Today was another grand summer day here in central New Hampshire. Jim Cluett, W1PID, and I went to one of our favorite hidden gems, the picnic tables next to the canoe and kayak launch ramp along the Pemigewasset River at Profile Falls. The locals call it the Pemi.

You can drive right up to the picnic tables from the main parking lot at Profile Falls, but Jim wanted to walk the quarter-mile from the parking lot to the picnic tables just above the bank of the Pemi. I arrived at the parking area about ten minutes before Jim and immediately became the smorgasbord for a swarm of junior mosquitos. They were the smallest I’d ever seen. Within seconds ten, or more, were feasting on my tasty neck, arm, and leg meat.

While waiting for Jim, I sprayed on my effective eucalyptus mosquito and tick repellent. I hate products containing DEET, and REPEL is the best product I’ve discovered so far.

Lunch Then Launch HF Signals

“I want to eat a picnic lunch along the Pemi. I’m sick of sitting on plastic chairs next to plastic tables or sitting at filthy tables outside restaurants with passing cars and trucks,” I informed Jim earlier in the morning when we hatched the Pemi plan.

Here’s part of my lunch. Shaved fresh turkey breast, tantalizing Raye’s Sweet and Spicy Mustard, cheddar cheese and romaine lettuce on whole wheat. Jim’s a vegan. My 21 oz Hydro Flask water bottle keeps my water ice cold. It’s super durable and fits well in a side pocket of my backpack. Copyright 2019 Tim Carter W3ATB

I also brought a small bag of fresh cashews that Jim and I split. He devours them and I do the same as they’re so tasty. For dessert, I brought some vegan chocolate coconut macaroons. They were so delicious I wished I had another bag. Jim and I split these as well.

Wire Antenna Works Well

“Listen. What kind of antenna do you want to put up?” Jim is always filled with questions.

“I brought my 44-foot twisted-pair dipole, but let’s just go with a vertical 29-foot wire.” I’m about simplicity on some days. Erecting a dipole is twice the work as you need to put up two halyards and the tree branches need to be far apart.

A vertical wire is perfect for this location because the giant evergreen tree at the picnic table allows the wire to hang straight down to the table. The first throw of my water bottle worked even though it bounced around the branches like a polished ball inside a pinball machine. Two strangers watched us and were stunned a person could get a string 40 feet up into a tree in seconds.

Here I am at one of the picnic tables. I’m concentrating on invisible electromagnetic waves that are being captured by the 29-foot wire hanging from the branches in the massive pine tree to my left. Copyright 2019 Jim Cluett W1PID

No Signals At First

As Jim put up the antenna using my halyard throw, I got out my Elecraft KX2 equipped with Elecraft iambic paddles. As usual, I power the radio with the lightweight Bioenno 12-volt 3Ah LFP battery.

The magic of HF outdoor radio and indoor radio for that matter is you don’t know what you’re going to discover once you power up. There could be scores of operators you hear or it can be as quiet as Badwater Basin in the middle of a winter’s night.

Once everything was connected I went to 20 meters and there were just one or two signals. I decided to let Jim use the radio first and his decades of experience paid off.

Here’s Jim focused and ready to add another QSO to the logbook. The strong breeze was keeping the midget mosquitos at bay. You can see the 9:1 unun in the black box on top of my backpack. This important component lowers the high impedance of the 29-foot wire. It’s all magic I tell ya’! My KX2 and all needed gear fit in that orange Pelican 1200 case. Copyright 2019 Tim Carter W3ATB

Soaking Up the Pemi’s Splendor

The Pemi cast a spell on me yesterday. I’ve been to this location quite a few times but only walked down the kayak and canoe launch ramp two other times. Today a siren song drew me once again to the bank as Jim was making contacts with the radio.

Yes, the Pemi is this beautiful. The water is crystal clear. Did you watch the video above? Copyright 2019 Tim Carter W3ATB

A few years back Jim and I put in his aluminum canoe at this very spot. I was thinking about that adventure and was happy the mosquitos were not biting me as they were that day.

I’m happy as a clam in my new Chernobyl t-shirt. Granite is abundant in NH and no doubt there’s radiation, but I doubt I got 3.6 roentgen worth of exposure today! If you want great photos that show the true shape of your face, you need to use an 85mm lens, not the wide-angle BS lens smartphone cameras have! Copyright 2019 Tim Carter W3ATB

Signals A Plenty!

