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A couple of friends and I did a trip to Kearsarge Mountain today. We had a fantastic time and made a couple of dozen nice contacts. Dave K1SWL, Tim W3ATB and I met at Kearsarge. The view was fantastic.

Dave brought his KX3 and put up a simple vertical wire 28 feet long. He sat at a picnic table directly under the wire and had a short counterpoise. The internal tuner managed the setup just fine. Dave made a dozen DX contacts mostly on 15 meters. I don’t have his log.

Tim brought his HB-1B and wanted to test out a 30 meter dipole he made. He plans to use it during an upcoming trip to Antigua. The antenna had a great SWR. After the test he switched to 20 meters and used his Par End Fed as a horizontal up about 25 feet. He made three stateside QSOs and was thrilled with the results.

I set up with a west facing view. I placed an inverted L up about 25 feet and across about 40 feet. I tuned the wire with the internal tuner on the KX3. I was hoping to make some SSB contacts in the military cross-band exercise and I had a mic out for awhile. But I abandoned that effort and went back to CW. Here’s my log:

9 May-15 1555 24.891 US5WE CW 599 599
9 May-15 1558 21.012 EA2NN CW 599 599
9 May-15 1600 21.026 SN7Q CW 599 599
9 May-15 1652 14.021 K3ZO CW 599 599
9 May-15 1655 18.087 AO150A CW 599 599
9 May-15 1657 21.021 HA3NU CW 599 599
9 May-15 1700 21.016 M0BEW CW 599 599
9 May-15 1701 24.891 US5WE CW 599 599
9 May-15 1705 18.082 R120K CW 599 599
9 May-15 1706 18.087 AO150A CW 599 599

I wasn’t paying attention and realized back home that I had several dupes.

We operated about an hour and a half and had a nice picnic lunch before heading down the mountain. Working DX was a lot easier today than battling the black flies. They were pretty thick and we were all glad to have a nice breeze and some bug spray handy. The little park area midway up the mountain makes a perfect place for operating on a beautiful day.

Hanz W1JSB and I hiked to the cabin at Knox Mountain this afternoon. We set up a 20 meter dipole as a vertical and worked London, Ontario on SSB and Guadeloupe on CW.

The first bridge has nearly collapsed. Two out of the four main timbers have fallen into the brook. We took a chance and scampered across the far north end of the bridge which still has some cross-boards attached. We went one-at-a-time and made it safely across. My guess is… the bridge won’t be here in the spring.

We had a grand time hiking to the pond. We hadn’t seen each other since sometime in July. At several spots along the trail, we could see where a bear had scraped up the earth, perhaps in search of food below.

The pond is always a beautiful sight after the darkness of the woods.

We had brought two rigs and one antenna. Hanz had his Norcal Cascade, an SSB rig set up on 20 meters. I had the little DSW by Small Wonders Labs.

We tossed a line over a 40 foot branch on the wild cherry tree behind the cabin and set up the dipole as a vertical. The bottom end was weighed down with a water bottle.

Hanz took the first turn.

There were plenty of stations to choose from. VE3LHU was calling CQ from London, Ontario and had a very strong signal. David answered and gave Hanz a 56. “You’re doing a fine job with 3 watts,” he sent. With that Hanz handed the antenna to me.

I went down toward the bottom of the band and right away heard TO10RR in Guadeloupe calling CQ. He had a hard time copying me on the first call, but came back on the second. We exchanged quick 599s and I considered myself lucky to have made the contact. Right away a large pileup formed. Had I waited, I would have missed the QSO for sure.

By now the shadows were lengthening and we were anxious to get back before dark. We couldn’t have had a better outing… it was 52F, and perfectly pleasant for a great radio adventure and hike.

It’s still beautiful even though most of the leaves are off the trees. I’ve gotten out the last two days. Yesterday a bike ride in East Andover… today I used the DSW in a field on Shute Hill to work Curacao, the Netherlands and a 2-way QRP QSO with Pennsylvania. I’ll start with today.

