That’s me in the green t-shirt. N1LT, Dick Christopher, is in the plaid shirt and W1PID, Jim Cluett, is in the blue polo shirt. Dick forced me to upgrade to General six years ago and Jim has been patiently teaching me outdoor radio and CW. What a thrill to be out with both of these QRP radio giants. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

The 2018 NJQRP Skeeter Hunt radio contest was a huge success here in central New Hampshire. It was one of the best times I’ve had outdoors in a few years because I was able to operate with the two men, Dick Christopher and Jim Cluett, who have offered me the most amateur radio guidance in the past seven years.

Dick Christopher, N1LT. He was the founder of the Central New Hampshire Amateur Radio Club. He made me an offer I couldn’t refuse to upgrade to my General privileges. I only had a little less than three weeks to prepare. Copyright 2018 Jim Cluett

In a meager attempt to pay them back for all they’ve given me, I decided they could sit on the picnic table bench while I set up all the equipment. They howled with laughter when the first under-handed throw of my water bottle soared so high I was unable to grab the end of the halyard cord. It literally slipped through my fingers only to dangle 15 feet up in the air out of my reach.

I had to climb down over the river bank to retrieve my water bottle and pull the halyard cord through the tree to start over.

I tied the end of the cord to a special clip on my backpack and threw again. The second throw was perfect as the water bottle came straight down through the branches just ten feet from the edge of the picnic table.

In all the confusion I slipped the BNC cable onto my Elecaft KX3, but failed to twist it to lock the cable onto the female connector. Even still we worked contacts like I used to make cheese coneys at Skyline Chili all those years ago.

What was the Weather Like for the NJ Skeeter Hunt?

The weather was perfect. The temperature was probably 76 F, it was brilliant sunshine and the all-important dew point was about 57 F. The bonus was there were no bugs bothering us until the last ten minutes. That’s when a swarm of biting flies discovered my legs!

Where Did You Operate?

The three of us were just 50 feet from the edge of the Pemigewasset River in Bristol, NH. We were in the US Corps of Engineers flood control area behind the Franklin Falls Dam. There’s a group of three picnic tables under a majestic pine tree that offered up her branches to support my 29-foot wire antenna that had a 9:1 unun at the bottom.

This is my wire antenna and halyard holding it up. The top of the antenna was 39 feet up in the tree.  The halyard line continues up another 20 feet before it starts to come down. The wire did not touch any branches or pine needles. That’s super important! Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

Did you Operate as a Team or as Individuals?

We decided that we’d operate as individuals but use the same radio, antenna and iambic micro Pico paddles. We each had our own log books and used my Elecraft KX3, my 4.5 Ah BioennoPower LiFePh battery, and my 9:1 unun attached to 25-feet of coax cable.

Jim and Dick look like they’re attending class taking notes. As you might suspect, they’re busy copying CW being sent by another Skeeter! I sat at Jim’s left when I wasn’t taking photos or looking at horses. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

How Many Contacts Did You Get in the 2018 NJ Skeeter Hunt?

We had a grand total of only fourteen contacts, but it was far more than I ever thought we’d get. Propagation has been horrible this summer. I would have been thrilled with three contacts today.

Here’s our log:

19 Aug-18    1722  14.060    NK9G   CW 559 559 WI 6
19 Aug-18    1726  14.062    NN9K   CW 599 599 IL 64
19 Aug-18    1730  14.060    K4BAI  CW 559 559 GA 163
19 Aug-18    1736  14.059    WO9B   CW 559 559 WI 24
19 Aug-18    1740  7041      N3AQC  CW 559 559 PA 77
19 Aug-18    1752  14.064    AB9CA  CW 559 559 IN 22
19 Aug-18    1800  14.063    KE8EAS CW 599 599 OH 57
19 Aug-18    1805  14.059    N5GW   CW 449 559 MS 5W
19 Aug-18    1811  7031      WF4I   CW 559 559 NC 70
19 Aug-18    1818  7042      NK9G   CW 559 559 WI 6
19 Aug-18    1823  7038      N9MM   CW 559 559 POTA
19 Aug-18    1825  7033      K2BR   CW 559 599 NJ lighthouse Bob
19 Aug-18    1844  7042      K3RLL  CW 579 579 PA 15
19 Aug-18    1849  7038      N8GU   CW 559 579 MI lighthouse B

Because we each worked the same contacts, we were slower at capturing other contacts had we been able to hunt and pounce by ourselves. Jim would work a contact first, I’d follow and then hand the paddles to Dick.

