Does this really need a caption? Jim Cluett standing on the infamous Ledges soaking in the view to the south. Photo credit: Tim Carter – W3ATB

“I can go out today around 2 p.m. I’ll have all my work finished by then.”

I was talking on the phone to my very good friend and QRP outdoor radio buddy Jim Cluett, W1PID. We were going to take advantage of an exceptional late-summer bluebird day even though the temperatures in the upper 50’s F made it feel like an autumn day.

There wasn’t a cloud in the deep-blue sky.

“Where do you want to go?” Jim usually wants me to make the decision.

“I don’t know, but someplace different. Someplace I’ve not been to that’s spectacular. There has to be a place near us. You know all the places as you’ve been doing outdoor radio since the dinosaurs roamed the land.”

“The Ledges. Meet me at the parking area off exit 22 on I-93. Be on 146.52. We’ll be taking your truck.”

I’ve come to really respect Jim’s brevity in his conversations and his emails. He knows how to pack lots of information in a small space. When I was still building custom houses each day, my plasterer Jack Betch subscribed to the same philosophy – “Less said is better.”

The Ledges was created by a giant continental glacier that rode over Mt. Hersey just to the north. The glacier was flowing from the northwest and the south and southeast face of most mountains in New Hampshire is much steeper because the glacier plucked rocks from this face and carried them away. Image credit: Google Maps

Jim usually prefers to drive, so us taking my truck meant that we were going off-road. I drive a monster Ford F-250 Super Duty 4×4. It’s a beast and with its aggressive tires, we can go down rugged logging roads with little fear of getting stuck.

Once I picked Jim up, we were on our way.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been to this place. You’re going to love it.”

Just five minutes from exit 22 we had made the turn onto Wadleigh Road in Sanbornton, NH. Within 1,500 feet there was the telltale sign:

Class VI Road – No Town Maintenance From This Point On

Some Class VI roads in NH are not bad. Some are deeply rutted with giant muffler-and-gas-tank-grabbing rocks littering the two-track surfaces.

This road was not bad, yet.

“We have to travel quite a distance down this road. Maybe two miles. In past visits, I’ve walked much of the length because it was too muddy or the road condition was too rough for my car.”

Oh great, just what I wanted to hear as the paint-scratching trees started to get closer and closer and closer to my pristine red metallic paint job.

My Super Duty beast clawed its way down up and down little hills littered with basketball-sized rocks peeking up from the surface with no effort. With the stiff suspension in my truck, you don’t want to hit these going fast.

Because active logging was going on in the area, a previously overgrown road looked newer than the road we were on. At a fork, Jim told me to go right when we should have gone left.

No worries as we found the logger and he confirmed we needed to go back to the fork and take the other narrow track.

Fifteen minutes later the truck was parked off to the side and we were on foot heading to the mythical Ledges.

“We probably have a good 45 minutes to go before we get there.”

What? For goodness sake, it was a little after 3:00 p.m.! Do the math. It was starting to sound like the two-hour canoe adventure in the spring that turned into a seven-hour saga with me arriving home after dark.

“We can’t miss the one turn-off as we walk past this one camping area. If we do, who knows where we’ll end up. This is a very remote area and the closest house could be miles away.”

Gulp. You read about people getting lost in New Hampshire woods all the time. You can get lost in less than five minutes. It’s happened to me on my own 90-acre parcel!

Once we made the turn at the campground, the trail started to get narrow and the grade increased. It was a gorgeous trail littered with lots of brown pine needles.

Ten minutes later we came to a T in the trail. Right or left? Left was the way and we marked the way back with a large dead branch shaped like the letter Y.

The trail got steeper and steeper and we had to stop to catch our breath from time to time. This was a good sign as I knew the view would be spectacular the higher we got.

“We’re close, very close,” Jim said as I spied giant pieces of bedrock sticking up from the ground.

Here’s Jim near the top of the trail. The Ledges is just behind him about 300 feet away. Photo credit: Tim Carter – W3ATB

Minutes later I was walking through a rock maze of stunning beauty. It almost felt like we were on a different planet.

Fortunately, it didn’t take 45 minutes, more like 20 if you subtract the time we spent peppering a piece of paper with bullets. Jim and I love to shoot when we go out.

“What do you think? Was it worth it?” Jim was peering out looking south to the horizon. Off in the distance, you could see the massive Franklin Flood Control Dam, but it appeared to be made for ants from our perch.

I was pretty much speechless. The view was dazzling. I thought how lucky I was to be there and how other ham operators dream of doing what we were about to do. I’ve been doing so much outdoor radio, that I’ve started to think that everyone does it.

Guess what? Only a tiny handful of amateur radio operators do what Jim and I were doing.

Enjoying nature and activating a spot on the globe where no one has ever before set up a radio. In this instance, it wasn’t true as Jim had been here before.

Within minutes we were both on the air. I had to go set up over a little knob in the trees because the speaker output from Jim’s KX3 was bleeding through my earphones causing a big distraction.

I can only hear CW at about 10 WPM at this point and must stay focused.

Dick Christoper, N1LT, in blue (SK- Feb 2020 RIP, Dick!) and Jim Cluett, W1PID, in khaki in the Flume. Photo credit: Tim Carter – W3ATB

“Hey, where’s your rig?”

Jim Cluett, W1PID, was asking his long-time friend Dick Christopher, N1LT, that question as we were gathered outside all our cars in the NH Park-n-Ride lot at exit 23 on I-93. It was just before 10 a.m. on a sunny late-August day, August 28, 2014 to be exact.

“I didn’t bring one. I figured I could use one of yours.”

Jim immediately responded, “You’re not using mine, you swine.”

Laughter ensued, and I quickly added, “You can borrow my HB-1B. I don’t mind.”

Soon we were all packed into Paprika, the name we’ve given Jim’s handsome newer Subaru Forester, headed north to Cannon Mountain at the top of Franconia Notch.

“How could you go on a dxpedition without a rig?” Dick’s cavalier approach to the day’s outing was still gnawing at Jim, although I did sense a hint of teasing when he asked the question.

Forty minutes later we were walking across the parking lot at the base of the Cannon Mountain Tram towards the mighty machine that would whisk us to the top in just eight minutes.

“Holy moly, it looks like you were the only one that dressed right!” Jim was referring to my long pants that had the zip-off legs in case it was warm at the top. Both Jim and Dick had shorts only and with the air temperature just 61 F in the parking lot and a stiff breeze above, there was no doubt I made the right choice.

I also had a long-sleeved polyester tee shirt and a warm fleece. I put both on before we walked to get our tram tickets.

It was the day after a cold front had pushed through and I was certain we’d be blessed with blue skies and nearly unlimited vistas from the summit.

Instead the whiteboard at the ticket window said:

• Summit Temperature: 51 F
• Winds: 20-30 mph with higher gusts
• Visibility: -0-

Ouch! That’s not perfect outdoor radio weather, but we were told the clouds were lifting and things would get better.

The tram to the top of Cannon Mountain runs every 15 minutes.

You’re looking at the infamous Franconia Notch as Jim and I ride up the tram to the top of Cannon Mountain. Out west they call these passes. I-93 passes right by Echo Lake and then starts to go downhill towards the Great North Woods in the upper left of the photo. Copyright 2019 Tim Carter W3ATB

As one goes up, another one comes down. The travel time is only about eight minutes giving the operators plenty of time to load and unload passengers at each end.