Somehow ninety minutes had already passed by. How did that happen?

In the meantime, the 20-meter band had come alive. The logbook was starting to be awash in ink.

We worked Ric, KA3LOC in Kansas along with K9FW, Al in Indiana. But as sometimes happens, we heard stations but they could not hear our low-powered 10-watt signal. We usually operate with just 5 watts of power, but with solar conditions being what they are, we need as much power as the KX2 will muster so other stations hear us.

Here’s who we heard, but couldn’t make contact with:

• W6JL
• DL4NAC
• LZ1NK
• W26Y
• KX9DX
• LZ1MS

Lou on Long Island

Jim surrendered the radio to me and I worked Lou, N2JPR, on Long Island after hearing him call CQ. Little did I know it but Lou was recording our conversation and was kind enough to send it to me via email. The wonders of technology!

He said in his email, “Thanks for the nice QSO today! Conditions were good and you had a nice signal here to central Long Island. Thanks for answering my CQ call. Surprisingly, minimal QSB and QRN allowed solid copy. Your Pemi River hiking portable setup sounded good. Please find the MP3 recording attached of our QSO. You can hear your signal and what conditions were like on my side. Your fist was easy, armchair copy.  No need to reply QSL. According to my log, this was our first QSO.”

Bert Once More, Well Maybe

After signing off with Lou, Jim took over the radio again. It didn’t take long to find an old friend.

“Hey, that’s Bert!” I blurted out hearing his familiar call sign, F6HKA.

Jim and I routinely work Bert who’s six hours ahead of us in his house in France. Bert was in an extended conversation with another operator and we could only hear Bert’s Morse code.

“I wonder how long this is going to take?” Jim has many positive qualities and his unending patience is one.

Wanting to put another DX contact in the logbook I uttered, “Oh, not to worry. Bert would walk over hot coals to work us. He just needs to know we’re here.”

It was not to be. We called Bert after he ended his conversation with the mystery operator, but he didn’t hear us.

Time To Go

After failing to contact Bert, we decided it was time to go. We had been there almost two and one-half hours but it seemed more like thirty minutes to me.

In just nine weeks all the trees along the Pemi will be ablaze with color. Reds, oranges, yellows, crimson all offset by the evergreens. The color so brilliant you think it’s fake.

How lucky I am to live where Mother Nature has some of her best work on display. Come visit. You can hold the sign Jim and I display for strangers to keep them safe that says:

! DANGER !

High-Frequency Radio Radiation

Loitering May Be Dangerous to Your Health

Keep Moving

Do NOT Stare at Equipment or Antenna

For those inquisitive and doubtful visitors that ask why we’re not affected by the radio waves, we always answer that we’re wearing lead underwear. I carry a small piece of sheet lead in my Pelican case to show them. Seriously.

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

“Tell me everything.”

That’s what I heard when I answered the phone yesterday morning. It was my pal and good friend Jim Cluett, W1PID. He wanted to know how we could take advantage of a stunning summer day here in central NH. The forecast was for 80 F and sunny skies.

We both know from experience that in just a few short months we’ll be longing for a warm sunny day as the November cold rains turn into dreadful December snow and ice.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m going to ride the tram up to the top of Cannon Mountain to work some European radio stations,” I spoke through my new Motorola G7 smartphone.

This tiny panoramic photo doesn’t do justice as what your eyes see when looking out across from Cannon Mountain to the majestic Lafayette Mountain on the other side of Franconia Notch. I KNEW we’d have a giant dish of eye candy waiting for us once we exited the tram. Copyright 2019 Tim Carter W3ATB

“What time are we leaving?” Jim blurted out after a momentary pause. His brain was whirring away at the possibilities the adventure might produce. Cannon Mountain is one of the top destinations because of the spectacular views and elevation achieved so easily by the 8-minute tram ride to the top.

He was so surprised by my suggestion he would have left right then if we could have.

This is but one reason Jim was excited to leave to get to Cannon Mountain. This is the view you get of Mt. Lafayette just across from where you sit on the granite ledge. You feel as if you can reach out and touch it. Copyright 2019 Tim Carter W3ATB

What’s So Special About Cannon Mountain?

