Ring….. ring……. ring

“Talk to me.” Using the caller ID on his phone, my mentor Jim Cluett, W1PID, knew it was me calling.

“Jim, guess who I just worked! K6KPH!!! The Maritime Radio Historical Society!”

The Maritime Radio Historical Society has a rich heritage.

“Tim, that’s great! Congratulations. Many operators love to work them.”

I was just ten days into my CW (Morse code) journey whereas Jim has been doing it for over fifty years. This conversation with K6KPH was only my thirteenth CW QSO – that’s the q-sign acronym ham operators use to define a conversation between two radio operators.

When I first copied the call sign of the radio operator, K6KPH meant nothing to me. I went to QRZ.com to look up who he was. I thought I had made contact with some operator in Wisconsin or maybe Michigan. Or, it could have been someone in Pennsylvania or New York.

That’s who I’ve been snagging in my net for the past ten days.

Here’s what I saw when I went to qrz.com. WOW!

When I saw the name under the call sign at QRZ.com, I about jumped out of my chair!

I couldn’t push the redial button fast enough on my phone to tell Jim. He’s asked me to either email him or call him on the phone each time I make a contact using Morse code.

Jim is trying to teach me as fast as possible much of what he knows about this glorious method of communication. CW is pure, it’s universal and it’s fun. Many people roll their eyes about Morse code, but believe me, it’s alive and vibrant.

“It’s like drinking from a fire hose,” Jim will commonly say. There’s just so much to learn.

The past ten days I’ve had my ups and downs because I can’t copy the code – that means translate it as I hear it – as fast as I would like to. I get frustrated as you might imagine.

But this afternoon, the experienced operator picked out my CQ CQ CQ signal from 3,000 miles away and decided to answer me back. How cool was that? I’m sure many other stations were trying to do a QSO with him, and they were much more experienced.

Working K6KPH bolstered my confidence. It was one of the high spots for sure of the past ten days. I’ll be sending them a QSL card on Monday for sure!

Here’s the QSL card I received from them in February, 2014.

This is the official QSL card from K6KPH confirming my QSO. It was very exciting to see it in the mail!

Night of Nights

The folks that keep K6KPH alive do an annual remembrance of the glory days of Maritime HF radio. It’s called the Night of Nights. Here’s Denice Stoops “DA” sending the closing message using a bug.

Did this blog post help you?

I invest time writing and taping videos to help other hams like you save time and lower their blood pressure. Frequently equipment manuals are lacking key details that cause frustration. I’m trying to fill in those gaps when I can.

If this post saved you some frustration, I’d appreciate it if you’d consider making a simple donation – even just a buck – using the PayPal button below. The more donations I receive, the more time I can devote to helping you.

Thanks in advance.

My first introduction to Morse code was in the early 1960’s. I was a lad of perhaps 10 years old. I have a dim memory of being in a car with my childhood friend Roger Boncutter. He suggested we get our ham radio licenses.

That geek on the left is me. Roger is on the right. We’re standing in my front yard in a middle class neighborhood in Cincinnati, OH.

“We’ll have to learn Morse code,” Roger said. Roger was two years older than I was and I looked up to him and trusted him. He showed me a page of the dots and dashes (we now call them di’s and dah’s as that’s how they sound) next to the letters of the alphabet. I tried to memorize them, but gave up. Suffice it to say I’d have to wait just about forty years to get my ham radio license.

Fast forward a few years and in September, 1966 I was sitting in a desk at Roger Bacon High School in Fr. Warren’s classroom. I had my Latin book in front of me and my eyes were glazed over. Not only was Latin a foreign language, but it was a dead one at that!

I didn’t do well in Latin. In fact, I failed it my freshman and sophomore years. Yes, I had to go to summer school to advance in high school. I sucked at learning a foreign language. I was stubborn in high school and more like a wild stallion than a mature young adolescent.

Plus, I wasn’t mature enough to recognize the benefit of learning Latin – and how discovering its vocabulary would help me years later as a professional writer.  After doing custom remodeling and building custom homes for two decades, I started AsktheBuilder.com. Yes, it’s really worth it to pay attention in school. Such is life for young men who don’t listen to their parents and teachers.

Morse code is just that. It’s a foreign language. It’s not a tough language to learn, as you only have to memorize about 50 combinations of letters and numbers to get started. As you advance and begin to master Morse code, you’ll soon discover there’s probably closer to 75-100 combinations as Morse code uses things called prosigns and Q-signs (they’re also called Q signals and Q codes) where two or three letters are jammed together to create an abbreviation for a phrase.

Modern texting on cell phones has nothing over Morse code, affectionately known as CW by those of us who produce the invisible truncated tones over the airwaves. CW is the acronym for continuous wave. Think of a steady tone in your head. Go ahead, start to hum. I know it’s corny, but do it. Do it out loud. Now, interrupt that tone into sounds of different length. That’s Morse code.

You’ll see kids and adults today text: “r u sick” or “roflmao”. CW operators had been doing this for decades long before cell or smart phones were even a gleam in the eye of the inventors of the tiny radios. Yes, cell phones are radios. You knew that, right? Most people don’t make that connection. They just think cell phones are magic.

The Cold Winter Night

Nine months ago is when the CW bug bit and wouldn’t let go. I was in a small room filled with young Boy Scouts watching two Morse code pros do a demonstration. The radio they used, as well as the magic of passing a message about zombies, set the hook deep.

I started to work on learning and using the code, but all sorts of things got in the way. I wasn’t focused. Read that again.  No, seriously. Read that sentence again.

If you want to learn Morse code, or how to solder a pipe. or how to tape and finish drywall like a pro, you must be focused. You must be passionate about what you’re trying to do.

Think about that for a moment. Think of the things you’re really good at. How did that happen? How many hours a week did you practice at doing that thing? Yes, it’s all about practice. Where do you think that old adage “Practice makes perfect.” came from?

Create the Ideal Environment

People around you who don’t care about Morse code will find the di’s and dah’s annoying. At first they may humor you, but after a while that grin on their face will turn to a frown.

You have two choices: You can get earphones or a headset, or you can relocate yourself so you don’t bother people in your family. Moving to a remote, soundproof location where you still might use ear or headphones can create a great environment to learn.

The open nature of my home was not a great place to do Morse code. It bothered my wife. I needed to get as far away from the living area of the house as possible. Plus, near my basement office, I didn’t have an ideal location to erect a great antenna. I needed a real ham radio shack.

The attic of my garage was the perfect place. There, in that dark cavern, I could carve out 85 square feet of space, install a window in the gable end for some natural light, build a partition wall to allow heat to stay in the space and build and erect outdoors in the adjacent tall trees a multi-band zepp center-fed dipole 80-6 meter antenna.

All of this work was completed and move-in day to the shack happened on November 3, 2013. Here’s a photo of part of my shack. It’s hard to show the entire room, even with a wide-angle lens. We’ll pick up the rest of my Morse code journey in Part Two.

This is one third of my ham shack. The room measures just over 7 feet deep and it’s 12-feet wide. Photo credit: Tim Carter W3ATB

Did this blog post help you?

I invest time writing and taping videos to help other hams like you save time and lower their blood pressure. Frequently equipment manuals are lacking key details that cause frustration. I’m trying to fill in those gaps when I can.

