The following is another reader’s comments. Don did my heart so much good with his enthusiasm and compliments. Since many of my readers are not ham radio operators, I’ll offer some “translation” of what he says. A “QRP CW operator” is a radio amateur that uses very low power (QRP is usually 5 watts or less) and CW is more commonly known as the Morse code. The “rig” he mentions, the KX-1 is a very nice radio that a number of hiking hams like to use. It is light, small and very gently on the batteries. It sounds like Don is having a different type of hiking fun, hiking to fire towers.
Thanks Don!
a fellow ham operator (WA7BAA), a QRP CW operator, and a back packer, I
connected with this book. Furthermore, my brother (a year older than
I, 63), is a thru hiker of the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest
Trail (PCT). His trail name is Hikeon (2009 PCT). My brother has shared a good
deal of his experiences as a thru hiker. I knew what you were talking
about in nearly every instance. I share your love of ham radio. I’m
not nearly the hiker that you or my brother is, but I enjoy it. One of
my favorite things to do is rent one of the many fire lookout towers
that are available during the summer in the northwest and spend a few
days hiking to the lookout, setting up a QRP rig (KX-1) and enjoying the
solitude and remote conditions at higher than average elevations.
I’m still anxious to hear from heart surgery patients. The book deals with that topic as well and I’d be curious to hear about what they think of Three Hundred Zeroes ?
Dennis “K1” Blanchard