‰  NOW 40 WPM  ‰  TEXT IS FROM JULY 2007 QST  PAGES 41, 42 AND 74  ‰
BAYS.  AT THE VERY TIP I CLAMBERED OVER A STONE WALL AND SET UP MY ANTENNA
IN A FIELD FULL OF WARY SHEEP.  NOW I HAD SALTWATER WITHIN A 20 METER
WAVELENGTH IN THREE DIRECTIONS.  SIGNALS WERE THE LOUDEST YET, AND I WORKED
GERMANY DL, FRANCE F, BELGIUM ON AND RUS
‰  FROM PAGE 74  ‰
WB4FDT 87 N2LJD 85 W8IVF N7BEC KC2ODN 84 K8ZJU 83 K8GA 82 KK7TN 81 N2VQA 80

A LUGGAGE TRANSFER EACH DAY.  THAT WAY I COULD WALK WITH JUST A LIGHT
DAYPACK.  I DID NO OPERATING FOR THE FIRST SEVERAL DAYS SO I COULD SETTLE
INTO MY WALK.  STARTING IN THE VILLAGE OF CAMP, I CLIMBED UP A NARROW LANE
AND INTO GREEN HILLY COUNTRYSIDE.  OF COURSE, IRELAND IS GREEN FOR A
REASON, AND WITHIN AN HOUR I HAD MY FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH ITS SOFT WEATHER.
I SOON FIGURED OUT THAT IT WAS BEST TO BE PREPARED AND LEAVE MY RAIN GEAR
ON ALL THE TIME.  WITH MAP IN HAND, I FOLLOWED THE DINGLE WAY PAST GRAZING
LIVESTOCK AND ALONGSIDE HEDGEROWS BRIGHT WITH WILD FUCHSIA.  THREE DAYS OF
WALKING BROUGHT ME TO THE VILLAGE OF DUNQUIN ON THE WESTERN EDGE OF EUROPE.
WHEN MY INNKEEPER SAW MY FISHING POLE, HE WARNED ME THAT FISHING WAS NOT
ALLOWED I HAD TO EXPLAIN WHAT KIND OF FISH I WAS REALLY AFTER.  HERE, WITH
NOTHING BETWEEN ME AND NORTH AMERICA EXCEPT THOUSANDS OF MILES OF RF
FRIENDLY SALTWATER, I HAD HIGH HOPES OF MAKING A TRANS ATLANTIC CONTACT,
EVEN IF I WAS QRP.  IT WAS A LAYOVER DAY FOR ME, AND I WAS EAGER TO BEGIN
‰  FROM PAGE 74  ‰
104 AD4BL 103 N0MEA W9JDH 102 K8AMR K6JT 100 NR2F N9MN K4ZZA WA8SSI W8SB
KB2LKH W2DSX N5OUJ K7HQA K2VX WA4EIC W7GHT N8FPN NX1Q W3TWV WB2LEZ K2AN
‰  QST DE W1AW  ƒ

A QRP TREK IN IRELAND PACKING LIGHT, QRP AND IRISH STYLE.  BILL
VANDERHEIDE, N7OU  WHEN I DECIDED TO GO FOR A 120 MILE TREK AROUND THE
WESTERN COAST OF IRELAND, I ALSO PACKED MY ELECRAFT KX1.  FOR 10 DAYS I
FOLLOWED THE DINGLE WAY, A SIGNPOSTED ROUTE ALONG THE DINGLE PENINSULA THAT
WINDS ALONG COUNTRY LANES, STEEP SEA CLIFFS AND LONG STRETCHES OF SANDY
BEACH.  THE KX1 WAS IDEAL FOR THIS KIND OF OPERATION.  EVEN WITH BATTERIES
IT WEIGHS LESS THAN A POUND AND IS TOTALLY SELF CONTAINED.  THE BUILT IN
TUNER MADE IT EASY TO LOAD UP A RANDOM WIRE DIRECTLY WITH NO FEED LINE.  I
SUPPORTED 26 FEET OF HOOK UP WIRE WITH MY 20 FOOT SUNNY DAY FIBERGLASS
FISHING POLE.  IT COLLAPSES TO 4 FEET, WEIGHS JUST 2 POUNDS AND DOUBLES AS
A WALKING STICK.  WALKERS ON THE STORM ALTHOUGH I LIKE TO DO LONG HIKES, I
AM NOT AS KEEN ON BACKPACKING OR CAMPING.  WITH A HEAVY PACK I FEEL LIKE A
BEAST OF BURDEN, AND AT NIGHT I WANT A RESTAURANT MEAL AND A REAL BED.  SO
THROUGH THE EFFICIENT SERVICES OF AN IRISH AGENT SPECIALIZING IN WALKING
TOURS, I SPACED MY NIGHTLY ACCOMMODATIONS EVERY 12 15 MILES.  THESE WERE
EITHER AT GUESTHOUSES OR BED AND BREAKFASTS.  MY RESERVATIONS ALSO INCLUDED
‰  FROM PAGE 74  ‰
W0LAW K4GK K4FQU KA4FZI 119 WU8H 116 WB8OIF K4BEH 115 NN7H 112 KD7THV W5XX
111 WA4UJC N3RB 110 WX4H N1IQI K1YCQ W5ESE WV8RG N7XG N7YSS N4ABM W0WSP
W7GB WE2G KK5GY 108 AF2K 107 KV4AN 106 N9WS N2VC AB1AV 105 K2TV W3CB NU0F
‰  END OF 40 WPM TEXT  ‰  QST DE W1AW  ƒ