If this post saved you some frustration, I’d appreciate it if you’d consider making a simple donation – even just a buck – using the PayPal button below. The more donations I receive, the more time I can devote to helping you.

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by: Tim Carter, W3ATB

© Copyright 2013 Tim Carter – All Rights Reserved

“The copper in those cables came from the famous, and now-closed, Anaconda Copper Mine in Butte, MT. You can’t get that copper anymore,” I exclaimed with a straight face. It was late morning on the first day of New England Amateur Radio fest (NEARfest) and I was busy attracting customers who were digging through a wide assortment of ham radio accessories, radios, power supplies and who-knows-what stacked in boxes.  Some of the gear was donated to the Central New Hampshire Amateur Radio Club (CNHARC) over the past few years and months by former club members while the rest was being hawked by current members.

Just a few hours before, Dick Christopher, N1LT and I were in a long line of cars and trucks waiting to pass through the gates to set up to sell. It was opening day, October 11, 2013, blessed with sunshine and balmy temperatures.

Hundreds of other cars and trucks were in line just like this waiting for the gates to open. Photo credit: Glen Aldrich, KB1AAI

NEARfest is held twice a year at the massive Deerfield, NH Fairgrounds complex. A two-day affair that begins on a Friday, you can visit with friends and put a face with a call sign of those hams you’ve done QSOs. You can also walk by countless tables loaded with new, not-so-new, and ancient ham radio gear, and attempt to resist the food trailers loaded with hot Italian sausage, bread bowls of spaghetti and ice cream and apple fritters.

Hand over an extra $10 and you can set up your own table to convert all of your dusty junk, er treasure, in your basement or garage into cold cash. As crazy as it sounds, there’s a buyer who’s looking for what you have to sell. Your biggest challenge will be keeping the sweet moola in your pocket as you’ll be tempted to purchase some of the great gear on other tables.

The day before I had loaded up my massive Super-Duty Ford F-250 4×4 with tables, chairs, and countless boxes of donated gear. Glen Aldrich, KC1AAI helped us set up the tables and unload the truck. Buyers descended upon us like flies at a summer picnic as we put boxes of gear onto the tables.

It was bedlam. Some were other vendor vultures looking to cherry pick our best stuff and get it for a low price. A few succeeded in the confusion. Quite a few things we sold in the first twenty minutes could be found on display at other vendor tables later in the morning.

Tim Carter, W3ATB with back to camera asking Dick Christopher, N1LT how much a certain POC, er I mean treasure, is worth. Photo credit: Glen Aldrich, KC1AAI

“That item is museum quality,” I said without blinking as I was trying to convince a fellow ham he needed an ancient headset. Its plastic parts, now hard as the Rock of Gibraltar, used to bend as easily as a ballerina.  I  remember seeing an identical set on display when I spent a half day at the spacious Ham Radio Museum at the ARRL headquarters in Newington, Connecticut.

Other CNHARC members were at the giant flea fest. Just about everyone stopped by the table at some point. A few pitched in to help sell. Here’s a partial list of CNHARC members who I saw:

• Andy Bourassa, W1LJJ
• Rick Zach, K1RJZ
• Sam Sargent, N1OVA
• Glen Aldrich, KC1AAI
• Frank Towle, KC1AAQ
• Frank Martin, KB1UXW
• Adam Foley, N1RKW
• Bob Murphy, N1KWH

“Five bucks a box! Pick up a box and fill it for just five bucks,” barked Andy Bourassa, W1LJJ. It was mid afternoon and there was still lots of junk, er great gear, that had to get transported into other operators basements where it would gather even more dust.

“Tim, you need to sell it baby. You can’t just stand here and hope they buy. Draw them in!” Andy, no doubt, was in training mode to take the place of our dearly departed Billy Mays. Believe me, Andy would do a marvelous job of selling anything.

I wondered why no one was coming up to “make oqqer”. This is what you get in 30 seconds with a can of spray paint and an idiot learning CW. Photo credit: Glen Aldrich, KC1AAI

Earlier in the day those of us at the CNHARC table took turns walking around the grounds by ourselves to grab a deal or a bite to eat. One or two people could be found at the club table throughout the day. Dick Christopher took off first to visit with friends and look for a few special connectors.

Just before noon I was standing in line to get a hot Italian sausage with a bunch of other hams, I couldn’t help but overhear the conversation of two men behind me even though they were talking very low. I cocked my head a couple of times to dip a little deeper into their hushed conversation.

“I need to select a minimum of 40 random people to go behind the curtain. I’ve only got fifteen so far. Were doing a statistical sampling,” one of them said.

What curtain was he talking about? I couldn’t resist. I had to ask.

I turned around, saw a middle-aged man wearing a Yaesu logo shirt and said, “My major in college was math and I have a masters degree in statistics. You’re correct. Forty is the smallest sampling size if you want to get reliable results of a test, ” I offered up that little-known jewel about statistics trying to probe to see what they were doing. The other man had on an ICOM logo shirt. They acted like friends even though they’re competitors.

This is the typical scene inside the covered buildings at NEARfest. The secret Yaesu booth was just to the right. Photo credit: Glen Aldrich, KC1AAI

They must have been exhibiting for their companies, although I had yet to see the Yaesu and ICOM booths. Because my hunger got the best of me, I hadn’t scoped out the entire fairgrounds just yet.

“My name is Mark Simpson, national sales manager for Yaesu, what’s your name,” asked Mr. Logo Shirt Man.

“Tim Carter, W3ATB.”

“Tim, after you eat, why don’t you stop by our booth in that building over there. You seem to be pretty savvy. I’ve got some things I want to show you.”

“Sure, I’d be happy to see your new products if that’s what this is about.”

“Oh, it’s about new products alright.”

“I’ll be there just after I inhale my Italian sausage. I had two pumpkin-spice doughnuts for breakfast and am just coming out of my sugar coma.”

The sun was warm and I found an empty seat on the wood picnic tables that protected the flank of the sausage trailer. I got into a conversation about antennas with an Elmer. I told him I was about to build a multi-band zepp center-fed dipole.

Tim Carter, W3ATB (in black t-shirt) and Dick Christopher, N1LT about 2 p.m. The sun was out and we were quite comfortable. Photo credit: Glen Aldrich, KC1AAI

“Be sure that thing is off the ground about 40 feet if possible. It’ll really work swell if you make it an inverted V.”

“Well, I think I can do that as I have a large tree that’s close to the center point of the antenna.” I thanked him for his advice, gulped down my last bite of the spicy sausage and headed off to find Mr. Yaesu.

Sure enough in the one covered building there was a modest Yaesu booth with some of the standard gear on a table.

“Hey Tim, welcome. How was that sausage” quizzed Mark.

“I have a feeling I’m going to be reminded of that sausage for the next few hours.” While nodding my head suppressing a belch, I started looking at some of the new Yaesu HTs, mobile rigs and ham shack command center consoles.

“Come with me.” Mark tugged on a black curtain that made up the rear of the booth. I hadn’t paid much attention, but now realized there was a small secret space behind the booth totally surrounded by black curtains.

“Wow, what’s all this stuff?”

“Before you can touch or pick up anything, I need you to sign this non-disclosure agreement. We need you to promise you’ll not share anything you see here.” Mark all of a sudden got serious.