Judy and I hiked up the Rufus Colby Road and down the lane way into Will Ellis’s field. The beech trees are still glowing orange. I brought the beautiful DSW for 20 meters and a dipole. I decided to put the dipole up as a sloper… one end in a pine tree… the other end tied to a line and held down by a rock in the field. It didn’t go smoothly. I pulled off the PL259 connector from the RG-174 when it caught on some stubble in the field. Fortunately I had a knife and a little screw driver in the backpack, and I cobbled a connection together.

What a sweet rig. 2 watts… digital VFO with a built in keyer and nice filtering. As soon as I got set up, I worked Al WA3PTY in Pennsylvania! He was only running 1 watt. Wow… We’ve worked each other a dozen times before, but what a hoot to make this QSO from Shute Hill… 2-way QRP.

After that I went down the band and worked PA2EVR in the Netherlands. It was a quick 599/599 exchange. Then I worked PJ2/DL8OBQ in Curacao, an island just north of the Venezuelan coast. This was also a quick exchange. But what a lot of fun! A tiny rig, low power, simple antenna from the top of Shute Hill. It doesn’t get much better. Thanks Dave for designing the little DSW!

Bike Ride in East Andover

Yesterday, Judy and I rode our bikes about 5 miles on the old rail trail in East Andover. There were so many leaves on the trail, we couldn’t even see the ground.

I stopped at a little brook to operate and discovered that I’d left the backpack and the rig in the camper. This is not a good sign. Before heading home, we stopped at Highland Lake.

I tossed 33 feet of wire into a maple tree and sat down on the grass with the KX3. I started on 12 meters. W1AW/7 in Nevada was very strong and we made a quick exchange. Then I switched to 15 meters and called Oscar EA1DR. I’ve worked him in Spain at least a dozen times from the field. He’s always a welcomed QSO.

Things may look a lot different in a few days. There’s a forecast of snow for Sunday.

Judy and I rode our bikes from Andover to Wilmot on the old Northern Rail route. I worked Germany, Alaska, Grand Turk Island, and New Mexico. It was a gorgeous day.

We rode our bikes for about half an hour and settled down on the little beach at Eagle Pond. I tossed a line into an oak tree on the shore, pulled up a 33 foot wire, and set up the KX3. Judy lay down for some sun. I tuned up on 15 meters and found Frank DL1REM in Germany calling CQ. He was very strong and gave me a 579. “CONGRATS FOR UR QRP SIG,” he sent. “REAL FB SIG.” Then I switched to 12 meters and worked W1AW/KL7 in Alaska! Imagine working Alaska with 5 watts and a wire from the middle of nowhere. What a thrill. I gave a listen to 10 meters and there was Paul KW7D in New Mexico calling CQ. Paul also gave me a 579 and we had a quick chat. To finish up, I went to 17 meters and worked VP5/G3SWH on Grand Turk Island.

We rode back through woods and fields turning gold with fall colors. We couldn’t have had a nicer outing.

It’s been Indian summer the last couple of days. That’s what we call it when we get a spell of summer weather during the cool fall days. It’s generally the last warm weather of the year.

I rode my bike along both sides of the Pemigewasset River yesterday and today. I worked Spain, Idaho, Madeira Island, Greece, Germany, Belgium and Tristan de Cunha.

Today was in the 80s! I rode my bike north along the Sanbornton side of the river. What a day… I rode about a mile and a half to the old bridge abutment and set up the KX3 under an oak tree in the shade. I tossed a 33 foot wire over a branch and started operating. I worked three stations in about 10 minutes on 17 meters.

First EG4ATB in Spain… it was a special event station and we exchanged 599s. The next was W1AW/7 in Idaho, and then I worked Madeira Island. Cedric CT3FT was just finishing up a QSO and I called him. He gave me a 579. “FB QRP WRKING VY NICELY,” he sent. He was running 500 watts to a 4 element beam.

The day was perfect. The trees are just starting to change color. The fields have recently been mowed and the scent of fresh hay fills the air.

On the Old Hill Side of the River

Yesterday, I was on the other side of the river. It was a beautiful day. I started out at Needle Shop Brook and headed south toward Franklin.

