QNCW, The QRP CW Journal

A Merry Old Soul

by Scott B. Laughlin / n7net
2009

I heard a faint Signal
Late one Christmas Eve
Copy was not easy
And harder to believe.

I pressed one phone
Against my ear
And held my breath ‘til
The signal came clear.

It was jolly St. Nick
With an old straight key,
A K1, and dipole
Doing QRP.

We QSOed for a time
While elves loaded his sleigh
He did most of the talking ‘cuz
A cat had my fist, you might say.

At last we signed with a CUL
Me and this jolly old soul
His toy bags were loaded
And he was ready to roll

My 40-meter tricycle QRP mobile rig. I earned several QSL cards, but some folks didn’t believe I was QRP and would not respond with a card exchange.

The battery say at the base of the handbars. The transceiver, a MFJ-9040 lived in the bag. The antenna is mounted behind the seat backrest.

Fun waiting to happen.