It was a great way to operate. Had we set up individually, our signals would be crashing into one another and it would have been a frustrating ball of mayhem. Trust me, I’ve been in this situation before with Jim and another friend K1SWL. It’s no fun to be trying to work others when a nearby signal walks over a QSO.

Who Else Was With You Next to the River?

Why I’m glad you asked! Women and horses joined us. Lots of both.

It turns out there’s a cool group of NH women who ride together and they come to this amazing flood control area to exercise their steeds along the banks of the Pemigewasset River.

There were at least ten horses. They were pretty frisky and loving the fresh grass near the picnic tables. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

Several were amazed we were doing Morse code. But all were flabbergasted about how I was able to get my halyard up 65 feet into the tree with just my arm.

My answer always when asked this question is, “Oh, it’s just one of my skills and magic.”

Why Was the 2018 NJ Skeeter Hunt So Much Fun?

I had a blast because I was with two of the hams that have played such an important part of my journey in this hobby. The weather was a bonus as were the horses!

This is my KX2 case. It’s a Pelican 1200 case in vibrant orange so you can’t miss it out in the woods, unless it’s autumn in New England! Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

KX2 Case – For Durability Use a Pelican 1200 Case

My Elecraft KX2 is protected from damage because it fits snugly and securely inside a Pelican 1200 case. I don’t want my radio damaged if I slip and fall on a muddy or icy trail out in the wilderness.

This is an Elecraft KX2 inside a Pelican 1200 case. Just about everything you need to get on the air is in the case. Some of the gear I normally put in the case before I close it I left out for this photo. It would block what’s down in the foam cutouts. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

What Fits in the KX2 Case?

I’m able to get the following into my Pelican 1200 Case:

• the KX2 with cover and side bracket handles
• a 9:1 unun
• amazing durable reel of polyester halyard cord
• 3.0 Ah BioennoPower LiFePh battery
• PowerWerx wattmeter
• power cord jumper cable
• alligator clip antenna cable
• Rite in Rain waterproof pen for logging
• 3-foot coax cable
• Etymotic Noise Isolating Earphones

Yes, all this fits in the case plus the radio! You just have to use the space wisely. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

What Do the Cutouts Look Like?

The foam moves around when everything is out, but it goes back to the correct position when your stow the gear. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

Will a KX3 Fit in a Pelican 1200 Case?

Yes, you can make an Elecraft KX3 fit into a Pelican 1200 case. It needs to be rotated 90 degrees so the long side of the radio is parallel with the case hinges.

You won’t be able to get into the case all the other goodies I’m able to stash with my KX2.

Here’s my KX3 sitting on top of the foam and other gear. You can’t see it from this angle, but there’s enough room on the sides for one row of the foam cubes. You might be able to stow the battery, unun, coax and power jumper cables, but that’s about it. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

Jerry, W4DSD, contacted me about my KX2 in a case because he’s trying to get his KX3 to work in the same Pelican 1200 case. You can see there won’t be much room left for other stuff. Copyright 2018 Jerry W4DSD

I wanted the bright orange so that no one steps on the case when I’m outdoors. If it had come with a flashing LED light, I would have bought that too! Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

Here’s part of my logbook for the 2018 Bumblebee contest. You need to flip over the page to see the other two contacts. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

Flight of the Bumblebees 2018 Contest

“I’m a flippin’ operator.”

I was proclaiming this as I stood over Jim Cluett, W1PID. He was sitting in the warm grass on a knoll on the flanks of Mt. Kearsarge. Jim and I were here with our mutual friend Dave Benson, K1SWL. The three of us were bumblebees out in the field trying to gather radio pollen.