I rode south a couple of miles and set up at the edge of a large field in the sunshine just under a maple tree. I used the 33 foot wire and the KX3.

I started out on 15 meters and quickly worked SX7AMF, a special event station in Greece. We exchanged 599s and I tuned up a bit and worked W1AW/7 in Idaho. Then I switched to 12 meters and had the surprise of my life. There was ZD9XF in Tristan de Cunha calling CQ. This is a DXpedition on one of the most remote islands in the world! I got him on the second call and we exchanged 599s. I never expected that.

I switched to 17 meters and worked DJ9IE in Germany. Uli gave me a 579. He was 599. Before riding back, I worked one more… OP37AEF in Belgium.

These last few days of September are precious. There will be many months of snow and cold before we can enjoy the luxury of days like this again. I’m getting out every chance I have.

Today I took a step back 15 years and went for a hike with an old MFJ Cub and a plain dipole. I worked Wales and Wisconsin with only 2 watts.

I hiked up to the cabin at Knox Mountain and had a beautiful afternoon.

As I approached the pond I found a small patch of mountain gentians near the old dam. The pond was beautiful in the afternoon sunlight.

An old cabin overlooks the pond. I set up my gear just on the other side of the front porch under the wild cherry tree.

I tossed a line over a high branch and pulled up a half wave dipole fed with RG-174. I hung a water bottle from the low end. This way I could use the dipole as a vertical.

I plugged the dipole into the 20 meter MFJ Cub without a tuner. I searched around for a while and soon heard GW0FZY from Wales calling CQ. Justin had a strong signal and was kind enough to answer me. He gave me a 569. There was some QSB earlier on, but toward the end of the QSO he sent, “Solid Jim… FB on UR hike.” It was an absolute pleasure to work Justin all the way across the ocean!

The little Cub performed well… I think I built it nearly 15 years ago from a kit. I used to hike with it all the time.

Next I answered Ron W9UW in Wisconsin. Ron was very gracious and sent, “UR doing a great job there with 2W.” Ron also gave me a 569.

I packed up the gear for the downhill journey. I took one last photo of the pond.

As I left the blue jays sent 73 with their “Dee Dee Dee” calls. Along the trail, I treasured each moment. As I noticed the change in color, I realized our days are numbered before the woods turn gray.

I haven’t been to the Ledges in Sanbornton for several years. The place is beautiful! Tim, W3ATB and I hiked up there today. We worked Macedonia, New Mexico, Germany and England.

We met at 2:00 pm and drove up Wadleigh Road. We went several miles passed the spot where the town stops maintaining the road. It’s essentially a logging road full of ruts and large rocks. Things changed since I was here last, and we took a wrong turn on a new logging road. Fortunately, a man was working with a chainsaw and a skidder, and we hiked in to talk with him. He set us straight and we backtracked, parked the car, and started hiking.

Twenty minutes later we made the final ascent through some huge boulders and tall pines. It was well worth the climb! I tossed a wire over a nearby maple tree, setup the KX3 on some rock, and started operating on 17 meters.

Vinco Z37M in Macedonia was calling CQ, and I answered him. He gave me a 559 and I was thrilled. Working half way around the world with a peanut whistle rig, while enjoying a view to die for… what could be better? I switched to 15M and answered Paul KW7D in New Mexico. Paul gave me a 579 and I promised to send him some photos of the hike. “Solid CPY 5W,” he sent. “I will look for those pics.”

Next I switched to 20 meters. DL1BUG was just finishing up a QSO and I called. Red gave me a 569 and we finished a nice exchange. I called over to Tim and told him to switch to Red’s frequency and give a call. Tim was running an HB-1B with a Par End Fedz. Tim got the QSO… and a 579 report! Better than mine… He was grinning from ear to ear.

With that Tim tuned around some more and quickly made another DX contact… this time with England. G4XRV near London gave Tim a good report and we both packed up.

I think it’s a good bet that we’ll be back when the leaves start changing color. It’s a glorious spot for ham radio.