Cannon Mountain is a spectacular feature in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The Old Man of the Mountain used to be on its eastern face, but he crashed to the granite talus in the valley below on May 3, 2003.

The tram to the top of Cannon Mountain is part of the magic. Just about every other peak in the White Mountains you have to invest lots of effort to get to the top. The tram delivers you to the top of Cannon Mountain in about eight minutes from the parking lot!

This is the tram car arriving at the lower base platform. It’s about to cough out passengers from the top like a bad hairball. My biggest suggestion is for the park employees to wash the windows of the tram each night. Copyright 2019 Tim Carter W3ATB

The Kinsman Ridge Trail

Once you arrive at the top of Cannon, you exit the tram building and walk down to the start of the loop trail. You just walk 150 feet, maybe 200, and you intersect where the Kinsman Ridge Trail comes up 1.7 miles from the bottom of the mountain.

Jim and I turned left to go down the Kinsman Ridge Trail for just another 150 feet. There we arrived at a narrow band of solid andesite granite ledge. Here we met two young women who had spent three hours getting from the bottom of the mountain to the top.

This is the last small section of the Kinsman Ridge Trail just below the summit of Cannon Mountain. These two young ladies were coming up from below just as Jim and I arrived. They had left the trailhead below three hours before but were so fit they looked like they had only been hiking ten minutes. Jim’s hair and shorts telegraph to you how breezy it was up there. I’d estimate a sustained 20 mph wind was blowing from the south. Copyright 2019 Tim Carter W3ATB

Lunch and The Antenna

It was 1 pm when we arrived at the vista point. Both of us were hungry, but I had brought no food. There’s a restaurant in the giant tram station at the top of Cannon, but Jim had offered me half of his vegan sandwich carefully prepared and wrapped in wax paper by his thoughtful wife.

I had never had a vegan sandwich and was terrified there could be wretched green peppers in it. I hate green peppers more than I hate sandworms, especially the ones on Venus.

Jim assured me there were no green peppers and I used my favorite Sog Flash II pocketknife to divide the sandwich in two using the plastic Tupperware® top as a cutting board. The sandwich was delicious, and I wished there were three more.

I’m in the sunglasses. Jim has the baseball cap on. You can see how serious amateur radio can be when DX QRP contacts are on the line! Copyright 2019 Tim Carter W3ATB

It’s important to realize that radio communications can be quite serious business. After all, an operator might travel a great distance, set up his equipment in less than ideal conditions only to discover the solar activity has rendered the atmosphere into a slothful sack of ions that have no interest in bouncing our radio signals to other parts of the world.

One thing I’ve discovered in the years of going on radio adventures with Jim is that each contact we make with another operator, especially ones thousands of miles away in Europe, is to be savored like the finest gourmet ice cream or candy one might get at Aglamesis Bro’s in Cincinnati, OH.

If you hear a station when they are few and far between on the bands, you want to capture them at any cost because you might not hear anyone else. It’s the same when given the opportunity to taste delicious candy. Fortunately, in the case of great candy, you can get it anytime you want. Aglamesis Bro’s will ship their delicious delights to all points in the USA. Oh what I would have given for a dark chocolate pecande yesterday, but I digress.

After eating, we immediately set up our antenna. We used Jim’s featherlight expanding fiberglass cane pole to hold up a 29-foot thin wire. It was in the shape of an inverted V. One end was tied around a small juniper branch and the other end I tied off to a loop at the top of Jim’s backpack using his explicit directions.

It might be hard to see the two thin wires, but they’re there. Being up 4,100 feet above sea level sure helps get our signal out and also allows us to better capture other radio transmissions. Copyright 2019 Tim Carter W3ATB

The antenna wires were flapping in the wind, but they never came loose. Jim connected the one end of the wire to his 9:1 unun and a short coax cable went from it to his Elecraft KX3. The radio was powered by a small Bioenno 3Ah lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery.

Did You Hear Lots of Stations?

Jim turned on his radio and started out on 20 meters. Twenty meters is the go-to band for long-distance contacts. It was as quiet as a graveyard at three in the morning. Radio operators often lament this condition as the bands being dead.

Here’s Jim trying to find other stations on the HF bands. When the weather is this nice, you don’t want to waste these days target shooting, that’s for sure! Copyright 2019 Tim Carter W3ATB

“Tim, there’s not one signal on 40 meters!”