This is what we saw moments after arriving at the top of Cannon Mountain. The cloud ceiling was just above our heads, maybe by 60 feet. Photo credit: Tim Carter, W3ATB

Once at the top, we exited the tram/restaurant building and headed for a location to set up our small QRP (low power) radios.

“Wow, it’s windy! Let’s find someplace in the sun and protected by trees,” Jim suggested as we made our way across the walking paths.

We setup just below where you see Dick with his yellow backpack on his back. Photo credit: Tim Carter- W3ATB

Minutes later we were in position and doing our best to get antennas up. The trees were not tall enough to allow us to erect vertical antennas, so both Jim and I had slopers.

You can see Jim’s sagging sloper, but it allowed him to snag a guy in Ireland and a friend in NC. Photo credit: Tim Carter – W3ATB

The band conditions left much to be desired. I was tuning around 20 meters and all I heard were crickets. Often you can hear ten or twenty stations, some strong some faint.

“I have a wretched antenna. I should be ashamed of myself,” Jim uttered as the wind blew and clouds passed over us like an express train rumbling through a station.

Soon the weather improved and it was very nice to see blue sky and puffy white clouds.

The WX got much better as you can see! Photo credit: Tim Carter – W3ATB

I got skunked as did Dick, but Jim was able to tweak out two QSOs, one with a station in Ireland and another a weak station on 10 meters from North Carolina.

Here I am hunting for a QSO. I got skunked. That’s never fun. That’s Mt. Lafayette just behind me – one of the highest mountains in NH. Photo credit: Dick Christopher, N1LT

Soon it was time for lunch.

“Where are we eating lunch?” Jim polled both Dick and I and I suggested we could go back to the tram building and get a cup of hot coffee.

“I’m not eating in that stinkpot hole. We have this majestic scenery and we need to be out here. Follow me.” Jim had a plan and we were part of it.

Five minutes later we had arrived at a solid granite outcropping that faced Mt. Lafayette and allowed us to look down at the tiny sinuous blacktop ribbon of I-93 as it clawed it’s way from the valley up and over Franconia Notch.

Franconia Notch is perhaps most famous as the location of the Old Man of the Mountain – the logo and symbol of New Hampshire. This stone edifice crashed to the valley floor eleven years ago on an early spring morning.

Dick, N1LT, satisfying his thirst while Jim, W1PID, was satisfying his insatiable appetite for QSOs of any type, anytime, anywhere. Photo credit: Tim Carter – W3ATB

As we ate lunch, Jim got out his ICOM D-STAR HT. I brought mine too. We were full quieting into our Sanbornton, NH D-STAR repeater at 100 milliwatts! The repeater is about 60 miles south of the granite ledge we were resting upon and our elevation provided the needed line-of-sight pathway for this low power to work.

Think about what we did. We talked to a man driving home from work in Germany as we munched on our food all on one-tenth of a watt!

Once lunch was finished, it was time to head back down the mountain.

“Let’s go to The Flume!” I can’t remember if it was Dick or Jim’s idea, but ten minutes later we were at this magical geologic wonder that’s just below Franconia Notch.

The Conway Granite that forms The Flume was created 200 million years ago. It was molten rock that was deep beneath the surface of the ground.

As it cooled, it cracked and the cracks were filled with a black, dense volcanic basalt rock that was softer than the granite.

Once the rock was uplifted because of Continental Drift forces, the softer basalt eroded creating the narrow flume that we walked up.

At the top of the flume, I saw a young couple that reminded me of Kathy, my wife, and myself. We honeymooned at this exact spot almost 40 years to the day.

The young woman was taking a photo of her male friend as he posed inside a natural cave at the top of the trail. She kissed him just after taking the photo.

“Why don’t you give me the camera and let me take a photo of the both of you in the cave? I want you do give him a deep kiss.”

They giggled and obliged me.

“We need more photos.” They laughed and I shot more of them as they were awash in the happiness of the moment. Minutes later Dick and I joined Jim who was anxious to keep moving.

“Why did you stop and talk to them and take their photos?” Jim was shaking his head not having any history of what The Flume meant to me.

“I’m in the happiness business in case you’ve not noticed. I bring scads of happiness into people’s lives. They’ll have those photos and the memories of the old goat who took them for decades.”

“Let’s just go find a place to get more QSOs,” was Jim’s response.

It didn’t take long. We dove off the main trail up an overgrown service pathway and found an ideal spot to put up a vertical wire.

See, I told you I was in the happiness business. I obliged Jim allowing him to make these QSOs! 🙂 Photo credit: Tim Carter – W3ATB

Within 20 minutes Jim had two or three more QSOs. He was in hog heaven.

An hour later we were back at the parking lot and headed home. It was a day I’ll never forget!

The Central New Hampshire Amateur Radio Club will have a fox hunt on Tuesday, August 5th.

Below are prizes that will be given away to some lucky club members.

The impact driver, linesman’s pliers and wire cutters go to the top teams finding the fox. The actual winner of the prize will the the team member pulling the shortest straw at the after-hunt party back at the Gilford Community Church. Good luck!

The generator prize is a raffle prize. Tickets are $2 each or three for $5.

Tim Carter, W3ATB, donated the brand new Klien wire cutters, Klein linesman’s pliers and the Rockwell 16-volt impact driver kit.

Dick Christopher, N1LT, donated the brand new two-stroke 1000-watt generator.

Do you have some nice gear or ???? to donate so all hunters win something? EMAIL ME now if you do.

This is the FIRST PRIZE. It’s awarded to the team that is the first to find the fox. It’s BRAND NEW – never been used. It comes with TWO batteries, a charger, and a soft case.

This is the SECOND PRIZE – awarded to the second team to find the fox. It’s a BRAND NEW pair of pliers, not something I dusted off from my shop.

This is the THIRD PRIZE – awarded to the third team to locate the fox. These are BRAND NEW Glow-in-the-Dark wire cutters. They’ve NEVER BEEN USED.

This 1000-watt two-stroke generator will be RAFFLED off to anyone coming to the club meeting. Ticket prices are $2 each or 3 tickets for $5. Proceeds go to the club general fund.

The following survey has been developed in an attempt to make the Central New Hampshire Amateur Radio Club (CNHARC) one of the best in New England.

We’re trying to match up club members with similar interests.

If you’re a member of CNHARC, please take the survey. If you’re NOT a member, consider joining the club as an active member or as a Friend of CNHARC. Then come back here and take the survey.

Each person that completes the survey will be entered into a drawing to win a brand new Fein Multimaster power tool. Please no duplicate entries. Multiple entries will be squelched.

Here are some survey facts:

• Your data will be put in a database and shared with other CNHARC members ONLY
• The survey will remain open for entries until August 31, 2014
• The drawing for the tool will happen at the September CNHARC meeting
• ALL of the questions below are REQUIRED. You must make a selection or entry for each question

There are grinding blades, sanding pads, etc. that can be used with this tool.

“Hey you guys. We should go to the ARRL Centennial Convention in Hartford, CT in July. It’s an historic event – 100 years of amateur radio. I can stay with my kids and you two can bunk in a nearby motel.”

Those words of wisdom were spoken by Dick Christopher, N1LT, the founder of the Central New Hampshire Amateur Radio Club. Dick, Jim Cluett – W1PID and I were sitting in a booth in a small restaurant in Laconia, NH having lunch on a spring day in May when this profound advice was brought up in conversation.

