only last a short time. I’m trying to get out whenever I can.

I hiked across Shute Hill this afternoon to David Swain’s Farm. The colors were stunning. I worked Bulgaria, the Cayman Islands, St. George Island, Aland Island, and Italy.

I started out at the old cemetery off the Rufus Colby Road and hiked south along a snowmobile trail. Along the way I took a snap shot of some of the trees.

It stayed in the 50s today, but was warm in the sun. I hiked about two and a half miles to the old range road and then into Swain’s field. I tossed my antenna wire into a gold maple and sat down in the grass with the KX3. Here’s a photo of the tree.

I operated on both 20 meters and 17 meters. Here’s my log:

11 Oct-16 1755 14.010 LZ3QE CW 559 589 Bulgaria
11 Oct-16 1758 18.072 ZF1DX CW 599 599 Cayman Islands
11 Oct-16 1800 18.074 K4G CW 599 599 St. George Island
11 Oct-16 1801 14.020 LZ1DS CW 449 599 Bulgaria
11 Oct-16 1806 14.027 IZ2QXG CW 559 579 Italy
11 Oct-16 1810 14.024 OH0Z CW 599 599 Aland Island

The color is a few days away from peak. But we may not get another brilliant
day like today. I’m glad I got out.

The smell of autumn is in the air today. It’s beautiful and warm. Judy and I take a bicycle ride along the Pemigewasset River. I work Africa, Ukraine, Croatia and Spain.

We ride down along Needle Shop Brook and turn north along the river. There are fallen apples and brown leaves on the road. It feels and smells like fall. But it’s warm and still. A perfect day for a bike ride.

We ride about a half mile north and I see what I think is a piece of metal across the trail. I swerve quickly to avoid it, and realize it’s a snake! It slithers away into the grass. It’s a Northern Water Snake soaking up the warm, fall sunshine.

We ride perhaps 3 miles and I start looking for a place to set up the KX3. There is a sunny field to the west with some large maple trees nearby. Judy goes into the field and I throw a 30 foot wire over the branch of a huge maple.

I start out on 20 meters at the low end of the band. EO25U is calling CQ. We exchange quick 599s. This is Ukraine… a special event celebrating 25 years of independence. I tune up the band and quickly work AN400R… another special event… this time in Spain celebrating the life of Cervantes, the famous Spanish author of Don Quixote.

The photo below is my view while operating.

I switch to 17 meters. It’s active and right away I work 9A50CMB. This is the MARJAN Radio Club call in Croatia. Miki gives me a 559, and I tune up the band a little. Here is TZ4AM working stations. He answers me on the first call and gives me a 559. I didn’t know this station is in Mali, central Africa. I find out later when I look it up at home. Wow… the first time I’ve actually worked Timbuktu!

Now I pack up and head south to where we left the car.

These days are way too short. In just a few weeks New Hampshire Fish and Game will release pheasant in this area for hunters. Not an ideal spot for bike rides or radio.

I hiked on Shute Hill this afternoon. It’s definitely late summer. The sounds of crickets say so. The loud buzzing of bees on the goldenrod tell me fall is around the corner. I made a wonderful 2-way QRP QSO with Georgia.

The trail goes south and east from the old cemetery off the Rufus Colby Road. It goes all the way over the hill to the range road on the other side.

I walk for about 20 minutes. There are asters and goldenrod everywhere.

I set up along the trail under a beautiful oak tree. I’m using the MTR by Steve Weber, KD1JV. It’s a tiny 3-band rig powered by 8 AA cells. It gives me about 3 watts. I have hung a 20 meter dipole as a vertical from a branch and I sit on the ground with the MTR in my lap.

I hear K4JPN Steve in Georgia finishing up a QSO and I call him. He answers right away and gives me a 579. He is 599. He is running a K2 to a 3 element beam. He drops his power down to 2 watts. I still have solid copy and we chat for about 15 minutes. I’ve worked Steve about a half dozen times before. He spent lots of time in New Hampshire as a youngster and he’s as glad as I am for the contact.

