Bike Ride to the Winnipesaukee River

This afternoon I took a quick bike ride to the Winnipesaukee River that runs between Tilton and Franklin, New Hampshire. I worked Italy, Lithuania and Hungary. It was a wonderful outing with perfect weather. I headed straight for the river, but several boys were fishing in my favorite spot. So I set up in a field alongside the river.

I set up on 20 meters under a large white birch tree. This photo shows the view from my operating position. I was using the HB-1B at 4W with a half wave wire over a tree branch.

The first contact was with Daniele IK2SND. He gave me a 559 and he was a 599. Then I tuned up the band a bit and answered LY2J who was calling CQ. Pranas had a very hard time copying my call. I repeated my call but Pranas still missed a letter. My antenna was off about 5 degrees from vertical, so I decided to move the backpack and make the antenna perfectly vertical. As soon as I did that, Pranas copied my call and gave me a 519. He was 599. Once again it proves the importance of angle of radiation.  I moved  up to 14.062 and called CQ. I wasn’t expecting a call from Hungary! HA6OD answered right away and gave me a 599. Jozsef was also 599. When I told him I was QRP, he sent “FB UR QRP.” After operating for fifteen minutes, I packed up and walked about 30 yards to get a quick photo of the river.

These warm summer days are numbered. The crickets are talking about it. Some of the maples have already started to drop their leaves. This week we’ve had a few nights in the 50s. I want to get out as often as possible.

Jim Cluett, W1PID, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Hampshire, USA. Contact him at [email protected].

4 Responses to “Bike Ride to the Winnipesaukee River”

  • Ernest Gregoire, AA1IK:

    I love to hear about your adventures in NH. I know that area. I hope to be on the rec end of a QSO with you from FL some day.

    de AA1IK

    Ernest Gregoire

    72

  • Thanks for the kind note Ernest. Our day will come! 73 Jim W1PID

  • David ZL1DGK:

    Good to read of the area I spend several years in. At one point, before I was a Ham, I lived across the road from KB1CSU.

  • Andy - N1ORK:

    Nice story, great country around here in NH. My XYL and I have a seasonal park model camp here in Freedom at the Bluffs of Danforth Bay RV resort. I use an FT857D into a G5RVjr hung in the trees. We used to come up here via I-93 and would stop into the Tilton Diner on the way. Then exit for rte 104 to rte 3 in Meredith then rte 25 to West Ossipee. Now we go via rte 16 in Rochester. The Tilton Diner is a great place to eat.
    Hope to catch you on the air on SSB some day.
    73
    Andy – n1ork

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