“This sounds like a perfect adventure. Tim, why don’t you book the room for us,” said Jim.

This is where we were headed, the convention center in downtown Hartford, CT. Photo credit: Tim Carter – W3ATB

A few days later I had locked in a room at the Holiday Inn in East Hartford. The location turned out to be magnificent as it was just a ten-minute walk across the Connecticut River from the hotel to the convention center.

Little did we know that people from all around the globe were making, or had already made, plans to attend. I have no idea all of the countries that were represented, but I personally talked to radio operators from Australia, Japan and the UK. Jim, Dick and I would only have to travel 189 miles to the convention while others would come over 11,000 miles to become part of history.

No real need for a caption, wouldn’t you say? Photo credit: Tim Carter – W3ATB

As the convention loomed, Dick decided he was not going to be able to make it, so it was just Jim and I that decided to make the sprint the first day from the misty and foggy Sanbornton, NH down to Hartford, CT.

It was just before 6 a.m. on Thursday July 18, 2014 when I picked up Jim at his house and showed him where to hang his dress shirt, pants and blazer in my beastly Ford F-250 Super Duty truck that would whisk us to the gathering of amateur radio enthusiasts.

“Good morning! Are you ready for our little man self-discovery trip?” Jim was awake, but it was still early and too much conversation at this hour of the morning was probably not a great idea.

“Yes. Let’s get going!” And off we were!

Three hours later we were pulling into the hotel parking lot. Brenda checked us into a great room on the second floor, we stowed our backpacks and were walking to the convention center by 9:20 a.m. to get our badges and show program.

Once at the convention center, Jim and I got our credentials that gave us access to the exposition hall, the lectures and all special events. Jim happens to know Kay Craigie, the current president of the ARRL and has known her husband, Carter Craigie for nearly twelve years.

Kay Craigie, current ARRL president, is presenting me with the rare gold ARRL Centennial coin commemorating the historic convention. Photo credit: Carter Craigie

Because of this relationship, Jim decided it was a good idea to attend the fancy banquet on Friday night and the President’s breakfast on Saturday morning. I didn’t have those events printed on my badge so I was on my own for both of these times. I decided to have dinner with a couple of my AsktheBuilder.com newsletter subscribers on Friday night.

Minutes after walking away from the registration area, who do we run into but Carter Craigie! He was wearing his official ARRL staff gold polo shirt and he and Jim exchanged gracious “Hellos!” and “How have you beens?”.

Jim introduced me to Carter and he said, “My, you have a wonderful last name!” His distinctive and friendly western-Virginia accent was a perfect match for his vibrant personality. Jim and Carter met years ago on the air working each other in CW sprint contests. It didn’t take long for them to become great friends.

The three of us entered the exposition area and started to look at all of the glorious eye candy at each of the booths. New radios, antennas, and hand-crafted CW keys from the master craftsman, Pietro Begali were all on display. It was Christmas in July.

Here is Pietro Begali, founder of Begali Keys. Jim was entranced by the deluxe works of art, almost too beautiful to use. Photo credit: Tim Carter – W3ATB

“Are you guys ready for some lunch? Let’s go over to that Subway restaurant that’s attached to the Science Center.” Jim is always full of sensible advice. It was about 11:35 a.m. and his intent was to beat the lunch crowd.

Other ham operators had the same idea not wanting to eat the pricey food offered at the convention center and we sat with a husband/wife team who had come from southern California to the event.

Here’s a nice wall people could post their QSL cards and business cards. My QSL card is right there in the middle. Look closely. Photo credit: Tim Carter – W3ATB

Soon we were back on the convention floor walking by each and every booth. Along the way Jim would stop and talk with old friends, especially the men manning the New England QRP Club.

Jim loves QRP (radio work done with 5 or less watts of power) and has become good friends with many of the people who gravitate to this part of the hobby. He’s gotten me deeply interested in low-powered radio and the magic of making contacts with just a few watts of power.

“I need some fresh air,” Jim mumbled after a couple more hours of roaming the giant cavern some call a convention center. We’d been inside the exposition hall now for a while and it’s devoid of any windows or connection to the outside world.

Carter, Jim and I decided to take the escalator down to the lowest level and sit on a wall that was under some shade trees in a nice oval raised garden that was at the street entrance of the convention center.

I led the way and was quick to notice the grass was flattened by something. Soon it was clear to me from the soft soil the underground sprinkler system has just given the grass and trees a drink of water.

“I’m ready for some ice cream. Find us some Tim.” Jim declared. Carter said he’d gladly imbibe on some of the soft and cold belly expander looking at his Fitbit pedometer.

“I’ve already walked 3,874 steps today and burned 854 calories, so I deserve some ice cream,” he proclaimed.

I pulled out my smart phone and used it to locate the closest ice cream stores.

Out of the corner of my eye while doing my research I noticed Jim was taking off his shoe. What the hell? Why was he doing that?

“Whoa! This grass is WET!” Jim had decided to soothe his sore feet by walking around the soft grass. But now he had saturated his one sock and everyone knows how horrible cold wet socks are.

The arrow tip marks the spot where Jim saturated his sock. You can see the drying wall to the right, the curved white line. Image credit: Google Maps

“Take it off and go put it on the wall over there in the sun so it will dry,” I said. The sun was intense and a nice constant breeze would have that sock dry in no time.

Jim put the sock on the wall in the sun and came back over to sit in the shade. Minutes later he was up walking towards the sock.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m getting ready to go get ice cream.”

“There’s no way your sock is going to be dry. Are you an idiot?”

By now Carter was howling with laughter at the banter Jim and I were exchanging about his wet sock.

Jim came back, sat down on the wall, and held his sock trying to will it to dry.

“There’s no way the sock is going to dry in your hand. Get it back in the sun you languid dolt.”

“I’m going to go get ice cream and don’t try to stop me.”

Minutes later we were on a crusade to Yogi’s Dairy Bar at 187 Asylum Street.

This is the way to Yogi’s! Image credit: Google Maps

“Where is it?” We were standing confounded at 185 Asylum Street and there was no Yogi’s, just a tall sterile office building that had a bank on the first floor.

“Oh Tim, you and your phone let us down. There’s no ice cream here.”

I was frustrated that I’d not called to make sure Yogi’s was still in business. The three of us started to turn around and walk back.

“What are you guys looking for?” A complete stranger had come up to us after noticing our confusion and overhearing our conversation.

“We’re trying to find 187 Asylum Street and Yogi’s Dairy Bar, but the building number here is 185,’ said Carter.

“It’s right up there on the second level. Go in the door, up the escalator and right at the top you’ll be greeted by a beautiful woman, the owner.” Little did we know it, but a lifelong Hartford, CT resident named Dean had come to our rescue.

Minutes later a gorgeous middle-aged oriental woman was dishing up ice cream for us. Jim was kind enough to pay for it and while we were enjoying the frozen treats at small tables next to the shop, Dean came up and sat with us.

He told us stories of him growing up in Hartford and how when he was a kid, the entire city was ruled by the Italian mafia. You didn’t spit on the sidewalk or litter without being punished.

“The streets used to be so clean here you could eat off them, but now it’s all changed. Hartford is nothing like it used to be when I was growing up,” lamented Dean. His long gray hair, accent and tough attitude made it clear he was connected and was telling the truth about everything Hartford.