We were participating in the annual Flight of the Bumblebees QRP contest hosted by the Adventure Radio Society. Just as bees flit around flower blossoms to gather nectar, we would be spinning the frequency knobs on our radios trying to collect as many contacts with other radio operators as possible.

It’s best if you bump into other bees who are also participating in the contest if you want to get a high score. I tend to be more interested in meeting other people face-to-face when we’re out operating instead of talking with people I can’t see.

The Boastful Bumblebee

I made that bumptious remark to Jim, my outdoor radio and CW mentor, because 90 minutes before I found myself on yet another plateau in my ongoing HF radio quest. I knew Jim would be happy because he’s been patiently pushing me for the past five years to become a respectable HF radio operator.

I love amateur radio but I don’t give it as high a priority in my life as Jim might like. “Just practice 15 minutes a day,” has been his mantra. Sadly I don’t follow that advice each day as some other shiny object seems to garner my attention.

Getting on the Air

When the three of us walked from the parking lot to the picnic area I peeled off first after eyeing a tree that was about 65-feet tall. It was perfect for my 29-foot wire antenna.

Here I am happy as a clam. I had already made four or five contacts and was thinking about how just two years ago I would have been thrilled with two! Copyright 2018 Jim Cluett

The day before I had decided to get the antenna up as far as possible and connect a 25-foot coax cable to the 9:1 unun that was 15 feet in the air at the base of the 29-foot wire. I wanted the best possible chance for my signal to get out.

Not two minutes had passed and my antenna was up in the tree. Ninety seconds later I was on the air. I glanced over my right shoulder and noticed Jim and Dave were still in a discussion about where each of them was going to operate.

Go back four or five years ago and it would have taken me 15 minutes to get my antenna up into a tree and all my gear set up. Now it only takes me one underhanded throw to get my water bottle and the halyard line 60, or more, feet up and over tree branches.

Here’s Jim with his 44-foot twisted pair dipole antenna. It was nice and warm in the sun. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

Radio Signals Galore!

I was stunned when I tuned my radio to the QRP (low-power) frequency on 20 meters. There were all sorts of stations calling! This past year propagation has been dismal and there have been times I’ve turned on the radio and heard just one, or two, signals.

Within a few minutes, I had already contacted two other bumblebee operators! After the third contact, I stopped and thought about how just three years ago I would have been thrilled with two contacts for an outing.

Can you Hear Morse Code?

But it gets better. I’m now at a level where I can hear a call sign the first time. Five months ago it would take me two or three times to capture the code and decipher it in my head. While I’m not able to copy at 20 words per minute (WPM), I’m comfortable at 15 WPM.

I feel within six months I’ll be head copying at 15 WPM with no trouble. Three years ago that milestone was not even on my radar. I never thought I could advance that far.

An Ironworker and the Family

About one hour after arriving, two motorcycles rumbled into the parking lot. The two couples made their way to the picnic area and sat at a table across from me. They were extremely curious as to why a wire was stretched up into the tree above me. It’s important to realize they were polite and didn’t bother me.

Jim called me on the radio and I answered him. The contact counted. But the rascal was only 150 feet away from me and gave me a miserable 449 signal report. One of Jim’s favorite pastimes is to yank my chain, some days harder than others.

“What’s the deal with the 449?” I yelled down to Jim who was sitting on the grass.

Here’s where Jim was set up. Why he didn’t ask for help to move a picnic table down here is a mystery. He had a stunning view to the north and east. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

“What’s 449 mean?” said one of the women motorcycle riders. I got up from my table and began a delightful 15-minute conversation.

I discovered her boyfriend was a retired ironworker from Massachusetts. He used to work the high steel and drive spud wrenches into the holes at the end of I-beams so the bolt holes would line up.

Here’s a spud wrench. Ironworkers have these in assorted sizes. I got this one back in the early 1970s at a construction site across from my home. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

The other motorcycle couple had just gotten back from a three-week cycle trip through many of the national parks in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming.

It’s fun talking to strangers. At least for me, it is.

As I walked back from visiting Jim, a middle-aged man was starting a fire in a granite-lined firepit. Moments later his wife walked by my table and said, “Hello! What have you got going on?”