“Sure, I’ll sign it.” I scribbled my name and handed Mark the paper.

The next ten minutes went by in a blur. Mark kept his voice down and proceeded to show me prototype ham radios that you’d not believe.

I’m not allowed to tell you exactly what I saw, but I can tell you that comic books come true.

Here’s a clue. Think about the progression of ham radios over time. Think about how big they used to be. Now try to think about how small they might become.

Do you use bluetooth with your smart phone as you drive hands free? Imagine taking VOX to a new level.

Here’s another clue. Apple has Siri.  Imagine if another company had “Arai”.

All I can tell you is ham radio gear is going to WOW you in the upcoming years.

The day ended with ninety-eight percent of the donated gear on our tables in someone else’s car. What little we had left we gave to the vendor next to us to sell or throw away.

NEARfest was a great success. CNHARC netted about $150 for the donated gear after expenses, I had a great time with club members and got to see some secret stuff coming down the radio pipeline.

You couldn’t ask for a better day, no sir you can’t!

Did this blog post help you?

I invest time writing and taping videos to help other hams like you save time and lower their blood pressure. Frequently equipment manuals are lacking key details that cause frustration. I’m trying to fill in those gaps when I can.

If this post saved you some frustration, I’d appreciate it if you’d consider making a simple donation – even just a buck – using the PayPal button below. The more donations I receive, the more time I can devote to helping you.

Thanks in advance.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013 couldn’t have been a more perfect day to hike to the summit of Belknap Mountain, a small peak I can easily see from the rear deck of my home. The temperature not too long after sunrise was just under 50 F, the wind was light to calm, and the humidity was low. It was a shorts and polyester t-shirt day for sure.

Here’s the gear I carried to the summit. Much needed water, nutrition, radio, notebook and pen and sunglasses. More clothes were in the backpack.

I planned to hike with my friend Hal Graham. He’s a lifelong hiker, and he and his wife Peggy have pretty much adopted Belknap Mountain as their primary hobby. Hal works part time for the NH Forest Service as the Special Deputy Fire Warden and lookout watchman when he mans the fire tower at the summit of Belknap Mountain during periods of extreme heat and drought. He’s also the founder, president and trail crew leader for the Belknap Range Trail Tenders (BRATTS). This group of volunteers does the trail maintenance on Belknap and surrounding mountains. What better expert to lead the way to the summit!

I love to hike, but I don’t treat myself to the pleasure as often as I should. On this day I was combining two hobbies as I wanted to complete my first Summits on the Air (SOTA) activation. SOTA is an ideal way to blend two fulfilling hobbies as I was about to discover.

Earlier in the morning I had visited the SOTA website to alert the world, yes the world, that I was going to be on top of Belknap Mountain at a specific time. Talking to Hal he said we’d be at the top by 9:30 ET or 13:30 UTC. Using the SOTAwatch2 Alerter, you tell other ham radio operators that you’re going to be reaching out at a specific time to make radio contact with them.

Because of the wonder of ever-shrinking electronic components it’s possible to talk around the world to other people using a radio that can fit inside an Altoids mint can! These small radios are best suited for Morse Code, but there are also small radios that allow you to talk to other hams around the world. One of these radios that’s quite popular is the Yaesu FT-817ND.

The more sophisticated radios that allow both Morse Code (CW) and voice (technically called phone by hams) transmitting are about the size of medium hard-cover book. This is but one reason why you want to invoke the power of the SOTAwatch2 system. If you plan to do high-frequency transmitting that will go thousands of miles, it’s very possible you could create a pileup of hams wanting to communicate with you. Pileups are frequent if you’re scaling a particularly difficult peak.

If you participate in SOTA, you can score points by climbing a mountain and making contact with four other radio operators. The simple guidelines explain exactly what you have to do. There are long official rules as well at the SOTA website.

You see, not only is it possible for you to score SOTA points should your activation be successful, the chasers – the ham radio operators you communicate with on the ground or other peaks – also get points. It’s not uncommon to have a pileup of hams trying to connect with you so they can enter the contact into their SOTA logbook. Are you starting to see why this might be fun?

Hal and I arrived at the trailhead about 8:15 ET (12:15 UTC) and he showed me a nice vista point adjacent to the parking lot. Within minutes we were on our way up the blue trail that’s a little over one mile long. I was stoked and itching to get to the top.

We took our time and stopped occasionally to look at improvements to the trail Hal had done personally or had supervised. Hal told me all about trail maintenance tricks and the need to relocate the trail from time to time to make it safer. In certain places the old trail crossed exposed bedrock which can become very hazardous in wet or cold weather for those coming back down the trail.

Hal Graham leading the way up the Blue Trail to the summit of Belknap Mountain. Note the exposed bedrock.

Time flew by as we put one foot in front of another making constant progress up the mountain. This being my first time up Belknap Mountain I had no idea at any time how close we were to the summit. Belknap is not high enough to have a  tree line. This means trees exist at the summit, so you can be quite close to the top and not really know it.

At 9:30 ET (13:30 UTC) I became a little concerned because we had not yet summited. I had told the world and my local ham club members I’d be on the air at 146.520 Mhz at that time and didn’t want to let them down.

“How close are we?” I asked Hal.

“We’re just five minutes away,” Hal exclaimed.

“I need to get on the radio now and let folks know we’re running a little late.”

“CQ CQ from W3ATB,” I spoke into my Yaesu VX-7R. It instantaneously transmitted that at 5 watts using a quarter wave whisker-thin antenna out to the world.

“W3ATB this is KB1RJD. You’re 5 over 9,” responded Merle from approximately 34 miles away as the radio waves travel!

“Merle, I’m running late by about five minutes. Can you wait for me to get to the summit to make the contact official?”

Merle and her husband Herman are ham radio operators who live up near Mt. Washington in Madison, NH. I’ve worked with them at various public service events. I was thrilled to hear someone on the radio! Maybe, just maybe, there would be others so I could get my single point for activating Belknap Mountain.

Hal and I then took off, me with radio in hand, to get to the fire tower at the summit of Belknap Mountain. Sure enough, we were there in no time. Little did I know it but there was a minor pileup waiting for me to begin transmitting once more.

If you climb up three flights of steep, narrow steps you can get to a magnificent viewing platform that’s just below the working part of this active fire tower. The view was stunning, the sun was warm, I was out of breath from the sprint to the fire tower and the thrill of wondering who might be out there to talk to.

Here’s the Belknap fire tower. You can see people that crowded the platform where I did my SOTA activation. They came up after I was finished.

I quickly set down my red and black Northface day pack, got a quick swig of cool water, fished out my notebook and pen and got to work.

“CQ CQ from W3ATB. This is a SOTA activation from atop Belknap Mountain. Is anyone on the frequency?”

BOOM! Let the pileup begin!

KBIWJK, Bill from Rumney, NH came back instantly followed by:

• KC1AAI, Glenn
• KB1RJD, Merle
• KB1RJC, Herman
• K1EEA, Eric
• K1HRA, Roe
• AF1T, Dale
• KB1YSK, Stan
• W1MKY, Micky

WOW! I had my first successful SOTA activation. All I had to do was transmit using non-commercial power – my handheld radio is battery powered, carry all my equipment myself, and communicate using a simplex frequency to at least four other ham radio operators, none of which could be on the same summit with me.

