My Most Recent QSO's

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Summersville Lighthouse in the Mountains



"West Virginia has a brand new "lighthouse" in the mountains. The Summersville Lake Lighthouse was erected in Mount Nebo, West Virginia on October 17th, 2012. Standing 104 feet tall with a top elevation of 2,164 feet above sea level, the 77,000 lb.structure has a cylindrical tower constructed entirely of ½ inch thick steel. With a base diameter of 12 feet receding to 8 feet at the top, visitors will be able to climb 122 steps to reach a 360 degree gallery deck offering unparalleled views of Summersville Lake and the Gauley River National Recreation Area. The second tier lamp room houses a fully restored 36,000 lumens rotational beacon complete with a double bulls eye Fresnel lens capable of projecting a beam a distance of over 30 miles".

The official dedication and Lighting of the Summersville Lake Lighthouse  will be held on West Virginia Day, June 20th, 2013.


I've operated QRP radio from many different places in the last twenty years but I think this location is going to be unique. You won't find many lighthouses at 2164 feet elevation and 350 miles inland from the east coast.

Actually, this might be the only "lighthouse" of this type anywhere in the world. Hihi


When I first read of this new place near the New River Gorge, I thought that I had to share it with all the QRP operators on the blog. One of the really great joys of operating a QRP station is the ability to set up and operate a station in the field. You just can't do that with a rig that pulls twenty amps. It can only be done with radios operating very low power. (QRP) I thought this place (about an hour and a half drive from me) would be the perfect place to set up a table and chair, put an antenna is the trees, and contact as many stations as possible....just for fun! There's a great campground here with all the amenities anyone could dream.  

Be sure to click on this link: Summersville Lake Lighthouse to learn more about this lighthouse. It's an interesting read and well worth the time; especially if you're a QRP operator who likes to transmit from unusual places. 

The images and quotes used in this entry are with the permission of the owners and operators of the Summersville Lake Retreat. I've no connection with them other than an interested camper who hopes to transmit from there this summer. I'm grateful they've allowed me to share this unusual place with my readers. 



6 comments:

KL8DX said...

Ah, thinking how nice it would be to operate from atop that nice new structure! Looks like a fantastic place to operate! If you operate from there, I'll be look'n for ya!

Dick said...

Nice lighthouse, John. Bit inland but, hey so are some ship museums.
Here is one in Benodet/ Also not touching water.

http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/France/West/Bretagne/Benodet/photo1144532.htm

Paul Stam PAØK said...

Hi John, nice spot for making qso's. And a nice summer header on your blog. 73 Paul

Jspiker said...

Hello Phil,

I'll be up there this coming summer for sure. Let's hope it's a good day with good band openings.

Jspiker said...

Hello Dick,

It seems those giant windmills are good for more than just wind power. hihi I'll look forward to getting to the very top of this one.

The French one is beautiful!

Jspiker said...

Hello Paul,

These days my "in the field" excursions are usually just like the header. The picture in the header is a little table I take along when I have to set up somewhere on my own.

Most of the time I find a picnic table in a park. I'm glad you like it.