Wires and strings dangling from trees are the best conversation starter I’ve ever discovered. Within minutes I was engaged in a delightful conversation about what I was doing.

It didn’t take me long to discover the husband was a financial advisor and he loved using the Peak Finder app on his smartphone to identify all the mountains we were looking at to the west, north, and east.

Here’s the profile of the view I have from my deck looking north. This is a very useful app if you like to hike where there are mountains! Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

“There’s Mt. Ascutney in Windsor, VT,” he exclaimed. He then pointed his phone to the north and east and I could see the names and horizon profile of lots of familiar peaks in central New Hampshire. I downloaded that app as soon as I got home. What a neat and useful tool to have on future radio outings!

Eyeball QSOs Don’t Count

I looked at my watch and it was time to pack up and leave. As I met up with Jim and Dave near the cars, they both made it quite clear that all the time I wasted talking to the motorcyclists and the family wouldn’t count towards my score.

“Those eyeball QSOs don’t count buddy,” Jim said with an impish grin.

“You could have had another 15 contacts if you hadn’t talked to all those people,” he added. Dave was backing him up 150 percent.

“Listen, I know you don’t like talking to people, but I do. I discovered all sorts of things about spud wrenches and I know where Mt. Ascutney is.”

“What? Where’s Mt. Ascutney?”

“Forget about it. I’m not telling you. Go ask that man if you’re so interested.”

We all laughed and Jim put his arm around me saying, “I still love you.”

He meant it and the feeling is mutual. Each time we all go out I have more and more fun and today was one of my best outings ever.

This is the rocky beach of Odiorne State Park in Portsmouth, NH. During fierce storms, water crashes over this low stone wall. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

Odiorne State Park, Kites, and Ham Radio

Jim Cluett, W1PID, and I finally got to the beach yesterday at Odiorne State Park in Portsmouth, NH. We had talked and talked about this outing for years, but my new roof, my new deck, a scenic train and other obstacles got in our way.

The previous five days were fraught with rain and the forecast for yesterday was pleasant weather in the morning with a chance of rain in the afternoon. We were both itching to go and were not disappointed.

Related Link

VHF Along NH Seacoast in the Rain

How Can a Kite Lift a Radio Antenna?

The plan all along was to make contacts using a kite to keep a 29-foot antenna wire aloft. The park was crowded but we snared a parking spot in the shade. As soon as we exited my Volvo V70-XC the intoxicating aroma of the salt air filled our lungs. Jim and I both commented on the elixir as we made our way towards a picnic table in the shade.

This is the tree we sat under for lunch. The ocean is to my back and Jim is at the table under the tree. I threw my water bottle over it so I could get on the air immediately. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

I didn’t waste a moment’s time getting on the air and decided to put my 29-foot wire antenna up in a tree. I attach the wire to a small 9:1 unun to get the impedance in the wire down to a reasonable number that the internal tuner in my Elecraft KX2 can handle.

Jim was more interested in eating lunch while I was setting up the radio and he and I knew there wasn’t yet enough wind to hold the kite up in the air.

Within minutes I had completed a quick exchange with KW7D. Paul was in New Mexico and it was thrilling to avoid the proverbial skunk using just 7 watts. That’s all you need to make a nightlight glow!

Here I am not too long after making my contact with Paul, KW7D. My wide-brimmed hat keeps the sun off my face. Copyright 2018 Jim Cluett

What Radio Did You Use?

We decided to share my Elecraft KX2 equipped with replacement iambic paddles I had just received the day before. You use these to send Morse code. My original ones were malfunctioning and Elecraft had sent out a new set under warranty. They worked perfectly.

Jim has finished lunch and he was itching to get on the air. It took him about 30 minutes before he finally made a contact. He tried and tried to make contact with GM0HCQ/MM, but Mike Gloistein, the operator, on the ship couldn’t hear Jim. He was on the RRS James Clark Ross well above the Arctic Circle! 76N, 29E! Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

Just after hearing his callsign and his coordinates, I decided to see where Mike was while Jim continued to throw out his callsign. Sadly we didn’t make contact. Copyright 2018, Google, Inc.