I looked at my watch and lo and behold twenty-five minutes had gone by in an instant. Hal was busy opening up the fire tower while I was on the air. He also snapped a photo of me in action. That’s one for the history books for sure.

I basked in the brilliant sunshine gazing down at the Mt. Washington as she sailed south from Weirs Beach towards Alton, NH on the placid waters of Lake Winnipesaukee that lap up against the base of Belknap Mountain. How lucky was I to be at that spot to enjoy the vista and start my SOTA journey!

“Get up here and really take in the view,” Hal piped up knowing the radio had gone silent.

Part of the panoramic 360-degree view from the summit. Mt. Washington is the tall peak in the center of the photo.

After taking a deep breath I climbed the last flight of steps up into the fire tower. It was steeped in history and loaded with communications gear, ancient topo maps, small tables and even a tiny microwave oven!

I decided to look to the north northwest trying to see my own home. It had to be there.

Sure enough I spotted the thin light-brown strip of the Waldron Bay beach dipping its toes into Lake Winnisquam that’s just north of my home. It didn’t take long to work my way south along the shore to spot my dock and a tiny sliver of yellow that was the painted siding on my home. I couldn’t do this with my naked eye, I had to use Hal’s powerful binoculars and the ancient monocular telescope that’s used to pinpoint the azimuth of a fire.

Soon it was time to head back to the trailhead. We decided to walk back down the white trail. It was a great choice as along the way we walked by several spots where blueberry bushes provided us with a much-needed tasty snack. We made sure to leave some for other hikers and the local bears.

Mother Nature provided a tasty snack on the way down. Thanks Mom! I love you!

If you’re looking for a nice hike and a 360-degree unobstructed panoramic view of the NH Lakes Region, Belknap Mountain is the place. Climb up to the open observation platform of the fire tower and soak it up with your soulmate if you can get her/him to hike with you!

Did this blog post help you?

I invest time writing and taping videos to help other hams like you save time and lower their blood pressure. Frequently equipment manuals are lacking key details that cause frustration. I’m trying to fill in those gaps when I can.

If this post saved you some frustration, I’d appreciate it if you’d consider making a simple donation – even just a buck – using the PayPal button below. The more donations I receive, the more time I can devote to helping you.

Thanks in advance.

“I’ve got to take Ed to the hospital,” I urgently uttered through the narrow door opening of Jim Cluett’s, W1PID camouflaged VW vanagon. He was focused on dih’s and dah’s that were filling his camper van like ZZZZZZZZs in an army barracks after the first hard day of basic training.

It was a balmy evening, and I had just scampered across the macadam parking lot under the soft illumination of mercury-vapor lights. Pop-up campers, cars, trucks, and trailers were scattered behind the Weirs Times building immediately adjacent to the Funspot entertainment complex like beer cups at the Sandwich Fair.

The Weirs Times building is the blue balloon. The green and red balloons mark the staging area for all the campers, trucks and trailers.

Ladder-line antennas reached up from the campers to a web of center-fed and end-fed antennas. Many were multi-band and abuzz with incoming and outgoing QSOs, as well as some dupes. After all it was CNHARC Field Day 2013, and we were having fun. What better place to do that than next to Funspot?

“Ed O’Hearn? What’s wrong?!” exclaimed Jim with a serious look on his face. His eyes were as tightly focused on me as they are on his rig when he’s trying to extract an Eastern European contact running at 2 watts on 20 meters.

I was getting ready to head home for some sleep after being one of the first folks to show up earlier in the day. I’d been at it for nearly twelve hours. My day consisted of logging QSOs, schmoozing with friends that had stopped by to discover more about ham radio, learning more about antennas and just general socializing.

The day before I was part of the setup crew, and had invested three hours at the site setting up antennas and helping to make sure we had all the needed supplies for a successful event.

This was just my second field day. Last year I was still new to the club, and I felt as awkward at the Belknap County Fairgrounds site as a teenager at an adult get together. But fast forward one year with solid friendships forged during the year with other club members and I was quite comfortable in my skin. Perhaps a little too comfortable.

Just after dinner I was talking with a brand new ham, Rosemary Landry, KC1AAP. She’s as sharp as a tack and was trying to create a mental who’s-who log of all at the event. I spied an older ham across the grassy area who had a superb camper parked under the trees and pointed him out to the ever-inquisitive Rosemary.

Jim Cluett, W1PID sitting next to Rosemary Landry, KC1AAP inside camper watching Tim Carter, W3ATB trying to log QSOs.

“Who’s that?” Rosemary remarked as she sipped from her water bottle.

“That’s Bob. He’s a wizard about anything and everything that has to do with electronics,” I lamented awash in envy of his knowledge.

Earlier in the day I had talked at length with Bob. Certainly he was a first cousin to Thomas Edison. When I asked him about all the amazing home-brew things he had, he replied, “Nope. I grew up in Maine during WW II where you had to make things if you needed them.”

I didn’t major in math, but that makes Bob an octogenarian, or most certainly closing in on it rapidly.

“You should meet his wife. She’s 28-years old,” I murmured so as to not draw attention to those standing near us.

“Really?”, expounded Rosemary with eyes as wide as an airplane-hanger door.

I hesitated with my response not able to disguise my impish grin. Gotcha!

The next thing I saw was the flick of her wrist and I was drenched in ice-cold water. I must admit, it felt good – both the water and the tease.

That’s what the 2013 CNHARC Field Day was about. Good times, laughter, lots of teasing and the occasional prank. If there was drama, it totally bypassed me, perhaps when I was gobbling up the fresh french bread baked by John Haven, KC1AAG, or the delicious assortment of salads and spaghetti we had at dinner. Thanks Dave, KA1VJU and Peg Brown KB1GQV for that!

My dinner appetite was curbed only because I had stuffed my pie hole at lunch with two of the mouth-watering chicken salad and ham salad sandwiches. That’s two total, not two of each. Earlier, before lunch, Jim and I were absconding with handfuls of fresh potato chips hoping Dick Christopher didn’t see us.

Prior to field day, there was apprehension from the more experienced club members about the Funspot location. Cliff Dickinson, N1RCQ was worried about RF interference from the video game machines just down the hill inside Funspot.

Before we went on the air at 2 pm on Saturday there was concern that the antennas were too close to one another and that would cause problems. But as it turned out, no one reported any harmful or pesky interference. Pests would arise later just like the super moon that was forecast to float above the southeastern sky that weekend.

As day turned into night, just about every type of radio signal was being transmitted from the CNHARC members. Several were doing phone(voice) on many of the bands. Jim Cluett was racking up QSOs on CW faster than I used to cut 2x4s. I tried to do CW on 20 meters mid-afternoon, but my poor skills made my code unintelligible.

Not to worry. I was able to contribute to the club effort with 300 points per the ARRL rules. I did this by getting two published stories in local papers, arranging for the Funspot public location, and getting an elected official to show up at the event.

