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![Previous (earlier) Story](/images/sty-down.gif "Amateur Radio "Saved the Day" in Mississippi; Rita Recovery Continues in Texas"){kind=small} Previous: Amateur Radio "Saved the Day" in Mississippi; Rita Recovery Continues in Texas | ![Next (later) Story](/images/sty-up.gif "Civilian Space Traveler "Phones Home" via Ham Radio"){kind=small} Next: Civilian Space Traveler "Phones Home" via Ham Radio |
By Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU
Contributing Editor
October 9, 2005
This week, relive my radio encounters during my week away from the salt mine.
The last week of September usually means vacation time for this old man. It coincides with my wedding anniversary, my parent's birthdays, the ARRL and TAPR Digital Communications Conference (DCC), and nice weather in this part of the country. I was unable to go to the DCC this year, but radio was still a part of my vacation.
I live near the top of Compounce Mountain, a good size hill on the west rim of the Central Valley, through which the Connecticut River and its tributaries flow. VHF and UHF radio reception is great, and in theory, the view from my house should be spectacular, too, however, trees block the view.
Although, my antenna tower clears the trees, I am loath to climb it just to take in the view. So, on a clear day, I hike to Norton Outlook, a ledge on the other side of Compounce Mountain that is clear of trees and approximates the view I should have at my house if it wasn't for the trees.
 The views from "WA1LOU's backyard" encompass historic radio sites throughout Southern New England. |
Norton Outlook is about 4000 feet northeast of my house, but you can't get there from here. Swampy terrain, thick underbrush, and private property make it impossible to get there by the most direct route. However, the Connecticut Blue Trail System's Tunxis Trail lets me to reach Norton Outlook by a less direct route. Instead of a 4/5th of a mile trek through the woods, the trails require about a four-mile effort over some terrain that takes my 54-year-old breath away (if you know what I mean).
It rained late Monday, so I assumed the rain would clear the air of haze and make for good viewing on Tuesday. I checked the skies Tuesday morning and it looked like an ideal day, so just after noon, I headed out with my camera, my 144/450-MHz handheld transceiver, water, a trail map, and my trusty canine companion, Pumpkin Pie.
About 90 minutes later, we were on Norton Outlook. I could not have picked a better day to appreciate the view. The waters of Long Island Sound glistened in the sun 40 miles to the south and the mountains of southern New Hampshire peeked over the horizon 95 miles to the northeast. And radio towers were everywhere.
At my feet, so the speak, was the ESPN complex with its vast collection of satellite dish antennas pointed over my right shoulder. Beyond ESPN was the Hartford skyline, and beyond the skyline, about 40 miles away, was the east rim of the Central Valley.
Radio tower wise, I could see WTXX, Channel 20 (Prospect, CT, 8 miles from Norton Outlook) and WTNH, Channel 8 (Gaylord Mountain, Hamden, CT, 14 miles) to the south.
Moving counterclockwise past the Sleeping Giant and the Quinnipiac River Valley, there was West Peak in Meriden 7 miles to the southeast, where radio history was made with Franklin Doolittle's frequency modulation experiments. Doolittle's experiments resulted in the first FM broadcast station, WDRC, which still has its transmitters and antennas at this location along with many other transmitters and antennas (like WHCN-FM, WKSS-FM, WPHH-FM, WPKT-FM, WWYZ-FM, WZMX-FM); so many so that West Peak looks like the back of a porcupine.
Swinging to the northeast, there was Rattlesnake Mountain (Farmington, CT, 7 miles), which is the home of the huge towers of WVIT, Channel 30 and WTIC, Channel 61.
A little further north is Avon Mountain (Avon, CT, 12 miles), which rivals West Peak for its proliferation of antennas and radio history. According to Fybush.com, "as far as we know, there is nowhere in the United States that's been home to a 50 kilowatt AM transmitter for as long as" WTIC AM on Avon Mountain. Fybush.com does a great job on telling the whole story (in two parts: part 1 and part 2, so I won't repeat it here. Besides WTIC AM and FM, Avon Mountain also is home to historic rock station WCCC AM/FM, WEDH, Channel 24, WFSB, Channel 3, WUVN, Channel 18, and WWUH-FM.
Just a little further north, the hump known as Mount Monadnock, 95 miles away in Southwestern New Hampshire, peeked over the closer Connecticut and Massachusetts peaks.
Finally, almost due north was Mt Tom and the Holyoke Mountain Range in central Massachusetts about 50 miles away. Mt Tom is another porcupine with an array of transmitters and antennas serving the Pioneer Valley of Central Massachusetts. WHYN-FM and WGBY, Channel 57 are up there with an array of other towers that I was unable to count.
As I mentioned earlier, I brought my camera along and shot a bunch of photos. To see some of my shots, go to my Web page and select the Norton Outlook link in the Photos section.
That was Tuesday. On Wednesday, my wife, Laurie, and sister Jeanette, joined me on an expedition to a big exposition. Nicknamed, the "Big E," the Eastern States Exposition is the biggest state fair in these parts and is a multistate fair for the six New England States.
Our normal routine is to tour each state building and chow down on whatever state fare looks appealing, visit the Better Living Center (can you say "vegematic"), and take in all the sights between. In addition, part of my normal routine is to find the Amateur Radio booth at the Big E. The Big E is huge and finding something without prior knowledge of its location is pure luck and in the past, I had no luck in that regard.
As our feet became sorer and our day winded down, I turned a corner in the New England Center building and lo and behold, there was the W1NY, the Hampden County Radio Association booth. Staffing the booth were Roy E. Johnson, N1IKM, and Les Prentice, K1DNX. We had a brief conversation about the state of packet radio and local APRS activity. Before I left, I took a snapshot and you can view it and my other Big E pictures in the Photos section of the StanZapples Web page.
Until next week, keep on surfin'.
Editor' note: Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU, likes his HAAT
the higher, the better. To contact Stan, send
e-mail or visit his Web site where you can leave him a note.
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