It was time to head back to the convention center and hotels to get ready for the evening.

Around 4:20 p.m. Jim and I found ourselves back at the Holiday Inn and were trying to unwind. We had both been up for nearly twelve hours and on the go for the past ten.  It was time for a little siesta.

I set my alarm for 5:30 p.m. which would give me plenty of time to wash up and make it to my dinner engagement at 6:00 p.m. Believe it or not I was to meet my friends at the wet-sock oval.

“Why didn’t you warn me that you snore? I may have to call down and get a separate room for myself.” Jim was giving me a play-by-play of me drifting off to sleep on my back 30 minutes before. The short power nap was just what I needed.

“Oh, you’ll get over it like a bad cold,” was my reply.

Jim continued to rib me about it and seemed genuinely worried that his slumber would be submarined by my creation of countless ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ’s that would fill the room in about four or five hours.

We headed out the door, walked across the grand pedestrian walkway bridge just across the street from the hotel parking lot and within minutes we had split up Jim going to the banquet and me to have dinner with my friends. We agreed to meet back up at 8:30 p.m.

I had the pleasure of meeting Tom Tyler (in red) and Michael Lorello at dinner. We shared great stories and fantastic food fare! Thanks Tom and Mike for sharing your evening with me. Photo credit: Our nice young waitress

I arrived at the empty convention center at 8:20 p.m. that was being attended to by the convention janitorial staff. They were working very hard to make the building spotless for all of us the next morning.

Minutes later Jim texted me wondering where I was in the building. Soon we were walking back across the bridge in the dusky light and joined in a conversation with an Australian ham operator. What a wonder to talk to a man who felt the need to travel 12,000 miles to be part of a celebration of another country’s radio society! I don’t know if I’d ever even consider going to an Australian Radio 100th-year anniversary!

“I hope you don’t keep me awake all night. I’ve got these four pillows to throw at you if you try.”

“Hah, my daughter tried that years ago when she’d go with me to building and remodeling conventions. I’ll tell you now I’m immune to pillow strikes.”

“Hey, let’s see if Mark, W1DDI is on D-STAR,” Jim exclaimed.

Unfortunately Mark was back in NH riding his Harley in the glorious warm and dry NH weather. He texted Jim saying he was out on his bike.

“Hey, who put the thermostat at 69 F?” Jim had set it to 70 and really wanted it probably closer to 74 F while we slept.

“I don’t know.” I was lying of course.

“Well, you don’t have the arctic blast of air blowing across you.” Jim had taken the bed closest to the window and the wall HVAC unit air ducts were aimed at him just six feet away.

Minutes later I was comatose. My guess is Jim fell asleep not too much later.

“You slept like a baby. You snored a little when you first fell asleep on your back, but then you rolled over and it stopped.” Jim was one happy guy that his sleep had only been minimally disturbed.

“Do you want to hear my new plan? I say we go down and eat breakfast here at the hotel then I go over and just grab a cup of coffee at the President’s breakfast.”

“That sounds good to me. Let’s head down about 7:30 or so,” I replied.

Before we left for breakfast I uttered, “I discovered something last night.”

“What?”

“That I can sleep in a room that’s 94 F with zero air circulation.”

“Oh come on, it wasn’t that hot. But I guess the room is a little stuffy now that you mention it.”

An hour later, after Jim had checked news on his tablet and I had caught up on email on my laptop, we were downstairs eating a hot buffet breakfast.

“Look who’s over there Jim! Pietro Begali!” Next to the window eating his breakfast was, perhaps, the finest craftsman of hand-made CW keys in the world. Mr. Begali hails from Italy and has been making precision radio gear for nearly five decades.

We sat at the table next to Pietro and Jim thanked him again for his contributions to the hobby. After saying goodbyes to Mr. Begali, Jim and I went back to the room, grabbed our gear, checked out and stowed it in my truck. We then headed back to the convention center.

Once there, Jim headed up to grab his cup of coffee at the President’s breakfast and I decided to go down into the main lobby and interview some fellow hams.

The first two I found were Japanese radio enthusiasts, Ritsu Seo and Nozomu Takahashi. We chatted about why they came so far and I thanked them for their diligence and determination to make such a journey.

They bowed to me and Ritsu handed me a gorgeous dual flag lapel pin that features the American and Japanese flags. Nozumu gave me a small snack bag of crispy french fries that I’ve yet to open. I felt like a loser having no gift other than my business card to give in return. The Japanese are so very polite and gracious. I could learn volumes from these two men.

Ritsu is on the left and Nozumu is on the right. Two very polite men. Photo credit: Tim Carter – W3ATB

I then found several other hams to interview. I could have spent the entire time doing interviews if I wanted, there were so many interesting folks at the convention.

Just after 9 a.m. Jim texted me and we found each other in the lobby.

We visited a few booths again, talked with some of Jim’s QRP buddies and then headed down to the lower level to board the bus that would take us to the ARRL headquarters several miles from the convention center.

The trip to the ARRL headquarters was the highlight of the trip for me. Seeing the massive antenna farm surrounding the historic W1AW brick building was inspiring. The inside of this majestic building was bustling with activity. All of the radio studios were busy with hams that had scheduled time to operate using the legendary W1AW call sign.

Built in 1938, this could be the epicenter of amateur radio in the entire world. Photo credit: Tim Carter – W3ATB

Each of these operators left the building with a fancy inscribed certificate noting their achievement of being on the air at W1AW. I can’t wait to come back to do this myself and plan to organize a club outing to do just this possibly in the fall of 2014.

Here I am just outside of the main door of the ARRL headquarters. The man in the granite is the father of amateur radio – Hiram Percy Maxim. Photo credit: Jim Cluett – W1PID

“What the hell? How did you get in the magazine?” I stood there astonished looking at a full-color page of the upcoming QST magazine and there was a full-page article written by Jim about what’s not going to change about the hobby in the next 100 years.

Jim and I were in the editorial department of the ARRL headquarters and on the wall was a full-color print out of the September edition of QST. It’s scheduled to go to the printer on July 22nd, so I guess they print it out one page at a time to see exactly how it’s going to appear.

“Maybe that green magic marker line through the page means it’s been cut from the issue.” Since many of the pages had this same slash across it, I felt it meant the draft copy was fine and free of errors.

I’ve known for a few years Jim’s an excellent writer, but I had no idea I was in the presence of a celebrity. It’s a big deal to have a full-page column in the QST magazine!

An ARRL staff member sorting traditional paper QSL cards to be sent to ham operators in the USA and around the world. Photo credit: Tim Carter – W3ATB

After the tour was over, we were dropped off by bus at the convention center. We made one last trip to the exposition hall where I was able to get five additional gold commemorative ARRL coins to give away as prizes at club functions.

Jim and I grabbed another lunch from Subway eating it outdoors under some trees on the plaza immediately between the convention center and the pedestrian bridge that separated us from the waiting truck that would take us back to NH.

As we drove back home, Jim fired up his D-STAR HT and he talked with a gentleman from Wales. The audio on D-STAR was so clear I thought the man was sitting behind us in the truck.

Jim and I grabbed a celebratory coffee ice cream at the NH liquor store rest stop just north of the I-93 toll booth. Have I ever told you about Jim’s addiction to ice cream? It’s bad, real bad.

