AmateurRadio.com

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!

This afternoon Judy and I rode our bikes to the old railroad station at Potter Place. I operated about 20 minutes and worked 8 stations on 20 meters.

We started in Andover and rode about 2.5 miles to the northwest. It was a gorgeous day. We arrived after about 20 minutes and I tossed a wire over an oak tree above the picnic table. I set up the KX3. The CWT Sprint was in full swing and stations were strong. The exchange is simple: name and CWOPS number. Here’s my log transcribed from the paper notebook:

3 Aug-16 1908 14 N5DX CW 599 599 Kevin 1293
3 Aug-16 1913 14 K9MA CW 599 599 Scott 1385
3 Aug-16 1915 14 K1GU CW 599 599 Ned 884
3 Aug-16 1916 14 KC4D CW 599 599 Bill 419
3 Aug-16 1919 14 AD8J CW 599 599 John 1395
3 Aug-16 1920 14 K4OAQ CW 599 599 Fritz 1658
3 Aug-16 1925 14 K9WX CW 599 599 Tim 1462
3 Aug-16 1926 14 N4ZZ CW 599 599 Don 902

After 20 minutes I packed up and we rode back. The air was delightful. We stopped by the covered bridge across the Blackwater River and Judy took a quick photo.

It was hot today, so Judy and I drove up to Sky Pond for a quick swim. I brought the KX3 and worked Sweden and Virginia.

The pond is pristine and in the middle of nowhere. As soon as we got there, I jumped in the water for a quick swim. Judy swam way out into the pond and I came back to shore and tossed a wire in a tree by the water. I set up the KX3 on 20 meters and tuned around. Boy… is propagation bad! But then… a station
coming out of the noise. 7S70AT.. what the heck is that? As luck would have it, he answered and we made the QSO. I pulled out my cell phone and checked the call… Sweden… a special event.

Then I went to 40 meters. Not many stations here either. But fortunately Ed KG4W in Virginia was just finishing up a QSO and we moved up 1 kHz and had a nice chat. He gave me a 579. I told him it was 84F and hot here today, and that I was swimming at the pond. He set me straight by explaining that it was 92F at his house… now, that’s hot!

After working Ed, I packed up and Judy and I drove home much refreshed. It’s amazing what a swim and a couple of QSOs will do on a hot day.

Tim W3ATB and I went up to Livermore Falls in Plymouth today. I worked North Carolina, Austria, Scotland, Lithuania, and Germany.

I setup the KX3 and a 29 foot vertical wire with a 9:1 unun above the railroad track overlooking the falls. As soon as I turned on the rig, I heard Joe W2KJ working another station on 14.060. When he was done I called him. He was running 4 watts with a KX3. We had a really nice chat. There were a few dips with QSB, but solid copy both ways. Joe was a strong 599 at the beginning and faded a bit toward the end.

I moved down the band and heard GS3PYE/P in Scotland working stations. We exchanged 599s and when I was finished, I heard Tim work him. Tim was about 100 yards to my north sitting on the hillside right near the track.

A little further down the band LY/ES5ZF was working stations. We exchanged 599s, then I went briefly to 17 meters to see if the band was open. To my surprise there was GS3PYE/P operating again. We had a second QSO on 17 meters. Then I packed up and walked down to Tim’s operating position. He was running a setup just like mine… KX3 and 29 foot vertical wire with a 9:1 unun.

We had a picnic lunch and then tuned around the band a final time. There was DP65HSC calling CQ and working stations. Both Tim and I had trouble sorting out his call sign, partly because he was going so fast, but also because the call is a bit of a CW tongue twister in itself. Turns out it was a special event station celebrating the 65th anniversary of the High Speed Club in Germany. Tim worked him after I did.

It was an absolutely gorgeous morning and the bands were in pretty good shape. After a fantastic time operating, Tim and I packed up and headed back to the car.

Judy and I went to Hawaii for 10 days for our daughter’s wedding. The wedding was fantastic… and there was even a little ham radio. I brought the HB-1B and worked PA, Mexico, AR and AZ. Conditions were pretty awful… but the view was the best!

The HB-1B was powered by 8 AA cells. I used the little QRP Par End Fed trail model antenna. 40 meters was just noise every time I tried. 20 meters was only barely better. I set up a few times at our daughter’s house in the hills. I only made one QSO… with N3RS, Ron in Pennsylvania. He was booming in, but he could just copy my callsign and RST. He gave me a 349. I was discouraged.

For the wedding we moved down to a cottage on Kepuhi Beach on the west end of the island. I only operated once because of the busy schedule. I made more QSOs from the beach, but still didn’t get any good signal reports. I strung the End Fed to a near by sea grape tree (I think) and ran it as a sloper from the porch of the cottage. Myna birds called out from the branches and the waves and wind provided plenty of background noise.

From here I worked Mexico, Arkansas and Arizona. Here’s my log:

16 May-16 0234 14.005 XE2MVY CW 559 599 Mexico
16 May-16 0243 14.060 K5EDM CW 229 579 AR Greg
16 May-16 0303 14.024 K7HP CW 449 599 AZ Hank

After the QSO with Greg K5EDM, I sent him an email to let him know I was in Hawaii. He sent back that he’d never worked Hawaii before. “Your signal was right in my noise. I copied your call sign but only because you sent it several times. ” He was running 25 watts with a dipole at 35 feet.

Operating from Hawaii with QRP is really challenging. It’s thousands of miles to the nearest land mass, and the propagation is often fickle. The timing and conditions have to be just right. I had the best luck late in the afternoon Hawaii time.

While I was there I worked the EARCHI net (on Oahu) on VHF with a handie talkie. From the west end, I could see Oahu rising above the water in the distance. So it was fun to work them on 2 meters. I told them I use the 9:1 unun all the time from home and thanked them for that successful project.