What is your dream QTH?

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W6SAE

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In September of 2013 I spent 10 wonderful days in Iceland. It is beautiful, almost surreal. Ever since, I have dreamed of going back there again as soon as I'm able. Now that I have my ham license, those dreams include operating from there. "TF/KK6ZLX"...

Does anyone else have similar aspirations?
 
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K7MEM

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In 1980 I took an assignment to work at a Air Force Base in Germany. I wound up staying there for three years. I was able to take the whole family (XYL and 2 kids) and we were able to travel all over Europe during our vacations (e.g. spent 2 weeks in the Canary Islands in February). At the time, a US Novice license translated to a full German Class A license, so I was able to operate for a couple of years as DA2EU. We rented a house in a farm area with beautiful rolling hills and lots of quiet.

A few years later I took a short term assignment to England for 4 months. The area was a few hours north of London. I didn't do any operating, but the area was very nice. I did a lot of wandering around castles with a stereo film camera, in my spare time. I have some nice stereo slides of Stonehenge.

Over my 35 years with the same company, I traveled to dozens of Air Force/Army bases around the US. I wasn't able to operate at any of them because some of the trips were "red eye specials". In fact, many of those trips were to Yuba City, just north of the OP, Steve.

But I think I am currently at my dream QTH. I am now retired and have a small ranch in Northern Arizona, about 60 miles south of the Grand Canyon. My area is unincorporated, so I have 9 acres to string any kind of antenna I want. We have four dogs that hunt in the fields every day and three very contented horses. At an altitude 5,300 feet, the winters are mild, the summers are long and warm, and the propagation is excellent. I mostly work the low bands, but the closest VHF/UHF repeater is 16 miles away, on Bill Williams Mountain. I can see it clearly from my front porch. Clean air, no noise, no traffic, and a beautiful sunrise/sunset every single day.

Of course, all that comes with a price. Things like, no city services of any kind, no paved roads, and long drives to access a big box store. Short of electricity and telephone service, I am completely on my own. And sometimes, even the electricity isn't there. But its worth the extra work.

Martin - K7MEM
 

fasteddy64

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I am about 4 years from retirement. My dream QTH is currently sitting in my back yard waiting for some on the road adventures. Home is where we park it!
 

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blackbelter

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San Diago CA, the most beautiful city in the US. Long away from retirement however that would be our QTH.
 

N0IU

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In September of 2013 I spent 10 wonderful days in Iceland. It is beautiful, almost surreal.

We were there in 2012 for 3 days and with all due respect to my Icelandic friends, that was enough for us. We found it to be barren and stark. It is called Iceland for a reason! "Wonderful" and "Beautiful" are just not words I would use to describe Iceland. And as good as the hot dogs are at Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur (Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur), its not enough to induce us to go back any time soon. It has been scratched off of our bucket list and there are many more places we would like to see before going back to Iceland. Sorry!

After that, we went to Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Wonderful and beautiful are absolutely words I would use to describe those countries and we will definitely go back one day to explore them in greater depth.

But back to the original question...

At this stage in my life, my dream QTH would be one that is paid for! Despite what the ARES/RACES folks would want you to believe, amateur radio is just a hobby... to me anyway. Our retirement location will have to be "radio friendly", but there are so many more things we are looking to do since I do not plan on spending my retirement parked in front of the radio!
 
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Weaksignal

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But back to the original question...

At this stage in my life, my dream QTH would be one that is paid for!... I do not plan on spending my retirement parked in front of the radio!


N0IU nailed it... That's my dream QTH.
 
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KE0GXN

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Echo Mike Two-Seven
Yep, I have to agree with my fellow Missourian, my dream QTH would be a paid off one :)

Also, have to say I don't I plan on sitting behind a radio my entire retirement either, I doubt I would remain married if I did. ;)

Now, if we are speculating, I would love to retire to a warm weather climate. I do not care for winters at all. So if I had my way, I would probably retire to FL with the rest of the old folks to a paid off QTH on the beach, off one of the coasts in the Sunshine State.

I have no desire to live overseas.
 

mass-man

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I have a paid off QTH in N. TX! But its a lake house, on a narrow lot, with power lines beside the street, along the front side, and a metal roof to the house to boot. So while it is my dream QTH, and I go there often and will make it permanent in a few short years. it is not an ideal radio location...I'll get by with modest antennas for HF and 6 meters and hope for the best. Thinking money that might go into a more impressive antenna system, might be better used working FD at sites all over the country....now that's a vacation I could get into to!
 

W6SAE

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Thanks for all the great replies. I suppose I should clarify what I was asking. As much as I love Iceland, I would not want to live there year-round--especially in the winter! I was thinking more along the lines of an exotic or special place where you would like to operate from, something along the lines of a DXpedition for example. I wasn't necessarily thinking of a permanent, final QTH location. Having said that, I've really enjoyed all the replies.

P.S. I'm still a pretty new ham; I hope I haven't been misusing the term "QTH."
 

mmckenna

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I spent some time in Kodiak, AK and a few places along the Aleutian chain and some islands in the Bering Sea. I'd gladly go back, but I don't think the wife would appreciate it. Only had a few chances to play radio, but they were good locations.
Not for everyone, most would not be able to handle the darkness or the weather. That's one of the things I loved about it, less people and those that were there loved it.

Where ever I end up it'll likely still be within a few miles of the ocean.
 

wbswetnam

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Niuafoʻou Island, in the Pacific Ocean near Tonga. I've never been there but it looks like absolute paradise!
 

K7MEM

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Niuafoʻou Island, in the Pacific Ocean near Tonga. I've never been there but it looks like absolute paradise!

Sometimes these these islands look great in pictures but are not so nice when it's in your face.

When I was living in Germany, we (my family) went for a vacation to the Canary Islands, in the middle of the winter. The Canary Islands are in the Atlantic off the coast of Africa, but are a Spanish possessions. The beaches were spectacular (clothing optional) and the weather was great. It is 70 degrees year around. But the islands are 80 percent rock.

The flight was fine, but the landings were a "white knuckle" experience. We had to land at Santa Cruz de Tenerife for customs, before the hop to Gran Canaria.

But other than the tourist business, there isn't much industry. There is almost no drinkable water. The water wasn't even good for bathing. Bottled water is the only way. We were on the Grand Canary Island and you could circumnavigate it in a car in 90 minutes.

But it was a nice break from the snow and freezing weather in Germany.

Martin - K7MEM
 
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