Here I am clowning around taking notes about what I saw at the convention. Photo credit: Jim Cluett – W1PID

An hour later I had dropped of Jim at his house and was on my way home. During the remainder of the drive, I reflected on all the laughs and good times we had in the past 36 hours. In that short time period we had so much fun and saw so many cool things, it’s probably illegal.

My only regret is not attending some of the great one-hour presentations made by some of the leaders in the hobby. I can tell you I’ve been to many conventions before, but this one was the best value of all I’ve attended in my entire life. If you have the opportunity to attend a future amateur radio convention, be sure to do it and take a friend. Just watch out for wet socks and those who like to sleep on their backs!

Portable Antenna Mast – Many Types

I’ve been doing public service amateur radio work since June of 2011. Frequently we need to erect a stable 2-meter antenna to get great simplex coverage at some of the events we work.

A few years ago I was introduced to the durable and versatile military surplus aluminum tubing that connects together with male / female ends. There’s even an interlocking tab so the tubes don’t spin.

Here’s a section of the aluminum tubing. Each piece has an effective length of 29.5 inches. It’s 1 and 5/8-inch OD. The male end extends into the female end of the next piece 4 inches. Photo credit: Tim Carter – W3ATB

At one event I saw a fellow ham use a patio umbrella stand to support the mast tubing. To ensure the mast didn’t fall over, the base plate of the umbrella stand was held to the ground by the tire of the ham’s truck.

I thought the umbrella stand design could be improved upon so I talked one day with a fellow ham, John Haven, KC1AAG. I drew up a rough sketch on a piece of cardboard to show John and he thought about how to add the bolts and make the base as light as possible using a ring of metal instead of a solid plate of steel.

The steel ring was a brilliant idea. My guess is the entire support weighs less than 20 pounds. You won’t be taking this backpacking, but for a field setup where you operate in the vicinity of your car or truck, it’s a good thing to consider. I think the photos do a good job of explaining what’s going on.

Be sure to watch the video below of one of these masts being erected by my fellow club members.

Here’s the completed antenna mast support. The yellow and black iron ring is 17 inches in diameter and 3/8-inch thick steel. The galvanized pipe is 17 inches tall and has an ID of 2 inches. Holes were drilled into the side of the pipe so the bolts can secure the mast to eliminate wobble. It’s one-half-inch bolt material with a nut welded to the pipe. A small piece of grounding rod is welded to the end of the bolts so you need no tools in the field to secure the antenna mast. Photo credit: Tim Carter – W3ATB

Here’s a close up of the bolt setup. You don’t want to tighten these too tight as the aluminum tubing is soft. You’re just trying to prevent movement. Photo credit: Tim Carter – W3ATB

Here’s the male end of the aluminum tubing. You can see the tab that interlocks with a notch on the female end. Photo credit: Tim Carter – W3ATB

John Haven, KC1AAG, fabricated this mast support based on a design he and I collaborated on. He was able to stamp my call sign into the base! He had to use a letter “E” for the number 3. Photo credit: Tim Carter – W3ATB

Here’s the mast up without my truck parked on the base. There was no wind, so it was safe to put this up for the photo. The tubing you see here is 25 feet tall. If you go any taller, you should stabilize the mast with guy wires. If you operate where it’s windy, you should probably attach guy wires to a mast this tall. Photo credit: Tim Carter – W3ATB

Yesterday my good friend Jim Cluett, W1PID, gave me a very cool present. It’s a crystal-controlled tiny pocket radio – the CRK-10A CW transceiver. It transmits on a single frequency, 7.030 Mhz, and it receives across a wider band.

Here is the little guy. This radio measures just a tad over 4 inches long, it’s just under 2.5 inches wide and about an inch thick. Photo credit: Tim Carter – W3ATB

The CRK is an acronym for Chinese Radio Kits. The tiny rig operates on a wide range of power levels from 9 to 15 volts DC. At 12 volts DC power, the manufacturer states it will output 3 watts.

The case seems to be made from a painted aluminum channel. It’s hard to tell since it has a black finish on it. Whatever it is, it’s LIGHT! The little rig can’t weigh but 8 ounces, maybe less.

This radio is a power MISER. When you transmit, it only gobbles up 500 mA and while you listen for stations to operate, it gently tugs just 15 mA of power from a battery pack.

You can read all the technical specifications and see great color photos of the circuit board before, during and after assembly of all the tiny parts by clicking here.

The tiny SW button on the front of the radio allows you adjust the speed of a paddle keyer like I use. You can use a straight key too. This same button allows you to also enter in your call sign so the radio will automatically start to send out a CQ for you.

The CFM button allows you to determine where an incoming frequency is either up or down the frequency range of the receiver. You do this by listening to a tone change as you press the button. It’s a very cool feature.

The antenna connects with a standard BNC connector on the back of the radio.

Why would you be interested in this radio? I can think of several reasons:

• it’s challenging to gather QSOs on just one frequency
• it’s challenging to pull out a signal from other background signals that are competing for your attention
• it’s a dandy emergency radio if you’re out on a hike as the preset 7.030 frequency is quite active

I tested it using my large multi-band dipole antenna that I use for my primary shack radio. I tuned it perfectly to 40 meters then connected the antenna to the BNC connector on the back of the radio.

In a few seconds I had my micro Pico Paddles connected as well as my earphones. The last thing you want to connect is the power supply via a 2.1 mm standard jack.

The little radio is powered up, connected to the antenna and it’s receiving. I just need to put in the earphones and start sending CQ! Photo credit: Tim Carter – W3ATB

Instantly I heard signals! I called CQ  and within 15 seconds was answered by K1PUG in CT. He was so loud I had to pull the earphones out of my ears. Realize there’s no volume control with this little rig.

In less than a minute, I had my first QSO with this fun radio.

My friend Jim told me this is a copied design from the Rockmite radio first introduced by Dave Benson, K1SWL, the founder of Small Wonder Labs. Dave introduced the Rockmite at the 2002 Lobstercon.

“W3ATB, KA1VJU calling. Where are you?”

I could barely hear Dave Megin, the CNHARC club president, over the pounding raindrops pelting my Ford Super Duty F-250 truck and the windshield wipers swishing back and forth at their highest speed.

It was 6:15 a.m. Saturday May 17, 2014 and I was straining to see through the sheets of pouring rain as I was driving towards the Tradeport in Portsmouth, NH. In less than an hour courageous bicyclists would be starting to ride in this foul weather towards Ongunquit, Maine. While the cyclists could choose from three routes (25, 40 or 55 miles), those deciding to take the longest route would experience hours of torture if these conditions continued through the morning.

“Dave, I’m only about five minutes away passing exit 4 right now.”

“Good. I thought I was going to be the only one providing communications for this race and radios really work best with at least two people.”

Breathe NH is a non-profit organization that uses the annual two-day bike ride to raise money. Riders have a choice of three different courses depending upon their fitness and endurance.

Most riders who participate, no matter which route they take to Ongunquit, ME, accomplish this feat in about six hours. Lunch, massages, a heated pool and giant hot tub await them at the Meadowmere Resort.

The cyclists, Breathe NH staff and support crew, volunteers and us ham radio operators take over an entire wing of the spacious resort just one-half mile from the heart of Ongunquit. The following morning they would bike back to Portsmouth, NH on their choice of two routes, one 35 miles and the longer one 52 miles.