“Well, did you try 30 meters?” I asked.

“Nothing. There’s nothing on 30 meters.”

“How about 17 meters?” I inquired.

“I checked already. Nothing there either.”

It was looking like a repeat of three days earlier when Jim and I had traveled south to Salem, Massachusetts to help out a special event station. We spent 90 minutes on the air that morning and got skunked. I was in a foul mood driving home that day!

Here I am working Bert in France. I had to tilt back my wide-brimmed Duluth Trading hat and drop my sunglasses so Jim could see my eyes. Why was I complaining about lack of food? Hells bells, I’ve got enough under the lower part of my t-shirt to last two weeks or more. Maybe three! Copyright 2019 Jim Cluett W1PID

Bert to the Rescue

Moments later Jim got back on 20 meters and there was our dear friend Bert, F6HKA doing Morse code with another operator. Bert lives in France. What a delight to do DX from Cannon with a tiny radio and low power!

Jim and Bert have conversed countless times and he’s such a gentleman, Bert that is. Jim’s a great guy too, but always keep in mind his priorities when doing outdoor radio!

We both got to work Bert and we were relieved that we avoided the skunk. It’s always fun to send your callsign to Bert and he comes back with, “FB Tim”. FB means fine business in CW or Morse code.

Just as we equate immediately Bert’s callsign to his name, he does with us. This comradery is part of the attraction to the ham radio hobby. Keep in mind many of us have never met face-to-face.

Just after working Bert a husband and wife, we think, came up the trail from below. They were tired but astonished we were able to do ham radio from a mountain.

Germany!

When you set a low-powered radio in front of my dear friend Jim and do it in a stunning outdoor setting on a day where the sky is so blue it hurts your eyes to look at it, be prepared for an almost zen-like experience. Jim convinced me years ago that outdoor radio is magic and I don’t dispute it for a second.

“You know, I think we possibly take it for granted that we can just come out here to an outcrop, set up our radios, and make contact with others across the Atlantic Ocean. When strangers see us do this no doubt they’re very very curious,” I mused.

Seconds later a strong signal was heard! It was a special event station in Germany of all places, DM19BUGA. It was celebrating a national garden exhibition in Heilbronn, Germany. The operator was sending Morse quite fast, most certainly above 20 words per minute.

Here’s the special event QSL card you might get in the mail if you made contact with DM19BUGA. It’s gorgeous and Jim loves flowers. Copyright 2019 DM19BUGA

You can’t allow an operator like this to escape and he had a minor pileup happening. A pileup is when multiple stations answer another station’s signal at the same time. Stronger stations almost always overpower low-powered stations like us. Remember, we were transmitting at a power level, around 5 watts, that you might use to make a night light glow!

Seconds later a dad and his son came up the trail. The dad was most interested in our setup and I started to answer his questions as Jim focused all his energy on trying to make contact with the German operator.

With the wind blowing, and the real possibility that the German station’s signal could disappear into the ether, the intensity level grew faster than a speeding bullet. We HAD to make contact with the German station, but at the same time, I was trying to be polite to the hikers.

Looking back, I should have probably had a simple laminated sign that read, “Ham Radio – Harmful RF Waves – Move Along RAPIDLY for your Safety”. Nah, that’s too scary.

I think I’m going to have some small business cards printed up that say:

INTENSE Radio Comms in Progress

Please go to https://w3atb.com/qrp for details about what you see, especially a video about how the antenna was put far up in the air.

CLICK or TAP HERE to see all of the photos from our adventure yesterday.

Jim is wearing the ball cap with the Elecraft KX2 in his hand. I’m deeply entranced with the selfie phone making sure both of us are in the frame. Copyright 2019 Tim Carter

Today my mentor Jim Cluett, W1PID, took me to one of his favorite hidden places to operate. We were along the bank of the Winnipesaukee River near the boundary of Tilton and Franklin, NH.

We had to hike about 1/4 mile along an abandoned spur of the Boston & Maine Railroad line. The mainline tracks have been removed and a hiking and bicycle trail now runs where steam engines used to travel loaded with freight and passengers back in the 1800s.

The parking lot, as well as the trail, had an abundance of wild daisies, goldenrod in full bloom, and yarrow. There was also poison ivy galore. Jim and I are both very allergic and I’m always on the lookout for that wretched plant.