Mike was on the gorgeous RRS James Clark Ross. I hope it was good WX where he was! Copyright 2108 Mike Gloistein

Jim continued to make a few more contacts as did I, but I was more interested in just soaking in the sea breeze and watching a bunch of small children construct a rocket from a two-liter soda bottle with the help of their day-camp counselors.

After an hour or so, the wind seemed to come up. We tried to get the kite to fly, but there just wasn’t enough wind. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

After nearly two hours of relaxed operations and our failed attempt to fly the kite, we decided to pack up and head home. As we walked away we decided to explore a little more of the park near the shoreline.

Quickly we discovered we had picked the worst table to sit at as it was in a depression and the stone wall had been blocking our view of the water. Soon we were walking on a path next to some day lilies and there was a magnificent view of the ocean with picnic tables galore!

Look at that picnic table just to the right of me! What an IDIOT I was not to look around first before deciding where to set up. You can bet I’m going back to this spot next time. Copyright 2018 Jim Cluett

This WW II coastal artillery gun mount was immediately adjacent to the picnic table. Not too far up the river feeding water into the Portsmouth, NH harbor was a naval ship-building yard and the 155 mm cannons were aimed at German U-boats that tried to sink US ships. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

This is what you might have seen at the gun mount Jim and I were flying the kite had you been here back in 1943. Photo courtesy of some unknown photographer.

We immediately noticed a strong wind was blowing and decided to fly the kite and get back on the air!

It only took minutes to get the kite in the air. We both worked as a team and the kite lept 80 feet into the air in seconds! It was quite exciting to see the antenna wire hang vertically down to the large artillery gun mount. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

Here I am getting ready to make my first contact using an antenna supported by a kite! I was able to make contact with Eugene, EA5EL who was doing an Islands on the Air activation! He was at EU093 Tabarca Island! Copyright 2018 Jim Cluett

Jim got on the KX2 before I did and made a fast contact with a Russian operator. We were both ecstatic! The kite adventure was a success and we only wish we had found this spot from the beginning. No worries, we’ll be back!

The yellow wire is a tiger tail antenna. It may not look pretty, but it dramatically increases the performance of the HT. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter W3ATB

“It’s probably best to just use a length of 19 and 1/4 inches to put you right about in the middle of the 2-meter frequencies.”

A Tiger Tail Antenna Boosts HT Output – HT on Steroids!

A tiger tail antenna is a short piece of flexible wire that connects to the ground side of your handheld transceiver (HT). They are easy to make and this simple additional wire will increase the outgoing strength of your signals.

What Is the Tiger Tail Antenna?

The tiger tail is the other side of a dipole antenna. The rubber duck antenna that comes with most HTs, or a good 1/4-wave high-gain whip antenna, is the positive side of the dipole. You create a high-performance antenna for your modest HT by attaching a matched length of wire to the negative, or ground, side of your antenna post.

How Long is the Tiger Tail Antenna?

You need to match the length of the tiger tail to the frequency you’ll be using on your HT. If you’re transmitting in the allowed portions of the 2-meter band in the USA, you’ll be between 144.00 and 148.00 MHz.

I used the ground plane calculator at Buxcomm.com to calculate it.

Look at the last value at the bottom: Radial Length (inches). That’s what you want. Copyright 2018 Buxcomm.com

Here are the lengths you’d need to cover the entire 2-meter band. It’s probably best to just use a length of 19 and 1/4 inches to put you right about in the middle of the 2-meter frequencies.