The rain began to get worse as I pulled into the parking lot. I didn’t see many other cars, trucks or bike riders. The weather brought out those who undoubtedly have the three D’s:

• Diligence
• Determination
• Discipline

I wandered inside the Registration area. There were far more volunteers there than bicyclists. That’s not a good thing. Up ahead I saw Dave and wandered towards him.

“Who else is working the event,” I asked.

“Besides you and me, Mary Sheldon – N1RKO, Cliff Dickinson – N1RCQ, Bob Murphy – N1RWH, Steve Davidson – K1SMD, and Peg Brown – KB1GQV are supposed to be here.”

That seems like a lot of ham operators but in reality it was a razor-thin crew. The cyclists get spread out during the event and we need to have ham radio operators at the front, middle and behind the last riders to make sure they all get to the finish line safely.

What’s more, there were two courses that needed safety coverage by our crew. This would stretch our communication resources to the limit. It would have been much better to have at least ten 50-watt radios shadowing the cyclists, but that was not to happen on this weekend.

To add to the complexity, we work this event primarily on simplex frequencies. This means it’s common for messages to be relayed to and from the ham operators who are not only mobile, but are also often 20 or 30 miles apart. While that may be a walk in the park on the flat plains of Montana or Kansas, it can be a challenge on the hilly and rocky coastline of Maine.

This was my second time working this fascinating public service event. Two years before it had been a picture-perfect warm spring day. This year, it was gloomy, rainy and depressing.

This is the famous Nubble Lighthouse in Maine. You’re 2/3rds of the way to Ongunquit, ME from Portsmouth, NH when you stop here for water. This photo was taken in May, 2012. In 2014, the fog was so thick you could barely see the lighthouse from shore. Photo credit: Tim Carter – W3ATB

The forecast, however, was encouraging. The relentless heavy rain was to end by mid morning and the front producing the precipitation might push all the clouds off the coast by afternoon. As Kenny Chesney said in his hit song, “Only time will tell, but it ain’t talkin.”

The start of the race was delayed about fifteen minutes because the heavens opened up with a drenching downpour. Dave had me head out to get ahead of the pack of the serious riders. He wanted me to drive out to the first rest stop at Greenland Central School in Greenland, NH.

A new feature this year were assigned navigators. Lindsay, a 25-year-old graduate student in museum curation, was to be my north star on this day. We raced to my truck trying to avoid the raindrops drilling into us, but both of us got soaked in the process.

It didn’t take long to get to the school where rain was keeping the water and snack volunteer inside her van trying to stay dry. She had wisely placed cases of bottled water on the legs of the collapsible canopy keeping it from blowing away.

I’m in my truck at Greenland Central School looking out at Mary’s, N1RKO – truck. You simply didn’t want to be standing outside unless it was necessary. Photo credit: Tim Carter – W3ATB

Lindsay and I exchanged the customary “Who-I-am-and-what-I-do” conversation as we awaited the first riders and our relief, Mary – N1RKO. Ten minutes later, Mary showed up pulling alongside us in her green Ford Ranger pickup truck. Mary’s a seasoned ham operator and has worked this event for years. She loves the outdoors and volunteers to work many public service events.

Here is the first part of the 55-mile route from Portsmouth, NH to Ogunquit, ME. Image credit: Google Maps

Once Mary arrived, Dave had me follow the lead riders as they clawed their way through the rain and wind on the circuitous route towards the coastline.

Lindsay and I made it to Wallace Sands State Beach just south of Portsmouth, NH. We were on the lookout for warm coffee and a place to make a nature stop. The rain had turned to a drizzle, but it was cool, and the ocean was a steel gray. The cloud ceiling had to be less than 200 feet.

We discovered a general store in Rye, NH that was open and deserted. There we made the exchange of liquids and got back in my beast heading north up the coast. The rain had stopped, for now.

If you work a public service event like this, the outcome all desire is no serious problems. As it would turn out, we achieved that goal. The only injuries suffered were several flat tires over the course of both days. That’s a very good thing.

Our next stop was Ft. McClary. You don’t have to be a military expert to understand why the fort was built at this location. Ships trying to approach Portsmouth harbor were staring directly into cannons that could pick off the ships like fresh steaming lobster off a plate.

Here’s the second leg of the 55-mile bike trip from Portsmouth, NH to Ogunquit, ME. Image credit: Google Maps

We stayed at Ft. McClary for about 20 minutes waiting for Mary to relieve us once more so we could leap frog up to the historic Nubble Lighthouse at York Beach, ME.

When we arrived at the Nubble Lighthouse, the weather looked grim. The fog was thick and you looked out to sea into a ghostly gray sheet of nothingness. If I were on a ship moving at 20 knots in that soup, I’d for sure be working on a mild anxiety attack wondering if my radar and GPS were really working. Imagine how sailors of old must have felt without the technology we enjoy.

After Nubble, we started to sprint towards the finish line.

This is the final stretch of the 2014 Breathe NH 55-mile long course from Portsmouth, NH to Ogunquit, ME. Image credit: Google Maps

“Lindsay, look. I can see blue sky!” I was looking out my driver’s side window and sure enough there was a patch of glorious blue. Mother Nature had decided to move on and punish our allies to the northeast in the Maritime Provinces of Canada.

Just after 12:30 p.m. Lindsay and I pulled into the parking lot at the expansive Meadowmere Resort on the main drag at Ogunquit, ME. I’d guess that 15 cyclists had already made it to the finish line. They were getting rehydrated and some were getting ready for the complimentary massages to work out any cramps that were lurking in their legs.

After eating lunch, Dave released me from duty and I headed down to Ogunquit Beach to do Morse code with anyone that might hear me on my low-powered HB-1B radio. By then the skies had cleared and it had turned into a gorgeous warm afternoon.

It still looks a bit overcast, but those were clouds hanging out over the ocean. Overhead on the land, it was blue sky and sunshine. Photo credit: Tim Carter – W3ATB

This is one reason I love volunteering for this event. You get the afternoon off to enjoy the ocean before it gets clogged with the summer tourists. But realize it’s important to get back to Meadowmere by 5 p.m. to enjoy dinner with the cyclists and all others who participated.

I thought dinner was at 6 p.m. and wondered where everyone was when I got back to the motel from my afternoon of invisible radio waves and conversations about my strange green kite string (halyard for my antenna) that seemed to be snagged in a tree. It was about 5:10 p.m. when I arrived and it was a ghost town in the parking lot.

This is late day as the tide was almost out at Ogunquit Beach. The stiff wind had no problem supporting this kite! Photo credit: Tim Carter – W3ATB

The next day was uneventful as I had the glorious job of working sweep on the long course headed back to Portsmouth. The advantage of sweep is that you get to creep along behind the last rider.

This allows you to really see what’s on either side of the road. Typically you zoom past all the houses, horses and hayfields at 40 or 50 mph. Among other things I saw a tiny cemetery right up against the road.

Here’s a very small cemetery just feet from the edge of the country road. Stout granite posts have been cracked off by cars or snowplows. Photo credit: Tim Carter – W3ATB

Once back in Portsmouth at the Tradeport finish line, a delicious picnic lunch with grilled hamburgers awaited us. We sat in the sun and regaled in another safe CNHARC public safety event. If you’ve ever wanted to see the NH and southern ME coastline, this is the way to do it. Volunteer next year and see what I mean!

The morning of May 12, 2014 my Morsementor (new word) and good friend Jim Cluett, W1PID, emailed me asking about going out for the day to do low-powered QRP radio. The forecast was excellent. The temperature was going to be close to 80 F and abundant sunshine was in store. After five months of the white death, I needed to see lots of green and blue.

