Bike Ride to the Potter Place Railroad Station
October 2016
I made a quick bike trip from Andover to the old Potter Place
railroad station
this afternoon. The fall colors were beautiful and I worked Dallas,
Texas and
Germany.
I rode along the old Northern Rail route. It's a rails to trails
bike path now. I heaved my wire over an
oak tree across from the station and sat down in the grass with the
KX3. I was using a 30 foot wire as
a vertical with an EARCHI 9:1 unun. I started out on 17 meters and
heard N5WNG calling CQ. He
was really strong... we must have had an excellent path because Mike
gave me a 599 and judging
by his signal, I think it was a real report.
I didn't hear any other stations on 17 meters, so I switched to 20.
Ralf, DK7AH in Munich was just
finishing up a QSO and I called him. He was also very strong. He
gave me a 579. He was running
500 watts with a 5 element yagi. "UR LOUD ES CLEAR," he sent. We
chatted for a few minutes
and then I packed up for the return trip.
These beautiful fall days only last a short time. I'm trying to get
out whenever I can.