The portion of the trail we were walking along wasn’t that close to the river and I was wondering if we’d ever see it. Then, just as I was getting frustrated, Jim turned left at an old non-descript gated area. We headed into the forest at this point.

“Do you hear the river?” Jim exclaimed after a minute.

“You bet,” I replied.

Within minutes this is what we saw.

This is looking upriver from the tiny cape we were sitting on. The sound of the rapids was quite soothing. Copyright 2019 Jim Cluett

We walked down to the bank of the river and there was a small cape that stuck out into the river. I’d estimate the cape was about 25 feet in diameter.

The upstream side of the cape was protected from erosion by large boulders. Local teenagers have made it into a party location including a nice boulder that serves as a firepit.

Jim decided to try to get his halyard up to hoist the antenna. His first throw failed. I got out my water bottle and string and was fortunate to get a perfect throw. There was minimal space to belay the cord and the throw had to be just right. I’ve gotten pretty good at throwing the water bottle and within minutes the 29-foot wire antenna was dangling perfectly over a large rounded boulder we both sat on.

I politely asked Jim to connect the dangling end of the 24-gauge wire to the 9:1 unun while I unpacked the radio and other gear.

It was a hot and humid day but we were in the shade and there was a slight breeze to keep us comfortable. Luckily we heard signals as soon as we turned on my Elecraft KX2 powered up by a freshly charged BioennoPower 3 Ah LFP battery.

I let Jim use the radio first and within minutes he had snagged GB19CWC and W5LNI. Here’s a very short snippet of the conversation Jim had with W5LNI.

Getting QRP contacts using a tiny thin wire in solar minimum conditions is always a treat. We were lucky to get three total QSOs in less than 30 minutes.

Jim captured me concentrating on Bunky’s message. He was sending a bit faster than I can copy at this time, but I got some of it. Copyright 2019 Jim Cluett

I then took control and within a few minutes had Bunky on the hook, K4EJQ. Bunky was contacting us from Bristol, TN. His signal was so strong I thought it was going to break the tiny speaker in the KX2. My tiny 5-watt signal was good enough for a 599 signal report, so that was quite nice.

We decided to pack everything up after my short conversation with Bunky. I told him we were on a hike and low power. After I publish this story, I’m going to email Bunky to let him see where we were. Often other operators are amazed at what Jim has done for years and has been kind enough to share with me – the magic of making contact with people outdoors in the most wonderful places.

Squelch Ham Radio | The red arrow points to the squelch adjustment knob on my Yaesu FT-8900R mobile radio. You can see the acronym SQL on the faceplate. Rotating it counterclockwise opens the squelch. Rotate it clockwise and you start to tighten up the squelch so only strong stations can be heard. Copyright 2019 Tim Carter

Squelch Ham Radio – Don’t Make it Too Tight

The 2017 ARRL Handbook defines squelch succinctly:

Squelch is the circuit in FM radios that turns off the loud rush of noise with no signal present.

The squelch on almost all modern ham radios is adjustable. This is a handy feature but it can also work against you if you’re not paying attention.

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How Does Squelch Work?

In the simplest terms, the squelch circuit is like a power output knob in reverse. If you want to transmit with more power, you adjust your wattage output to a higher level.

A squelch knob allows you to reject weak signals and only hear stronger stations. Depending on how you have the squelch adjusted, you may not hear a calling station. Sometimes you want this as weak stations might be tripping your receiver with picket-fence transmissions and other bothersome audio.

Why is Squelch Important at the NEFR?

Squelch is important at the NEFR, the New England Forest Rally, or any other public service event because you need to be able to hear all the other operators who are part of your team.

One, or more, of the other operators, may be transmitting on a lower power setting using an HT. If you turn your squelch knob too far, you may block out the signal of that operator.

This could cause significant problems in case of an emergency.

What’s the Best Squelch Adjustment?

I don’t know if there’s a best adjustment, but you might want to try to open up the squelch until you hear the loud rush of noise. Then start to turn the knob the other way until the noise goes away. Turn it just another tiny bit to tighten up the squelch a bit more.

This setting allows you to receive weak stations that may have important information. You can always tighten the squelch even more but realize you may not hear all you want to hear.