Teamwork – that’s the hallmark of CNHARC Field Day. You need points, I can get them. You need a clean-power generator with an inverter, Rick Zach, K1RJZ to the rescue. How about a 25-foot mast for an antenna support? Paul Moore, N1VUI is your man. Do you need a Field Day General? Call in Dick Christopher, N1LT.  Dave Megin, KA1VJU puts his shoulder to the Field Day millstone and never asks for praise. The list of CNHARC contributors is as long as the one multi-band antenna that stretched diagonally across the parking lot. Everyone should be congratulated.

As fatigue started to overtake me on Saturday night, I decided to make the rounds to say good night to many of my friends. One person I hadn’t spoken with all day was Ed.

Ed O’Hearn, N1EO adjusting his glasses while Dave Megin, KA1VJU pulls on parachute cord for an antenna lift.

I wandered over to his deluxe camper and saw the soft glow of a computer screen through the open camper windows.  One other person was in the shadows with Ed. I gently tapped on the door and walked up the steps.

There was Ed, N1EO with Dick Christopher, N1LT. These two seasoned operators were silently staring at the computer screen with a very gentle breeze flowing in through the camper screens. They welcomed me in and motioned for me to sit down.

What were they doing? I didn’t see a CW key or paddles. Where was the microphone? What was the weird screen on the computer? Why did it look like a Morse Code QSO was happening on the computer? Why was Ed just occasionally hitting the space bar or enter key on the keyboard with a single finger?

“What’s going on?” I pondered.

“Were doing RTTY,” retorted Ed.

“Well it looks to me like the computer’s doing all the work,” I exclaimed not trying to offend.

“Hah, that’s what Jim Cluett says about RTTY,” deadpanned Ed.

It was late, but there was a chance I had enough brain juice to pull it off.

If you don’t know Jim Cluett, you should try to get to know him. Why? He’s as wise as he is tall and thin. His sharp wit cuts like a surgeon’s scalpel. His humor is as dry as the Atacama Desert.

His motto is Take No Prisoners.

My kind of man.

Much of the day, I suffered from Jim’s zingers. Direct hits aimed at my inexperience in the hobby. I know just enough about ham radio to be highly dangerous.

You could see the pleasure on his face when that thin smile formed on his lips as he’d walk away victorious after lobbing in each verbal grenade.

No problem. I can take it.

I’m all in, just like in Texas Holdem’, when it comes to teasing and pranks.

“I don’t have time to explain Jim. It’s Ed’s finger. He’s really messed it up doing RTTY. Bye,” I said as I slid his vanagon door shut not allowing him to respond.

But I didn’t take my eyes off him, and within half a second his expression said it all as he rotated his head in embarrassment with his lips forming a tight grin.

GOTCHA!!!!!

Yes, Field Day at Funspot was the perfect place. Fun, games, pranks, bonding, and QSOs. Can you think of a better way to spend a weekend in June with a bunch of ham radio friends? Let’s hope we can gather there again next year. By then Ed’s finger will surely be healed.

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I invest time writing and taping videos to help other hams like you save time and lower their blood pressure. Frequently equipment manuals are lacking key details that cause frustration. I’m trying to fill in those gaps when I can.

If this post saved you some frustration, I’d appreciate it if you’d consider making a simple donation – even just a buck – using the PayPal button below. The more donations I receive, the more time I can devote to helping you.

Thanks in advance.

“Tim, you’re working at the finish line again. I need you to get up there and check in immediately with the head race official and the Auto Road supervisor. Let them know you’re the finish line radio operator and where they can find you,” exclaimed Cliff Dickinson, N1RCQ.

Cliff was head of operations for amateur radio communications for the 2013 Mt. Washington Road Race. I was part of a group of radio operators scattered along the 7.6-mile Mt. Washington auto road that snakes it’s way up the highest peak in the northeast USA.

Saturday, June 15, 2013 dawned as a possible epic day for this foot race. It was a bluebird crisp morning when I arrived at 7:10 a.m. at the small brown building my radio club uses as the communications hub for the event.

During the week this utility structure houses the woodworking shack at the base of the Mt. Washington Auto Road. On event days they allow the Central New Hampshire Amateur Radio Club to temporarily transform the small front room into our net control center.

Not a cloud was in the sky. The view from the summit would be incredible if the weather did a freeze frame. Usually the summit of Mt. Washington is cloaked with clouds, so I was anxious to get moving. Mother Nature didn’t let me down. Once I made it to the top, the panoramic view took my breath away.

This is the view that greeted me once I parked my truck. You’re looking just slightly south of due east in this photo. Photo Credit: Tim Carter, 2013

After I parked my truck at the top of the summit, I got bundled up. The 28 mph sustained wind, with gusts near 50 mph, made the 37 F air temperature feel more like 25 F. The sun was brilliant, and provided some warmth. But the wind stripped it from you as quickly as water passes through a screen door.

The race started promptly at 9:00 a.m., and hundreds and hundreds of runners started up the steep auto road. Those who succeeded in crossing the finish line would experience a punishing 4,650 feet of elevation change.

The grade averages 12 percent, with the last 150 feet a wicked 22 percent grade. That last segment of the course is a harsh slap in the face to any contestant that’s clawed their way 7.6 miles up the mountain.

Here I am at the top of Mt. Washington for the 2013 Mt. Washington Road Race. This photo was taken after the race was over. Clouds were now starting to move in. Photo credit – Unknown bundled up person

I’ve worked these events the past two years and seen runners of all ages. Most runners seem to be in their 20’s and 30’s. However, I’ve seen older runners as well, quite a few with white hair like mine.

Each time I see these well-done runners, I shake my head with admiration. Walking up just one mile uphill is an accomplishment. Walking and running up Mt. Washington at an advanced age is fodder for legends.

My other fellow ham radio operators spread out on the course don’t get to see the drama I witness at the summit. Runners burst into tears as they cross the finish line. Some disgorge their breakfasts just feet before the finish line. Others nearly collapse from the feat.

But just two days ago I was fortunate to see history made on Mt. Washington. When most of the runners and their supporters were inside the summit building staying warm, I got to witness the oldest runner, and the youngest runner to participate in the Mt. Washington Road Race cross the finish line together. By that time the finish line area resembled a stadium 15 minutes after the home team looses a game by 10 runs.

George Etzweiler, of State College, PA, was wearing bib number 93. That was given to him in honor of his age. Yes, 93 years old and running/walking up Mt. Washington. He did it in three hours and 15 minutes. That’s impressive, very impressive.

Here’s George Etzweiler moments after crossing the finish line. Photo credit: Tim Carter, 2013

He was joined by Ms. Katie Loomis-Adams, of Peteresburg, PA. Katie is the granddaughter of a close friend of George’s. The race organizers assigned bib number W93 to Katie as she and Joe were running buddies that day. Katie’s only 10 years old, so she’s the youngest person to enter this race and finish.

Here’s George and Katie hand in hand just about 250 feet away from the finish line. Photo credit: Mary Sheldon, N1RKO 2013

The official race results show Katie with a finishing time of 2:23:34, but I’m wondering about that. My understanding, after doing a brief interview with Katie and her mom after they finished, was that they both ran/walked together from the bottom to the top of Mt. Washington. That means they should both have the same finish time. But I could have that wrong. Katie may have come up with her mom and dad as they both ran the race too.