A tiger tail antenna requires simple wire, a wire cutter/stripper, a tape measure, and solder. I’m using 26-gauge stranded wire for mine. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter W3ATB

I stripped off 1.5 inches of insulation and twisted the strands of wire together. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter W3ATB

A standard pencil creates the perfect sized loop diameter for the tiger tail antenna. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter W3ATB

The loop is completed by wrapping the excess wire onto itself. All that’s left is to put a drop of molten solder on it so the loop stays intact. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter W3ATB

I still need to solder the loop, but you start your measurement for the tiger tail antenna at the base of the loop, NOT at the far end of the loop at the left. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter W3ATB

The 1/4-wave dual-band high-gain whip antenna is oriented correctly. It’s pointing to the sky. The yellow wire is a tiger tail counterpoise that helps increase the output signal of the small low-powered radio. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter W3ATB

Ham Radio Antenna Orientation  – Very Important for 2-Meter Communications

Your ham radio will transmit and receive much better if you have the antenna in the proper orientation. Watch this video to get a good understanding of how important ham radio antenna orientation is.

What is the Antenna Orientation for 2 Meters?

You should hold your handheld transceiver (HT) so the antenna is pointing to the sky. Do not hold it sideways so the antenna is parallel with the ground.

Is It a Bad Idea to Put My HT on my Belt?

Yes, it’s a bad idea to put your HT on your belt. Much of the signal coming from the antenna is driven into your body.

Can You Use an HT in a Car or Truck?

It’s not a good idea to use an HT in a car or truck. The metal body of the vehicle acts like a Faraday cage. The 2-meter wave trying to get out the windows is taller than the windows.

If you must use an HT in a car, hold the radio next to the window to get the best reception and for most of your transmission to get out of the vehicle.

Can You Make a Simple Dipole for an HT?

Yes, all you have to do is add a 19-inch length of wire to the ground connection of the antenna stub. Some call this a counterpoise or the negative side of the dipole.

Read my column about a tiger tail antenna to see how easy it is to make one.

How to crossband repeat using the Yaesu FT-8900R. Note the left side of the radio is on a 2-meter VHF frequency and the right side is tuned to the UHF frequency of 445.875 Mhz. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

What is Crossband Repeat?

Crossband repeat is the re-transmission in real-time of one signal from one band, typically UHF, on another band often VHF. Imagine talking into your HT using just one watt of power on a 70-cm frequency. Your dual-band mobile or base-station VHF radio hears your 70-cm transmission and immediately re-transmits it on 2-meters at 50 watts. Your transmission is crossing over to another band. Do you see how useful this might be?

How To Crossband Repeat – It’s Easy To Do

You may want to know how to set up crossband repeat on your mobile radio. It’s not as hard as you might think. Watch this video to understand why you want this amazing capability in your mobile VHF transceiver.

I happen to have a Yaesu FT-8900R and it only takes about five seconds to set up the radio once you have your receiving and transmitting frequencies set.

How To Set Up Cross Band Repeat Video

Watch this video to see how easy it is to get a Yaesu FT-8900R to be in cross band repeat mode.

Can you Crossband Repeat on the Same Band?

No, you can’t crossband repeat on ordinary mobile VHF radios on the same band. Note the word crossband. It means the signal is CROSSING OVER TWO BANDS to allow the magic to happen.

Small mobile radios and possibly some handheld transceivers with crossband repeat functionality are designed to only repeat signals on two different bands.

You can repeat transmissions on the same band (VHF and UHF frequencies are most common) if you have a powerful special repeater that might be up on a mountain or tall building. These robust radios are connected to special duplexers that make the real-time input and output of the transmission, or magic, happen.

My Yaesu FT-8900R has no trouble retransmitting my UHF 440 Mhz signal out on VHF 145 Mhz, the normal 2-meter frequency.

Here’s another video showing you how it’s done.

What Radios Can Cross Band Repeat?

Many mobile VHF transceiver radios made by Yaesu, ICOM, Kenwood, can operate in the crossband mode. Often it’s buried in the manual and the marketing managers don’t promote it as well as they should.

When Should I Crossband Repeat?

There are all sorts of situations where you can, and should, cross band repeat.

Let’s say you go on a hike and your mobile radio is left at the trailhead. You can set up the mobile radio to hear your handheld radio. If you get hurt on the trail, your tiny HT all of a sudden can reach out via your 50-watt mobile radio to get help.

You may do public service work and need more power to transmit a much greater distance than your small handheld HT will do. I happen to work the New England Forest Rally every year and crossband repeat allows me to communicate with the Finish Line when I’m miles away at the Start Line.