South Arm NEFR – A Tough Radio Challenge

This is the actual South Arm racecourse. The black letters A-J are radio operator positions.

The South Arm and Icicle Brook stages of the New England Forest Rally (NEFR) present challenging communications issues for radio operators. The communications for this gravel-road racecourse have been done for years using 2-meter simplex. This radio frequency is considered very high frequency (VHF) as it’s in the 144-148 MHz part of the radio spectrum.

This racing event features powerful cars that go very fast. Drivers, their support teams, and spectators rely on lightning-fast communications during the event.

It’s important to realize that when one radio operator transmits during the rally, it’s imperative all other operators on the course hear that transmission.

Radio Relaying = Recipe for Disaster

Radio operators are spread out along the route and in the past the start (radio position A) and finish (radio position J) officials have had to rely on a relay operator as you see in the second topographic map image below. The relay operator is where the blue hexagon symbol is on the map.

The relay system works because the 2-meter signal can slip through the notch on the east side of the tiny mountain. Look at the topographic map below and you can clearly see how there’s a direct pathway between the start and the relay operator’s position. However, relaying messages slows things down and it becomes a huge handicap in an emergency.

A Fresh Perspective

I was asked to take over the chief of communications for the NEFR beginning in 2018. It was a baptism by fire and I had never even been to South Arm before. The leadership of the rally told me they’ve always had comms problems at South Arm and once I arrived I could see why. There was a formidable small mountain in the middle of the racecourse. The radio frequency, 2 meters, they had been using for years doesn’t play well with mountains!

If you want to get over mountains with 2 meters, you need antenna height and power. This was emphasized by Dale Clement, AF1T, who is one of the top VHF and UHF antenna experts in the Northeast. I called Dale in September of 2018 to ask for his help to solve the issue at South Arm.

Dale said, “Tim, when it comes to 2-meters, it’s all about power and altitude. Get people using 50 watts and get antennas up in the air as high as you can to have the best chance of hearing and being heard.”

Many NEFR volunteer radio operators in the past only had Technician privileges and radios that could primarily transmit and receive on 2 meters. It was time to try a different approach. After the 2018 rally, I conducted an exit survey and discovered most of the operators had no high-frequency (HF) experience.

I decided it was time to recruit some experienced HF operators who would work with me to solve this communications conundrum. It’s imperative that the problem be solved because the NEFR is a world-class event with some drivers coming from different countries to race. We must provide a reliable communications system for them, the race teams, spectators, and all volunteers.

Believe me, bad things can happen during the NEFR. Watch this video to see why we need to have reliable communications:

What is the Primary Problem?

Look at the topographic map below and pay attention to the steep hill/mountain inside the red circle. The top of it is 1,200 feet higher than the roadway at the start and finish of both stages.

This map includes the South Arm and Icicle Brook stages of the NEFR. The red balloon at the bottom is at the approximate start of South Arm and the finish of Icicle Brook. The purple star is the finish of South Arm and the start of Icicle Brook. The blue hexagon is an ideal location for a radio relay position. The red circle identifies the wretched mountain that tops out around 2,700 feet above sea level (ASL) while the stage roadway hovers around 1,500 feet ASL. Do you think for a moment a 5-watt HT has a chance to conquer this conundrum? Copyright 2019, Google, Inc.

What Can Be Done to Ensure Clear Communications?

You need a tall antenna and lots of power to get a signal from the start to the finish if you intend to conquer the mountain using simplex VHF transmissions. The distance between the start and finish as the crow flies is just under ten miles!

A repeater could be located across Upper Richardson Lake about 2/3rds of the way between the start and finish of the two stages. At this location, it would have a very clear shot of all radio operators along both stages. The tall mountain would not hinder communications whatsoever.

You can also put a repeater in a circling airplane or suspended from a tethered balloon. Both of these options create their own set of very specific problems, not the least of which is cost.

Are Repeaters the Answer?

There are other significant issues with repeaters. Here are but a few of the challenges:

Repeaters offer up a sole point of failure. If the repeater fails during the stage no one can communicate. With the current simplex setup, if one operator’s radio or antenna fails, only his position is affected. The Southern Ohio Forest Rally had a disastrous communications failure while using a repeater in June of 2021, that created mayhem.

Duplexers can be sensitive. They are required in a repeater to make the same-band repeat magic happen. These cans usually don’t like being bumped around traveling on gravel roads that have more potholes than Dunkin has doughnuts.