Katie Loomis-Adams proudly displays her medal for completing the 7.6 miles up Mt. Washington. Congrats Katie! Photo credit: Tim Carter, 2013

Perhaps they’ll jump in in the comments section and offer some clarity. No matter if they don’t. Just realize that both George and Katie are to be congratulated for this monumental effort.

I think next year I may work the race as a ham operator, but I’ll actually walk up the course to soak it all in. My guess is Cliff and the race event folks will have no issues with this. We’ll see. Wish me luck!

This is my current QSL card. It captures what I like to do best – operate outdoors in the fall somewhere along a crystal-clear stream in central New Hampshire. Yes, Willow the dog sometimes comes with me. Copyright 2023 Tim Carter

I started my journey down the path of sending and receiving Morse Code in the waning days of the winter of 2012-2013. During the month of March, 2013 I was getting help and encouragement from Hanz Busch, W1JSB and Jim Cluett, W1PID.

On April 6, 2013 I made my first unofficial QSO with Bob Mayo, W2TAC. I say unofficial because I got lots of hands-on help from Jim during this QSO, who had come over to my house to help get me on the air. He actually heard Bob’s CW – I didn’t – and Jim had his hand on mine sending CW back to Bob. That’s not official in my opinion.

I was nervous, full of anxiety and basically did a horrible job. But I survived. It was fun. I liked it. I wanted more.

About a week later, I received a letter. The return address on the envelope was from someone in Petersburg, NY. What could be in the envelope I wondered?

Uh oh! A QSL card from Bob Mayo!

What am I going to do? I don’t have any QSL cards of my own. Acccckkkkkkk!

That day I started to research QSL card printing and printers!

I immediately called my daughter Meghan who’s very good at creating all things visual.

“Dad, send me some of your favorite photos of you doing ham radio. Make a sketch of the front and back how you envsion it. I need to know exactly what information you need on the back of the card. I’ll think of something,” quipped Meghan.

I got help from my mentor Jim Cluett as to what to put on the back of the card. I also did some research and discovered there’s all sorts of ways to present the information concerning the QSO. My decision was to list:

• My Name and Call Sign
• Address
• My Lattitude and Longitude and Grid Location
• Date
• Time
• Freq (MHz)
• Rig
• Mode (2-way)
• Antenna
• RST
• Notes

After drawing up what I thought the card might look like, I took photos of my crude designs and sent them off to Meghan.

Twenty-four hours later, she conjured up a magnificent front and back QSL card design that really communicates what I’m currently doing with amateur radio and where I believe I’m headed.

Here’s the front of my QSL card. I was standing on the side of Mt. Washington working the Climb to the Clouds Auto Race in 2011.

Here’s the back of my QSL card with all the data about any QSO made with another station.

I’m really happy with my QSL cards.

But now I have another problem. I ordered the cards online from a top QSL card printer – OvernightPrints.com.

I used a promo code getting a significant discount for 1,000 cards. When you print that many, you really cut down on the cost per card.

I became aware of the problem when the Fed Ex driver pulled down my driveway and opened the back of his truck.

In his arms, as he walked towards me, were TWO boxes of QSL cards. Instead of getting 1,000 cards, I received 2,000 cards! I guess the machine operator at Overnight Prints got distracted or entered in the wrong amount to print.

Here’s just under 2,000 QSL cards. I better get to work!

But rest assured I only paid for 1,000 cards.

It’s time to fire up the rig! I’ve got 1,999 cards to send out!

CQ CQ CQ DE W3ATB W3ATB K

Did this blog post help you?

I invest time writing and taping videos to help other hams like you save time and lower their blood pressure. Frequently equipment manuals are lacking key details that cause frustration. I’m trying to fill in those gaps when I can.

If this post saved you some frustration, I’d appreciate it if you’d consider making a simple donation – even just a buck – using the PayPal button below. The more donations I receive, the more time I can devote to helping you.

Thanks in advance.

Back in February, 2013 I went to a boy scout meeting where two other ham radio friends of mine did a demonstration of Morse Code for the young boys.

I was bitten by the CW bug that night just like the black flies bite here in New Hampshire in the month of May.

I started to do a little bit of practice in late February, but I kept getting distracted.

In early March, Hanz Busch, W1JSB came over to my house and loaned me a nice portable Yaesu 817 radio that’s meant to take with you backpacking. It’s a very small and compact HF radio that puts out only 5 watts of power. But that was enough for us to transmit CW – continuous wave – to one another on 80 meters.

CW is another name for Morse Code. If you hold down the key that transmits Morse Code, it will send out one continuous wave. When you lift up the key and stop the transmission, the wave stops. But if you hold down the key for different periods of time and in a certain order, you create Morse Code.

A short transmission is called a di. A longer burst is a dah. So you send di’s and dah’s.

Hanz and I started practicing even though I had not memorized all the letters. Hanz would send me a letter, and I would listen to it. We did that several nights and I learned my call sign.

But I quickly discovered that if you want to get serious, you have to knuckle down and just memorize the alphabet, numbers one through ten and some basic punctuation symbols.

By the beginning of April, I had all that down. I could send Morse Code, but I wasn’t totally smooth. It takes practice.

I knew I was going to love CW, because on many a night I woke up in the middle of the night  tapping out words on my pillow with my fingers. Crazy, isn’t it? Well, let me tell you – that’s a sign that you really want it.

Right now my friend Jim Cluett, W1PID is helping me. He uses a cool program that allows him to type a message, set the words-per-minute rate, and it converts it into a cute little MP3 file.

I download that file and decipher what Jim sent. I really appreciate his attention and his mentoring me. It’s really helping me.

The hard part, for me, is listening and deciphering the code. I’m getting better, but it just takes practice. My goal is to be regularly transmitting and receiving by June 1, 2013.

by: Tim Carter, W3ATB

(C)Copyright 2013 Tim Carter

All Rights Reserved

Author’s Note: April 16, 2023 – It’s come to my attention via an email from one of my newsletter subscribers that ALL of us were most likely pranked on April 16, 2013. There is clear undeniable evidence that the Boston Marathon bombing was a mass-training exercise with professional crisis actors using Hollywood-style pyrotechnical devices. These fake bombs used in movies and TV shows are for the most part harmless because the blast can be aimed in a direction other than where the actors are.

You should watch this video then watch this second one and digest what you see. If, in fact, we were pranked by our government, do you wonder why the media went along with it and didn’t push back with hard-hitting investigative reporting? Early on some reporters were asking questions about why odd things were happening just before the bombs went off but these were ignored by authorities giving the press conferences.

Who were the injured people? Were their names ever shared in the news as happens in other stories? Who knows any of the three people reported killed that day? Where are their graves? Has anyone followed up on all those injured at the finish line? Have any of the hospital doctors, physician assistants, or ER nurses been interviewed about who they treated? Where do the injured people live now? How come they’ve not been interviewed on past anniversaries of the event?

A professional investigative reporter, should one step forward, would provide a master class exposing this possible deep fake.

My ORIGINAL STORY begins after this line:

“Stop all runners on the course.”

Did I hear that correctly on my Charlie 5 frequency? Stop the Boston Marathon? You can’t be serious?

Yes, after 116 years of Mother Nature doing her best to stop this world-class running event, a terrorist attack was able to do in seconds what She couldn’t do in decades.

