Two-Way QRP from the Swains' Field
September 2015

This afternoon I hiked over Shute Hill to the Swains' north field near Hunkins Pond.
I set up the KD1JV Mountain Topper and worked a QRP station in Pennsylvania.



The hike is about two miles from my house. From the top of Shute Hill, I walked south and east over
several connecting range roads. The journey takes about 40 minutes passing through over-grown fields
and woods.

It was a perfect day for the outing... nearly 75F with crystal blue skies. The path is strewn with fall
wildflowers... mostly goldenrod and asters. Every now and then I'd hear the loud buzzing of bees
and smell a strong fragrance of goldenrod. It was fantastic.



I turned due east on the final range road and walked into one of David Swain's hay fields. It has a clear
view of the Belknap Range to the south.

I brought the 40, 30, 20 endfed antenna by LNR. I hoisted the center of it about 30 feet from a
maple tree and set it up as an inverted Vee. I tuned across 20 meters, but there were only a few
weak signals so I switched right away to 40. I put the rig on 7040, and there was K3PXC Dale in
Pennsylvania calling CQ. He followed his call with QRP and I had no hesitation in answering. He
gave me a 539 and he was 569. Dale was also running 3 watts to a G5RV. His signal was easy to
copy.



After that contact I packed up for the return hike. My day was complete... perfect weather,
a fantastic cross-country hike and a QSO with a fellow QRPer.