The provider of the repeater has to set up the repeater, controller, duplexers, etc. as well as the antenna in a short amount of time before the stages run.

The repeater location across Lake Richardson may not be accessible just before the rally. The roads may get washed out and the owner of the road may not repair it in time nor want to invest the money to repair it.

The repeater location at the top of the mountain in between the start and the finish has no road, no trails, and it’s extremely tough hiking with all the needed equipment. Keep in mind the need for the repeater is but six or seven hours. The people working this event are unpaid volunteers and to expect someone to backpack all that gear up to the top of the mountain is a lofty expectation!

What About an HF Solution?

Yes, you might have great success using high frequency (HF) on 80 meters. It’s even possible to get a NVIS signal on 40 meters. All operators would have to have HF equipment and be able to deploy an 80-40M Near Vertical Incidence Skywave (NVIS) antenna.

The US military relies on NVIS operations in battleground situations. It’s that reliable.

A NVIS antenna can be just a simple thin wire suspended about 4-8 feet in the air. You can drape the antenna over tree branches or bushes. You can also use some simple wood stakes or inexpensive fiberglass electric-fence posts to hold it above the ground. I recently switched to these fiberglass poles/posts and they’re excellent.

Here’s a video I recorded in August of 2019 showing how easy it is to build and deploy this antenna. NOTE: This antenna set up flies in the face of the optimal theoretical antenna design created by fancy software. Realize that this antenna you’re about to see works VERY WELL. I urge you to try it yourself. You’ll be amazed that it works.

How About 10 Meters?

Ten meters is a very strong candidate to solve the vexing issue. It’s very close to the citizen’s band (CB) of eleven meters. This band has a respectable pedigree for traveling 30 to 50 miles out in the open plains. With altitude, it can go even farther.

The other benefit is the antenna is so much shorter. You can create a vertical center-fed dipole that’s just 16 feet 4 inches long! You can hang this from a tree with little effort.

Finally, those who only have Technician privileges can operate in the ten-meter band. This means any NEFR operator with a 10-meter radio can be assigned to the South Arm and Icicle Brook stages.

On October 10, 2020 I went to South Arm with four other seasoned radio professionals who have worked South Arm before to test both 10 and 80 meters. The test was a stunning success. CLICK or TAP HERE to read about it and listen to the video recording of the actual test.

UPDATE: July 22, 2019 – On Friday, July 19, 2019 I did an 80M NVIS test at the start and finish lines of this stage. I was assisted by Sean Tarbox, N1BOX, and Tim Foy, W1FOY. Sean and Tim, along with Tim’s wife Monica, were just below the start of the South Arm start line. I was a mile beyond the finish line of South Arm.

We established crystal-clear comms using a simple antenna that was about 2 feet off the ground at my end. I was only transmitting with 13 watts out of my Elecraft KX3. Sean and Tim experimented with different power levels up to 50 watts. At 50 watts it was if they were standing next to me. A stunning 5-9 signal report.

Watch these videos to get an idea of how easy it is to do NVIS comms:

If you have ideas, put them in the comments below.

Ken Block NEFR Crash and Burn

Ken Block, a world-class rally driver, crashed at the 2018 New England Forest Rally. His car caught fire immediately.

Watch the quick video just below. Then I want you to imagine you’re a ham radio operator standing within 100 feet of the burning car.

• What would you do as soon as you saw this happen?
• Are you mentally prepared to maintain control of yourself, gather the needed data, and transmit it to the stage captain?
• Will your equipment be up to the task? Will you be able to hear if a crowd forms near you?

What questions did I forget? Put them in the comments below.

NEFR Rally Radio Antennas – Bigger and Taller is Better

Watch this video. It says it all:

Here’s an EASY-TO-BUILD 2M 1/4-wave ground-plane antenna that could be just the ticket for you:

Ladder Line 2M J Pole Antenna – Easy to Build

Ladder line is heavy duty and can easily handle the 50 watts put out by most mobile radios.

A ladder line 2M j pole antenna is a perfect antenna to hang from a tall tree branch to boost your outgoing transmissions and to help you hear weak stations.

Watch these videos to get an idea of how to build a 2-meter j-pole antenna. The top video has a very nice part that allows you to connect your coax to the antenna.

