May 2006

Not all radio adventures have to be major excursions, at least not if you enjoy adventures close to home. For me every pathway represents a potential radio adventure, and every day is outdoor radio day.

I enjoy each mountain expedition I read about in the Sojourner, but if I could only get out for the big week-long excursions, I might not have many adventures of my own. By staying close to home, I can set up outdoors several times a week and have adventures galore.  Between April and December last year, I made 75 separate QRP outings with nearly 400 QSOs. I climb mountains, kayak to islands, ride my bicycle along remote woods trails, and hike alongside sunlit streams. But I rarely go more than a few miles from home, and rarely for longer than a couple of hours at a time. Many of my adventures are on my lunch break at work.

It's true that New Hampshire's mountains, lakes, fields and woods are the envy of many, but no matter where you are, there are places close to home which will provide wonderful radio adventures.

For me, there are only two rules for radio adventures close to home... get outdoors and always bring a radio.

The magic of a remote radio contact and a love for the outdoors, provides the incentive I need to get out almost everyday. During the summer, when days are long, I often head out as soon as I get home from work. One of my favorite trips is a bicycle ride near the Pemigewasset River a few miles from home. There are several thousand acres of wilderness with no motor vehicles allowed.  Each outing there offers an adventure with sparkling river scenery, quiet fields and abundant antenna trees. I stop by the river's edge and throw a line over a nearby branch.

The Pemigewasset River is an adventure radio paradise.

The ride to the river takes about twenty minutes. On this summer day I bring a 20 meter DSW and a 44 foot dipole fed with 300 ohm ribbon. I set up in five minutes or so and log Russia, Germany, Ohio and Great Britain before heading back. The whole trip is about an hour and a quarter. It's a perfect way to get the exercise I need and fulfills my longing for outdoor radio adventures.

My operating position near the river

Last year I discovered a remote cabin on Knox Mountain while geocaching. The trail head to the cabin is two and a half miles from my home. From there, it's about a mile and a half walk to the pond. In the winter it's a beautiful cross-country ski trip. The trail skirts back and forth across a dazzling brook. The cabin porch makes an ideal operating position both in summer and winter. I usually set up an inverted L wire and a counterpoise because of the spacing of the trees. It's a great spot for sprints and contests because of the ready chair and table on the porch. I've never found anyone on the property.

The cabin in early spring - The porch in December

Hermit Lake is less than two miles from home. It's an idea spot for kayaking and its calm waters and many islands provide great exploring and blueberry picking. The photo below was taken from an operating position on one of the islands. The paddle out only took 15 minutes. On this beautiful summer day, I brought an ATS2 and stayed on the island for a half hour, and worked Florida, Slovenia, Italy and Louisiana on 20 meters with a simple sloping dipole.

Sunlight dances off the lily pads at an island in Hermit Lake.

I keep a bicycle in my office always at the ready for a quick lunchtime getaway. My radio pack at work usually has a 20 meter MFJ Cub and a resonant dipole fed with RG-174. I only have an hour, but I've found several ideal spots for outdoor radio. The photo below shows an old foundation that soaks up the noon sun. It's a 15 minute ride from the office. The property is part of a nature preserve for the endangered Karner Blue butterfly. I can easily ride to this spot, set up and make a contact or two, and return within the hour.

This old foundation keeps me warm on an early spring outing at lunchtime.

Often, when time is limited, I set up on the grass in back of our building at work.

I've come to view my packable HF gear the way I view my handie talkie. It's there to use at a moment's notice. Over the years I've honed my skills and pared down my pack, so that bringing the gear and using it for a quick QSO or two is not a burden. I rarely put up the best or the highest antenna. I don't always work the rarest DX, but I can't remember the time when I haven't been able to make a contact and complete an exchange during an outdoor adventure. And I can't remember the time when mixing radio with hiking, biking, skiing or kayaking hasn't given me a thrill.
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Jim Cluett, W1PID, is an avid outdoorsman and QRP operator living in Sanbornton, NH.