I was a ham radio operator working the 117th Boston Marathon. It was the second year in a row for me. Fortunately for myself and my family, I was stationed eight miles away from the bombing attack. The radio communications team assigned me to work at First Aid Station 12 at the corner of Commonwealth and Chestnut Avenues near the center of Newton, Massachusetts at mile 18.3 of the race.

This is First Aid Station 12 looking east towards Chestnut Avenue. Photo Credit: Tim Carter

This is my third season of working public service events using my ham radio skills. I have to tell you that I wasn’t expecting to become a thread in an historical tapestry, but I am now.

I’ve got the photos to prove it, I’ve got one of the much-sought-after yellow and blue 2013 Boston Marathon volunteer wind breakers, and an abundance of personal memories to prove I was part of the tragic historic day.

The Communications Cascade

I’ve been told by many seasoned ham radio operators that the Boston Marathon is the premier public service amateur radio event. It’s the World Series. It’s the Super Bowl.

It’s the World Cup. It’s the Daytona and Indianapolis 500 in one.

I can tell you it’s as challenging a communications amateur radio event as you might ever work. Now that I’ve worked it two years, and that’s a very short time compared to many operators who have worked it for well over twenty years, the Boston Marathon deserves those accolades.

If you like numbers and want to get your head around what’s involved, consider this:

• Linear Marathon – communications spread out over 26 miles
• Nearly 150 amateur radio operators on the course and in Net Control
• Pre-marathon meeting at 7:00 a.m.
• Average time on station for ham operators – 9 hours that could stretch to 11
• Seven primary communication channels, two bus, and misc backup channels

To put this in perspective, I regularly work public service events on Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. It’s a harsh environment with significant radio propagation issues compounded by the concentrated number of commercial radio and television station towers at the summit.

But even though running, bike, and car races claw their way up the 7.2-mile sinuous mountain roadway, we typically will only have 15 – 20 ham operators on a single frequency. We have a backup frequency, but it’s rarely used.

Bedlam Caused By the Bombs

The weather forecast set the stage for an epic day. Sunshine, temperatures in the mid-50s and light wind. I’m not a runner, but I can tell you I’d rather run in that than the record heat of the 2012 Boston Marathon.

During the 2012 Boston Marathon, our first aid station #12 at mile 18.3 tilted at least two times with runners in different stages of distress. I was told that I had the most ambulance calls of any other ham operator at last year’s event. Believe me, I was looking forward to a day with light traffic in our station.

That’s just what we got as the race progressed. Most of the runners had minor leg cramps and blisters. We did have two runners that needed more extensive care. The radio traffic on our frequency was moderate to light.

Tim Carter, W3ATB in yellow gear, reporting to station supervisor Mike Tryon. Photo Credit: Don Tryon (C)Copyright 2103 Don Tryon

But just before 3:00 p.m., the rumors started to fly. Keep in mind that the frequency I was on was a mid-course frequency. My job is to just keep my first aid station supervisor, Mike Tryon, in the loop about what’s happening around us.

As Mike said to me earlier in the day, “There’s nice to know and need to know. I just want you to keep me informed with Need to Know.”

Well, a terrorist or two or three made sure that soon enough there would be plenty of Need-to-Know information.

The Pros in Net Control

The ground zero of the entire communications operation is an operations center called net control. A handful of ham radio operators are stationed at net control on radios tuned to specific frequencies. Each frequency covers a portion of the race course.

Think of the race course as a line of linked sausages. Each sausage is a different frequency and net of its own. I was on C5 and the finish line was C7.

Each individual amateur radio operator working at net control has a certain number of water and first-aid stations under his/her control.

The net control operator for the mid-section part of the course I was working was Andrew Maroney, W2AJM. He’s an absolute professional net control operator. His messaging is concise, he’s prompt with replies, and he has a mind like a steel trap.

Understand that his job is to just feed us information that’s critical to us fulfilling our jobs at our assigned locations. Even if he had access to widespread facts about what was happening at ground zero at the finish line, that would be nice-to-know information for those of us farther back from the finish line.

Andrew only dispensed information and facts that the race organizers wanted us to know that were specific to our location and/or it was information to be broadcast to all ham operators. It’s part of the protocol.

As best as I can remember, the first real Need-to-Know transmission from Andrew was the Stop-All-Runners message. At that point, we knew that the rest of the day was going to be anything but ordinary

Unintended Consequences

The race officials only invite qualified runners to participate in the Boston Marathon. This helps maintain the prestige of the event, but it also ensures that 99.9 percent of the people cross the finish line.

At the finish line, the race organizers have all of the runners’ personal belongings, blankets, mylar heat-retention capes, water, an abundance of medical support, wheelchairs, etc.

The first aid stations that are spread out on the course, like the one I was working at, have many of these supplies, but in limited quantities. After all, past marathon records indicate we maybe will see only 50 – 100 runners in our station during the race.

Imagine the nightmare if it was raining and 40 F. Here it was sunny and 54 F, yet the runners that stopped soon got chilled. Photo Credit: Tim Carter

But when the order was given to Stop All Runners, that decision created quite a few unintended consequences. We were very lucky at our station because the vast majority of runners were farther down course. Just a handful of runners and walkers were approaching us after the bombs exploded in downtown Boston.

But further down the course, especially in the last mile or two, thousands of runners were still approaching the finish line. The bombs created a new set of problems:

• How do the runners stay warm?
• How do the runners get fed?
• How do the runners get to their belongings?
• How do the runners discover if their loved ones waiting at the finish are okay?
• How do the runners let their loved ones know where they are?
• How will thousands of runners be transported to who-knows-where?

Plus countless other questions…..

But guess what, that’s where all of our training kicked into high gear.

Cell Phone Dependence

The speculation is that government officials, within minutes of the explosion, shut off the cell towers in downtown Boston. I can’t confirm this. But it sounds like a good idea as bombers discovered years ago that cell phone towers can be hijacked to help them with their sinister and nefarious deeds. Author’s Note: At the time the cell system became overloaded. The circuitry is designed for an 8:1 ratio. As soon as more than 1 in 8 phones starts to make a call, the system starts to get bogged down.

Cell phones are just radios. For years bombers have used cell phones as part of the mechanism to detonate bombs. It’s brilliant when you think about it. The bomber can be 100 feet away or a continent away, make a call to the phone connected to the bomb, and BOOM.

What really is happening? When you call a cell phone and it rings or vibrates, an electrical energy impulse within the phone happens that causes the phone to ring or vibrate. This electrical energy can be used to ignite a bomb fuse. It’s that simple. But don’t try this at home.

Many runners don’t carry cell phones, and they were desperately trying to use anyone’s phone, including mine, to call their loved ones at the finish line.

Everyone was getting a busy signal. That could have happened because the cell networks were overloaded, or because officials turned off the cell towers.

The bottom line is there were several hundred people who were able to continue to communicate during the disaster. Police, fire, and others like me who had radios were still talking.

Keep that in mind. Perhaps this will be the wake-up call to convince you to get your amateur radio license and discover what hundreds of thousands of us already know. We know how to stay connected in disasters and other situations where traditional communications systems suddenly don’t work.

Youthful Enthusiasm

Working at First Aid Station 12 with me was a gifted radio operator, Noah Goldstein, KB1VWZ. Another ham operator was also with us named Shirley Dulcey, KE1L.