Are There Other 2M Antenna Options?

Yes, Ralph Milroy – KB1CPM, shared a tip about a quarter wave 2M antenna that you can suspend from a tree branch. That video is the BOTTOM one in the stack below.

Here’s the 2M VHF 1/4-Wave Ground Plane Antenna video:

There are MORE how-to videos on YouTube. Just enter ladder line j pole antenna into the YouTube search engine or CLICK or TAP HERE.

New England Forest Rally | This is what you see if you’re the radio operator at the start of each stage. Copyright 2019 Tim Carter W3ATB

New England Forest Rally – Radio Equipment

The radio equipment you bring to the New England Forest Rally (NEFR) is of the utmost importance. Here are just a few reasons:

• Your radio equipment may save someone’s life
• You need to be able to communicate with all other operators in case something happens at or near your position
• You need to be able to hear all other operators who are part of your team

What Are The Two Most Important Things?

The two most important things that will ensure your transmission will be heard and you will hear others are:

• Power
• Antenna

After the 2018 NEFR, I had a phone call with Dale Clement – AF1T, one of the top New England experts in 2-meter communications. Dale spent his entire career working for Cushcraft designing VHF and UHF antennas.

Once I described the challenges of the rally, the hilly terrain, and the remoteness, he said, “Tim, it’s all about power and having the best antenna. Power can force the ground wave up and over most hills, but not all. The higher up a vertical antenna is, the better.”

What Dale is saying is a 5-watt HT with a rubber duck stubby antenna is the worst primary radio setup.

A 50-watt mobile radio connected to a portable j-pole antenna suspended from a nearby tree would be your best setup. Watch this video about roll-up j-pole antennas:

If your 50-watt mobile radio has crossband repeat capability you’ve got the ultimate radio setup.

What is Crossband Repeat and Why Is It Useful?

Crossband repeat is a function some radios possess. The radio can simultaneously receive and re-transmit a signal on two different frequencies. CLICK or TAP HERE to read more about crossband repeat.

Crossband repeat is a game changer.

In simple terms, you can have a low-powered HT set at 1 watt and on a 440 MHz frequency. Your higher-powered 50-watt mobile radio in your car or truck can be set to hear anything on that frequency and re-transmit it on the 2M frequency your other team members are using at that stage.

It works exactly the same in reverse. If some other operator on the 2M stage frequency transmits, your mobile radio receives the signal and re-transmits to your HT on the 440 MHz frequency.

This setup allows you to be away from your car or truck so you can wander around your position. If there is an incident NEAR your position and it’s SAFE to go there, you can be right where help is needed to communicate back to the stage captain. Being at the scene of an incident is so much better than relying on second or third-hand information screamed back at you should you be tethered to your vehicle.

What’s the Best HT Antenna?

You’ll discover a 1/4-wave antenna attached to your HT will increase its performance. Bring one to the rally. Remember, a rubber duck antenna is pretty much worthless.

Should my HT have a Tiger Tail?

Yes, a tiger tail is recommended. CLICK or TAP HERE to discover what a tiger tail is and how to make one in minutes.

The yellow wire is a tiger tail. It’s a counterpoise. The 1/4-wave dual-band high-gain whip antenna is oriented correctly. It’s pointing to the sky. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter W3ATB

What About Portable Mast Antennas?

A portable mast antenna is a great idea. The mast can be supported with a simple patio umbrella stand or you can make one using plywood and pipe.

CLICK or TAP HERE to see a few designs used by a ham at a winter rally. You’ll also see a copper 2M j-pole antenna at the top of the mast.

CLICK or TAP HERE to see the portable mast support made from steel by a friend of mine. I use surplus military aluminum tubing for the mast. Here’s a photo of the drive-on stand that supports the mast:

What Else Do I Need?

Here’s a short list of other things you need or you may find enhance your experience:

• your radio(s) manuals – download the PDFs to your smartphone at the very least
• extra batteries
• radio battery charger
• extra antenna(s)
• lapel microphone
• earbuds to help you hear transmissions if you’re in a noisy area
• string and weights to create a halyard to get your portable j-pole antenna up in a nearby tree

If you have other helpful suggestions about radio equipment, feel free to leave them in the COMMENTS below. My comments are set for approval, so they don’t automatically appear.