Jim suggested we go to the ledges above Sky Pond, a place I’d not yet seen. Apparently there are countless small hidden oases of pleasure hidden on the small mountains of New Hampshire. In several hours I would be introduced to yet another one.

This is a view looking north northeast from the end of the Bald Ledge trail above Sky Pond, NH. Lake Winona is in the foreground and you’re looking out at the Squam Mountain range with Mt. Morgan the highest peak towards the left. Photo credit: Tim Carter – W3ATB

It was decided we’d eat lunch along the shore of Sky Pond at the foot of the trailhead. Jim had me copy directions over the phone as he was about 15 minutes ahead of me. When I pulled into the small parking lot adjacent to Sky Pond, Jim was at the shore looking out over the glistening water topped with diamonds courtesy of the sun reflecting off each wave top.

“You wore shorts. You’re an animal! I’m a little fearful the black flies will have learned to bite by now and don’t want my legs peppered with welts,” Jim said.

“It’s too hot for me for long pants. I guess I could change into my hiking pants with the zip-off legs.” I have three pairs of these synthetic fiber pants and they’re made for cooler mornings and hotter afternoons. They’d stop black fly bites too no doubt. I stuck with my shorts, and would later regret it.

Lunch didn’t last long. Before departing up the trail Jim asked if I wanted a squirt of some insect repellent that looked like a thick coffee with cream.

“I put it behind my ears. That’s where the flies seem to bother me,” Jim pronounced. I applied some to my ears, arms and should have put more on my legs.

Minutes later we started to head up a typical Class VI (6) NH road. These are private roads made for rugged jeeps or beat-up 4×4 pickup trucks. Only an idiot would take their Lexus or nice car up these bumpy rutted roads that have paint-scratching branches reaching out from the edges.

It didn’t take but ten or fifteen minutes to get to the cutoff for the short trail to the ledges. Ledge is the local term used to describe outcroppings of solid bedrock.

Here I am at the trail cutoff that takes you to the Sky Pond Ledges. You can miss this trail if you get distracted walking down the roadway. Photo credit: Jim Cluett – W1PID

“Do you see this rock here Jim? This is the same as you find all around my house. It’s the Meredith Porphyritic Granite. A porphyry is a hard igneous rock that almost always has large crystals in it. The giant white crystals you see are orthoclase feldspar.”

Here’s a piece of the Meredith Porphyritic Granite. The red and white scale divisions are centimeters. Photo credit: Tim Carter – W3ATB

“I think a better name for it is the Meredith Pyrotechnic Granite.” Jim obviously doesn’t enjoy the finer points of igneous geology.

It didn’t take long to get to the end of the very flat spur trail that would deliver us to a stunning vista. Most of the elevation gain happened on the Class VI roadway. As we crested the trail, I could see ahead peeks of the vista view through the majestic evergreen trees.

This is the view as you break out of the forest on top of the Bald Ledge Trail. I knew the view would be spectacular once you got to the last tree. Photo credit: Tim Carter – W3ATB

I walked to the edge of the ledge and looked out at the stunning view. Below us was Lake Winona and off to the left and center were the majestic Squam Mountains. You could also see water in Hawkins Pond beyond Lake Winona.

“Do you see the railroad tracks? That’s our line going up to Ashland from the Meredith yard.” Jim was referring to the Hobo Railroad line. I thought to myself that within 30 days of that moment I’d have already completed my second or third day of being a new conductor on the Hobo Railroad. Jim’s been a conductor for several years and suggested I apply for one of these rare positions. I jumped at the opportunity back in late March.

“Oh, there they are the other side of Lake Winona.” I made the mistake and was looking out over Lake Winona to the roadway. I should have known better having driven that road and never seeing the track. I had a clear image of the narrow one-lane overpass the tracks use to cross Winona Road about one-half mile from where we were standing.

In a few minutes we were unpacking our radio gear and getting antennas up into trees. Jim had his deluxe KX3 Elecraft and I was using my HB-1B radio that was limping along with a bum button that’s used to switch from VFO to Memory mode.

I roamed 20 meters hoping to get a quick QSO, but the propagation to Bald Ledge left much to be desired. The band was pretty much dead.

Here I am being frustrated by the lack of activity on 20 meters and the infernal black flies that were nipping at my legs. Photo credit: Jim Cluett – W1PID

I could hear Jim completing QSOs an 15 and 17 meters. When two operators are nearby on the same band, I can hear a dull impulse in my earphones of him sending his call sign and other letters. The best description are ghost signals.

“Tim, look! There’s a hawk flying right here in front of us!”

I looked but saw nothing. The predator had dipped behind a tree. I’m sure it was a gorgeous sight to see with the winged creature swooping and gliding above Lake Winona.

I was having no luck. I could hear strong signals, but when I transmitted I got no response. It appeared I might get skunked. Nothing is worse than an afternoon outdoor radio session that ends with a skunk. I was to find out soon enough two other things could add to this misery.

“I think I’m going to stop operating for the day.” Jim usually pounds out about four or five DX QSOs like I’d hammer five 16d sinker nails.

“What are you going to do?” I was curious because there was still lots of time and I needed a QSO.

“I’m going to goad you.” Ouch! Jim was just kidding, but he decided he was going to come help me get a QSO.

Minutes later he was next to me with his backpack.

“Why don’t you move and get out of the sun?”

I was sitting in the sun. It wasn’t too hot, but it’s easy to get sunburned early in the spring.

I moved, almost tripping and falling over backwards stumbling across a small rise in the granite bedrock ledge.

“That was close,” I said. It could have been a serious situation had I fallen and hit my head. Help would not come fast to the ledge and Jim couldn’t pull me back to the vehicles on a lashed limb sled. Not on his best day with me being 40 or more pounds heavier than him.

Soon Jim was sitting next to me and was sharing one of my earphones. Minutes later he did a quick QSO with a friend of his in Michigan, Ken, WA8REI.

“Here, send your call sign. Ken’s waiting for you.”

I was nervous and frustrated. What’s more, my little HB-1B transmit speed was set to Jim’s hypersonic send speed.

I sent what Jim said to send and Ken responded. I could only catch every fifth character, but Jim was committing the entire QSO to his head. He rarely has to write anything down with his expert CW skills.

Minutes later the QSO was over. It was ugly. Ken gave me a 579 signal report and I gave him the same. My dismal sloping antenna was radiating towards the west and it working into Michigan.

It was time to pack up. Every now and then I had to move my legs to get the circulation going and to avoid the insects. Soon I was to discover the black flies had feasted on me.

We tried to get down my antenna, but it became snagged in the white pine tree. Jim yanked it and got it down, but one of the legs on the choke winder broke.

“You can glue this up with a splint and it’ll be fine,” Jim mentioned as we surveyed the damage. The end of the antenna also suffered stripped insulation.

Soon we were walking back to Sky Pond. It took maybe 20 minutes at the most to make it back to the vehicles. We ended the outing munching on two ice cream sandwiches sitting on the shady grass at the local gas station.

Fortunately Jim helped me avoid being skunked. The outing was a teaching experience to put it mildly. I discovered I still have much work ahead. I need to be able to HEAR an entire QSO at 15, 18 and even 20 WPM.

