Whoa! SSB DX from the Pemigewasset
This afternoon I rode my bicycle along the Pemigewasset River. Today I brought a microphone along! I worked Italy, Svalbard Island and Estonia using five watts and SSB. This was a first for me.
Judy and I rode down to the old bridge to Hill. It’s right near the spot where Knox Brook flows into the Pemi. We stopped in a small grassy spot, and I set up the KX3 under an oak tree.
I tossed a 33 foot wire over the branch and sat directly under it, so the wire was vertical. I started out on 17M CW. Right away I worked S50R in Slovenia. Leo gave me a 599 and I gave him the same. When I told him I was QRP, he sent, “FB FOR UR 5W NICE.” Next I worked the Canary Islands. EC8AFM gave me a 559. He was a solid 599. Then I switched to SSB.
Right away I heard ES3AX in Estonia calling CQ. August gave me a 58. He was 59. I remembered his call and mentioned that we had worked before on CW. He also remembered. What a thrill. Tuning up a bit I heard Flavio
IZ1JLG calling CQ from Italy. He gave me a 55 and we chatted for a moment. Then I worked JW9JKA in Svalbard Island, Arctic Norway. Svein was on a DXpedition to Bear Island EU-027 and had a rough time getting my call but we completed the exchange and he gave me a 52. I didn’t realize this was a rare catch until I received an email from Dave W0CH who suggested I check closer…. Not just Norway, but Svalbard.
Next was another Italian station. IK6SNR, Lucio gave me a 59. When I told him I was QRP, he said that copy was easy and audio was excellent. I was really excited and equally surprised that I could make contacts so easily using 5W on voice.
I went back to CW to calm down a bit… Pavel OK4RQ gave me a 599 and when I told him I was QRP, he sent, “FB UR QRP S-9.” What more could I ask for? I packed up and headed back downstream toward the car. On the way, I rode alongside a beaver! The swimmer was so long, I thought it was an otter. But when it caught a glimpse of me, there was a loud splash of his tail as he dove beneath the water. As the sun started falling behind the trees, I stopped and took another snapshot of the river.
Very nice Jim ! Fall is on the way….
Jim,
You should put together a compendium of your QRP trips to all the locations in New Hampshire that you operate from. the story is fun to read but the photos are magnificent!
Keep up the good work.
72,
Dave K!THP
Thanks to both of you for the nice notes. All the stories so far are at:
http://www.w1pid.com
vy 73 Jim