Read my story about Ham Radio and the New England Forest Rally to see why crossband repeat is so important and useful.

This is a 180-degree panorama shot of the view from the top of Carter Mountain Road in New Hampton, NH. Unfortunately, because this photo has been reduced in size you can’t really see the majesty of what my own eyes saw. CLICK HERE to see all the high-resolution photos of this adventure to Carter Mountain Road.  Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

Tuesday, April 24, 2018 was the second day of glorious spring here in central New Hampshire. Winters are typically long in Northern New England and just one week before we were dealing with a wretched sleet, ice and freezing-rain storm that spanned two days. We thought spring was never going to show up.

Carter Mountain Road – Not My Mountain

The sun was out, it was just about 70 F, ticks were scurrying about, birds were singing and the famous Robinson Falls in Blake Brook could be heard as the remaining patches of snow were being delivered to the pristine Pemigewasset River just three-quarters of a mile away. In other words, it was a day that helps restore the soul.

Jim, W1PID, and I had lunch before we went on the radio adventure. It was our first time eating outdoors since early last fall! Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

W1PID and I decided to set up and operate at a new location at the end of Carter Mountain Road in New Hampton, New Hampshire. Unbeknownst to me, as I had only been up this road twice before – and never to the end, it had a stunning view to the west and south.

My guess is the road was named after one of the two bumps you pass on your right as you drive up the road. Some long-ago settler named Carter must have lived in the hollow and one of the high points was named in his honor. If we’re related, I’m not aware of the connection.

The blue dot marks the spot where Jim and I were set up. CLICK HERE to see all the high-resolution photos of this adventure. Copyright 2018, Google, Inc.

Within the past two years, the property owner had clear-cut about forty acres of land sending the trees to the local lumber mills and the power plants that make electricity burning wood chips. Much to our surprise, four trees were left standing in the wasteland. Two were aligned about ten degrees east of true north and were about 85 feet apart.

This was perfect for the 44-foot dipole antenna we had 30 feet up in the air within minutes of arrival. We had decided to just share Jim’s Elecraft KX3. Jim was enjoying the warmth and the view so much that he at first attached his short coax cable to the radio instead of the required small banana BNC connector for the dipole antenna twisted-pair wire leads.

I’ve got my own Elecraft KX3, but we decided to use Jim’s. It’s the gold standard of portable outdoor radios. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

Germany, France, and Ohio

After connecting the Bioenno Power 4.5 Ah LFP battery, Jim was turning the large VFO knob hunting for a strong signal on 20 meters. At first, there was nothing. Within a minute or so Jim heard Joe, DL4KCA calling from a suburb of Cologne, Germany.

I’m right at the cusp of being able to head copy Morse, but Jim’s been there for decades. Jim worked him first and got a 549 signal report. I then used Jim’s miniature Pico Paddles and got a 559 from Joe. Leading a pure and simple life has its benefits I’ve come to discover.

Next up was Bert in France. Bert, F6HKA, and Jim are old-time friends. Bert seems to be on the air from France every day as Jim has talked with him countless times. I’ve had the pleasure of working Bert at least two or three other times from out in the field.

Here’s Jim happy as a clam. The ticks had not yet found him. He was enjoying the day too much to be bothered taking a photo of me operating. Perhaps next time… Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

Jim was being his usual polite self and signed off to Bert, “Merci” and then handed the paddles to me.

I wandered off to get my water bottle from my truck and Jim worked another station or two. When I got back to the soft moss we had set up on, I had one last QSO with Bud, W8HOG in Ohio on 40 meters. He was very strong to me and I gave him a 589 but his report about my signal was only 339. I blame Jim for this because his end of the antenna was pointing towards Bud.

We packed up our gear and decided to get on with our day. I had to scurry home to help make a birthday cake and dinner for my wife Kathy. I have no clue how Jim spent the rest of the day, but no doubt he was drumming his fingers waiting for me to publish this story.

I’m lucky to have him as a friend and we do have a grand time outdoors. Usually there’s lots of laughter and anyone who sees or hears us is jealous of the happiness that we generate.