I know I’ll get there, but it’s not going to be overnight. The key is daily practice and I’m not only doing QSOs in my shack, but working with some nice AD5RX Morse Trainer software.

Soon I’ll be very respectable on air and able to do QSOs like Jim. You’ll see. Wait until you see a future post of mine this coming August!

Two days ago Jim Cluett, W1PID, and I were on top of Steele Hill where Steele Hill Resorts treats its guests to commanding views of the area. We had met with the owner, William Cutillo, finalizing the details concerning the installation of a D-STAR digital repeater up on this very high point in central New Hampshire. It was a stunning blue-sky day.

“I’ll see you later,” Jim said as he slid down out of the seat from my beastly Ford F-250 Super Duty 4×4 to walk over to his car. Moments before we had taken my truck up to see where the repeater would be housed.

An hour later my phone rang. Jim uttered, “Can you go right now to Knox Mountain?”

“I wish. I’ve got to send my newsletter and then I have to leave the house at 4:30 p.m. for a meeting. We’ll be super rushed.”

“You don’t want to rush Knox Mountain.”

You can see why you don’t want to rush your visit to this hidden palace in central New Hampshire. The pond is but one part of the experience. Photo credit: Tim Carter – W3ATB

“How about tomorrow, Jim? I’m wide open.”

“Okay,” Jim said, although I could sense disappointment in his voice.

He knows Knox Mountain well, as I’m certain it’s his favorite place to hike. He knows about black flies and when they learn to bite in the spring, he knows about the finite number of blue-sky days, he knows about cool temperatures, he knows about open forest and he knows when it’s best to go to Knox Mountain.

That tiny tidbit of time that would pass after we would hang up was one of those rare afternoons when it’s perfect to go to Knox Mountain, and little did I know I was throwing away the opportunity like you might toss a greasy paper towel into the trash.

Fast forward 24 hours and early in the morning via email we made plans to meet at 1 p.m. to drive to the parking area at the Knox  Mountain trailhead.

“I’m going with Jim this afternoon to do outdoor radio at Knox Mountain,” I mentioned to Kathy, my wife.

“Why don’t you take Lady? She’d love the outdoor hike through the woods.”

I pondered that for about two seconds knowing that Lady, our German Shepherd, loves to be outdoors. But a nagging thought surfaced about how on past outings Jim had mentioned to me how wonderful his dog was and how much he missed her. Would Lady throw a wet blanket on the outing?

“Jim, would you mind if I brought my dog along on the hike?” I called him about 90 minutes before we were to meet.

“Sure. I don’t mind.” I wasn’t convinced. Jim sounded a little distant and his voice lacked his normal overlay of humor. Perhaps it was very insensitive of me to bring along a third wheel, but the words had crept into the cell phone and it was too late to pull them back through the ether.

I left the house trying to get to the post office before 1 p.m. I also needed to grab some lunch. As I was walking into the local Subway to grab a sandwich, I noticed I had just missed a call from Jim.

“What’s up?”

“I wanted to apologize for my earlier curt response about Lady. She’s more than welcome. You caught me at a bad time down at the stream. My hands were full of muck as I was trying to clear out a few blockages.”

“Well, she’s with me now and we’ll see you in a few minutes!”

Lady and I followed Jim to the trailhead. It didn’t take long as it’s just ten minutes from Jim’s house and up a well-maintained dirt and gravel road.

“Hi Lady! Are you ready for a hike in the woods?” Jim wasn’t faking it. He was happy to see Lady who came over to him pelting his legs with her high-speed wagging tail doing the obligatory sniffing of Jim and taking in all the new smells of the area.

We were on the trail in 90 seconds.

Soon we crossed the log bridge that at one time was strong enough to support a heavy pickup truck like mine. Time has taken its toll and one of the main support logs has fallen into the stream and the others are spongy. Soon the bridge will collapse.

The fallen log is in the shade under the bridge in the center of the frame. You cross this bridge on foot at your own peril. Photo by: Tim Carter – W3ATB

Knox Brook flows under the bridge and it’s like so many mountain streams in central New Hampshire. It’s noisy, it’s clean and it’s tasty eye candy.

As we hiked through the woods on the leaf-littered roadway leading to the Knox Mountain cabins and pond, Jim shared stories of past bear and mountain lion encounters. It’s deep woods and thousands of acres of forest connect to where we were walking. No doubt wildlife finds its way here looking for food, companionship or to patrol.

“Oh my! That wasn’t here the last time we I was here. When was that?”

I replied, “I thought you came here while I was away last week down in Maryland.”

Jim was referring to 100 tons of clay hillside and trees that had slid down towards the stream and was now blocking the roadway.

Mother Nature at work trying to get all of the land down to the oceans. She’s very patient and persistent. Photo credit: Tim Carter-W3ATB

Lady, Jim and I picked our way around the mucky mess and soon we had to cross the brook because a second bridge had succumbed to Mother Nature’s whims. Its rotted logs had been removed a few years back and you now had to cross the brook the way the original settlers did.

In just minutes we were at an old concrete dam structure that created the stunning pond. Lady decided it was time to swim as she loves doing so at our home.

Lady is a natural swimmer, but the still cold water shortened her stay in the clear pond water. Photo credit: Tim Carter – W3ATB

After soaking up the view of the pond, Jim, Lady and I wandered over to the small cabins next to the pond.

“Here’s a good tree for you. You have the taller antenna.” Jim was right. Moments later I had my water bottle sailing up and over one of the highest branches.

“When I heard that bottle smash into the ground, I thought you had a bum throw. You got a perfect throw the first time,” Jim said as he looked at my green microcord hanging straight down from the tree. When it comes to wire antennas, straight is good. Sloping antennas don’t work as well.

Jim took his time setting up on the other side of the cabin because he didn’t want his ghost signals to interfere with me getting my first QSO. Soon we were both on the air and I could hear Jim making contacts. He’s a DX pro and with his skills and with his Extra licensing privileges he’s able to work that part of the 20-meter band where the pros go to make fast QSOs.

I avoided getting skunked by working K9MY, Jerald in Antioch, IL. All I got, as he was probably sending at 15 WPM, was his call sign and my RST. He gave me a 559.

“I couldn’t get what he was sending because he was too fast,” I lamented to Jim sauntering over to announce I made a successful QSO.

“I need to find slower operators,” I added.

“No you don’t.”

Jim knows the way. He knows the way to success. Success is me learning to HEAR Morse faster. Success is NOT me trying to find slow operators who peck away on their paddles or keys. It’s up to me to practice and push myself to be able to comprehend Morse code sent at 18, 20 or 25 WPM speed.

We munched on some QRP Energy Capsules (peanut M&Ms) and thin potato chips laced with sour cream and onion flavoring. The scenery was feeding our souls, but doing nothing for our bellies. Lady enjoyed some of the potato chips as well.

The radio bands were not favorable in central New Hampshire at that point in time, so we decided to pack up and find a store that had an ice cream bar or two.

The walk down the brook was delightful and the mid-afternoon sun was bathing the brook with slanted rays of light that produced perfect opportunities for epic photographs.

The look on Jim’s face says it all. He loves everything about Knox Brook. Photo credit: Tim Carter – W3ATB

Jim has told me for over a year that this hike, this location and this brook is his favorite place to go. As I walked through the cathedral carved by the brook, I can now see why. If you’re lucky to enjoy what the three of us did, you’ll no doubt have the same opinion of Knox Brook and Mountain.