Here’s my view from my operating position. At the bottom right of the photo, you will see a water bottle. It is hanging from the end of the dipole keeping the antenna taut.

It’s not a fancy place with a spectacular view. But it’s beautiful nonetheless. I pack up and hike back to the cemetery where I left my car.

I went for a quick hike this morning before lunch to some remote farm fields not far from home. I worked France, Serbia, Kansas, Canary Islands and Russia. It was a beautiful, beautiful morning.

I started out on Hunkins Pond Road and hiked north up an old farm lane. Then I turned east on the old range road. This old road cuts straight through the woods for probably 8 miles. But just a short way up this road I came to David Swain’s hay fields on top of the hill. It’s a beautiful place. This view is looking east toward the Belknap Mountain range.

I set up the KX3 at the edge of the field and tossed my wire over a huge maple. I started out on 20 meters. The first station I heard was Bert F6HKA in France. He was working the Romanian DX contest. We exchanged 599s and a serial number. Next I worked a Serbian station YT1A also working the contest.

My third QSO was up the band a little with W0L. Jerry was working the Kansas QSO party and I sent 599 and NH. Then I listened around a bit to see how the other bands were doing. I finally settled on 17 meters where I heard a couple of strong DX stations.

EA8TL in the Canary Islands was calling CQ right at the bottom of the band. Jorge was very strong and we made a quick exchange. Up the band I heard Alex RK3ER also calling CQ. “Hello Jim,” he sent as he gave me a 559. He was 599 to me.

Now the sun was almost overhead and it was getting pretty hot in the field. I packed up and headed home for lunch after a final glance to the south.

I rode my bike to the old Potter Place Railroad Station from Andover this afternoon. I worked Corsica, Oregon, Croatia and Spain. It was absolutely beautiful today.

It was a perfect, clear day around 75F. I rode about 2 miles from Andover along the old Northern Rail route. Part way into the ride I passed the old covered bridge at the Blackwater River.

The Potter Place station is a museum now. I set up under a huge pine tree on the south side of the track. I tossed a 30 foot wire over a branch and started with the KX3 on 20 meters. 9A2AJ, Tom from Croatia was calling CQ. I’ve worked him a dozen times before, and when I answered he asked if I was running 5 watts. He gave me a 579. He was 599 and I told him I was on a bike ride and was, indeed QRP.

Next I went to 17 meters where W1VDE, Roger in Oregon was just finishing up a QSO. At first he said I was only S1, but later he said I’d come up a lot and he gave me a 569. I tuned up a bit and was thrilled to work TK3LS on the island of Corsica. Laurent gave me a quick 599. He was very strong to me.

I was about to call it quits when I heard EA5KM in Spain calling CQ on 30 meters. He had a hard time copying my call, even though he was strong to me. We made a quick exchange and I packed up for the ride back. What a glorious day for a quick outing.

Judy and I went to the beach today. It was 93F. We walked along the shore, rode our bikes, and I worked a little DX.

After walking a mile or so along the beach, Judy took a swim and lay down for some sun, and I set up the KX3 on a bench overlooking Rye Harbor. Above the rocky shore wild roses decorated the entire area. I set up a 33 foot collapsible DK9SQ mast, which I happened to have in the camper. I used a cord to hold it to the back of the bench.

The wire is running alongside the pole. The yellow string you see coming out the side is just a line attached to the wire. I usually use it to toss over a tree branch. I didn’t bother to disconnect it.

I tuned up on 20 meters and made my first contact with John W5LNI in Arkansas. He gave me a 559 and he was 599 with 300 watts and a log periodic antenna. “UR 8 watts doing FB here,” he sent. I was really happy to make a contact with the poor band conditions.

Next I heard another station in Arkansas calling CQ. Darron KG5ABL answered and we exchanged quick 599s. He said he was having trouble with QSB and we signed.

Up the band a little, Remi LY8O in Lithuania was very strong. I answered his CQ and he gave me a 559. What a thrill to work Europe from the beach. Thanks for the nice QSO, Remi.

After packing up, we rode our bikes along the coast for a couple of miles. What a glorious day!