Noah Goldstein, KB1VWZ on the left talking with Tim Carter, W3ATB on the right. Photo Credit: Don Tryon (C) Copyright 2013 Don Tryon

Mike Tyron, at our morning organizational meeting, requested that I stay at the First Aid station all day acting as his connection with the outside world. Noah and Shirley were assigned to the mobile medical teams.

If runners need assistance at any part of the course between our station and the next closest first aid stations either up or down the course, a two-man medical team runs to their aid. A ham radio operator goes with them in case they need to request an ambulance or additional help.

Noah is a young man, I guesstimate to be around 20 years old. He was bursting with energy and enthusiasm. It’s completely understandable because he’s participating in a world-class amateur radio event.

As the anxiety ballooned after the blasts, Noah became restless. Not only was he concerned about a friend at the finish line, but he wanted to also ratchet up his participation as a radio operator.

Twice I had to remind him of the structure of the communications team. It was important for Noah to realize that the leaders at net control knew more than we did about what was going on. They were counting on us to remain on location at our station. We represented known assets at a given location, and if we were to be re-deployed farther down the course to help, net control would make that call, not us

Noah got his wish. Within 90 minutes, he was told to move down the course to First Aid Station 13 which was set up just west of the Newton, MA City Hall. Within a short time, the race organizers moved many of the runners to the city hall building. This got them out of the weather and into a covered building with plenty of chairs and real toilets.

Buses were arriving bringing runners from other locations to Newton City Hall. Noah was stationed at the City Hall building and was finally released at about 6:45 p.m. He did a magnificent job all day, and there’s no doubt it will be a day he never forgets.

The Temptation

Each radio operator in the field has enormous responsibilities. You could have a person’s life in your hands at any time. A runner may be in desperate need of help and the station supervisor may ask you to request an ambulance with advanced life support capabilities.

What does this really mean? It means you MUST be able to communicate. This means you probably should come to the event with two radios.

I had two radios. I could tune to two different frequencies. In fact,  each of my Yaesu VX-7R radios is equipped to monitor two separate frequencies at the same time.

I knew the frequency the finish line radio operators were using. I could have brought it up on either of my radios to gather nice-to-know information at any time.

But I didn’t. It would be a distraction. I’m sure I wasn’t alone. My job was to keep Mike informed and listen to my net control operator in case he had a direct message for me or an area-wide message for all operators.

After Action

I’m sure that right now the leaders of the communications team are meeting, or have scheduled a meeting, to discuss what we did right and what we did wrong. Professionally it’s called an after-action report.

I can tell you from my perspective that just about everything went right. Immediately after the bomb blasts, the radio traffic intensified. It continued to ratchet up as new challenges were exposed.

But each time, the race organizers and communications team rose to meet the challenge. On my frequency, and I imagine that used for the finish line, there was never chaos.

The reason was simple. Amateur radio operators that volunteer for the Boston Marathon are anything but amateurs. That moniker just means we’re not paid to perform on the radio. It’s illegal for us to accept compensation if we use amateur radio bands.

I was in the company of nearly 150 professional radio operators that stayed focused, didn’t clog the frequencies with unneeded requests, and they followed established protocols set up years in advance for just this dreaded situation.

To be honest, it was a thing to behold. It’s my hope that all of the communications of the day were recorded for each frequency and that they’re released one day so you can hear what I heard in my earpiece.

I heard calm, focused, and concise radio requests. I heard virtually no frustration. I didn’t hear any screaming. I didn’t hear any frantic requests for supplies.

I’m still recovering mentally from the day. I’m very sad for those three innocent people whose lives were snuffed out by the callous act of the cowards who set down the satchels containing the bombs. My guess is that at least two people were involved, with each person casually setting down the bag and seemingly forgetting to pick it up as he/she walked away. I’m also concerned about all those injured and the collateral damage caused to all those that know the dead and injured.

I can tell you I’d go back tomorrow to work the Boston Marathon again. I’ll be even more vigilant. If you’re a ham radio operator, you should volunteer too. If you’re not an operator, consider becoming one. You can even volunteer to do other tasks non-radio related. I can tell you with confidence that many, if not all, of us will return. The terrorists will not take control of my destiny. No, it’s going to be the other way around.

There will be a new awareness about being able to communicate when cell phones don’t work. I was lucky enough to be one who could communicate clearly, even with someone around the world, when tens of thousands of people couldn’t.

I was lucky enough to be in a position to help many who needed help. That’s why all of us ham radio operators volunteered to be in Boston along with the thousands of other Boston Marathon volunteers.

Believe me, we’ll be back.

Author’s Note: 

Hours after this post was published, I participated in a one-hour Skype interview with Gary Pearce, KN4AQ, the founder of HamRadioNow.TV.

I urge you to watch this video to discover more about what happened at the Boston Marathon. You’ll also discover more facts about the operation.

Screenshot of the Gary Pearce and Tim Carter Interview. Copyright (C) 2013 Gary Pearce

Did this blog post help you?

I invest time writing and taping videos to help other hams like you save time and lower their blood pressure. Frequently equipment manuals are lacking key details that cause frustration. I’m trying to fill in those gaps when I can.

If this post saved you some frustration, I’d appreciate it if you’d consider making a simple donation – even just a buck – using the PayPal button below. The more donations I receive, the more time I can devote to helping you.

Thanks in advance.

Author’s Note: Read the note at the top of this story. It appears ten years later I’ve discovered we were all pranked by the government.

On Friday, March 1, 2013 and Saturday, March 2, 2013 I had the pleasure of providing safety communications for the 84th Laconia Sled Dog Championship Races. It’s a sprint-type race for the dogs and mushers, and I can tell you that you need to be paying attention as a ham radio operator.

Tim Carter, W3ATB, radioing in the location of a sled dog at the 84th Laconia Sled Dog Championship race in Laconia, NH. Photo Credit: Heather Mather

Each day I tried to get to the starting line to help David Megin, KA1VJU, to set up the tent and 2-meter antenna. By 8:30 a.m. all the ham radio operators were either at their assignments or on the way. Dave stayed at the start / finish line to run net control.

Net control is the communications hub for an event like this. All radio communications are directed to net control from each of the assignment areas. It’s the job of net control to collect all information as to the location of the sled dog competitors. This information is then provided to the race officials if they need it.

The ham radio operators in the field know to only be transmitting if they have needed information from their location. This is important so the frequency remains open in case of an emergency at one of the assignments or net control needs to communicate with one of the ham radio operators at a specific location.

There were three races each day. The morning started with a six-dog race that was very exciting. The afternoon race was fascinating because it’s an unlimited competition. A musher can put as many dogs as she/he desires in front of the sled. The most dogs I saw pulling a sled was fourteen. That was a sight indeed.

There’s about an hour break between races, and since the course is not that big, many of the ham radio operators come back to the net control area to hang out, eat or just network with each other.

My favorite race of the event was on Saturday. It was a three-dog race on a short course. The mushers were mostly kids aged 8 – 14 from what I could see as they glided by my remote spotter location in the woods.

I can tell you that working a public service event like this is extremely rewarding. You get a sense of accomplishment and you get to be up close to some very cool dogs – and humans too!