Breaking Barriers in Ham Radio: The W2/Summit Station Story
Building the W2/Summit Station
In 2010, Ray Higgins W2RE took a bold step. Instead of competing from his home QTH in Poughquag, NY—a location that by most standards was already in the top 2% of Ham Radio performance—he set his sights higher. After a decade-long search, he found it: a ridge at 2,100 feet in Summit, NY, the ultimate ham radio QTH.
This land wasn’t chosen for its views or convenience—it was selected for one reason: radio performance. With low noise, no neighbors, and unmatched propagation advantages, the site was a rare find. Ten years of patience finally paid off.
The build itself was monumental. Rocky soil had to be cleared for deep tower bases, and 25 yards of concrete by hand were poured to anchor them. Towers climbed into the sky, topped with carefully stacked Yagis designed for maximum gain. Every decision—elevation, orientation, feedline routing, grounding, and redundancy—was intentional.
What began as a Ham Radio station soon evolved into something much greater: a blueprint for the future of remote superstations.
This photo says it all. A beautiful chalet, a snow-covered mountaintop, and towering Ham Radio antennas reaching into the sky—what more could any ham or mountain lover ask for? The perfect blend of home, hobby, and breathtaking scenery!
Ham Radio Without Limits: How W2RE’s W2/Summit Station Became the Gold Standard
Most people picture Ham Radio as a hobby tucked away in a basement shack—radios stacked on a desk, wires crisscrossing the backyard, and long nights chasing DX from home. But in 2010, Ray Higgins, W2RE, shattered that stereotype.
High in the mountains of New York, he built W2/Summit, a station unlike anything the ham world had seen. This wasn’t just a ham shack—it was a ground-up real estate and engineering project designed for performance, power, and remote operation.
The result? A station so advanced it became the blueprint for every modern remote superstation that followed. And here’s the twist: what started as one man’s passion project grew into something far bigger—a model where Ham Radio and real estate investing collide.
Engineering the Ultimate Ham Radio Build
The W2/Summit station build was a massive project. Rocky soil was cleared by hand to prepare for tower bases. 25 Yards of concrete were poured to ensure stability. Tower after tower rose into the sky, each supporting stacks of high-gain Yagi antennas designed to dominate on every band.
Every engineering choice was deliberate:
Elevation and tower height for maximum reach
Antenna orientation for global DX coverage
Feedline runs optimized for efficiency
Grounding systems for protection and performance
Redundancy built-in for reliability
Automation for easy operation
What started as a Ham Radio station quickly transformed into something much greater: the gold standard for remote superstations.
Look at all that concrete! Truckload after truckload waiting to be poured—by hand! Could one man handle this enormous job alone? Let’s find out!
With this QTH being so remote, the early days of the W2/Summit build were nothing short of grueling. Towers had to be installed several hundrend feet from the home, which meant digging and pouring concrete by hand—no machinery, no shortcuts. Looking back 15 years later, at the age of 45, Ray W2RE was fit, strong, and relentless. At the time, it barely registered as a challenge. But today? He laughs and admits he would have built a proper road to the towers first. Some lessons, it seems, only come with time—and a little extra sweat.
The Gold Standard in Remote Ham Radio
What made W2/Summit groundbreaking wasn’t just the hardware—it was the vision of remote operation. Long before “remote ham radio” became a buzzword, Ray designed the Summit Station with remote control in mind.
The idea was simple but revolutionary: why be limited by your home QTH when you could operate from the best RF real estate available?
That approach set the tone for everything that came after. Stations in Maine, North Carolina, Haiti and other prime locations followed the Summit model. Each build got smarter, more efficient, and more powerful. But the DNA of them all traced back to Summit.
The most beautiful place on Earth! W2/Summit in the Catskills, glowing with peak fall foliage, is a sight you have to see at least once in your lifetime. Towering antennas framed by fiery autumn colors make this Ham Radio QTH truly unforgettable—a place where passion meets paradise!
Lessons Learned from W2/Summit
Every station build is a classroom. W2/Summit taught critical lessons that shaped future superstations:
Location is leverage. Elevation and geography matter more than any amplifier upgrade.
Engineering upfront saves headaches later. Proper grounding, cable routing, and redundancy pay dividends.
Remote-first design is the future. Build for reliability and connectivity, not just for on-site operation.
Scalability matters. Think beyond one operator—build systems that can handle multiple users.
The ultimate mountaintop Ham Radio location. Perched at the very top of a ridge, with a private road winding up to the site and literally no neighbors for miles, W2/Summit is the definition of a dream Ham Radio QTH. Locations like this are rare; it took years of searching to find a spot with the perfect combination of elevation, low noise, and unobstructed views.
Once discovered, the potential is extraordinary. From this ridge, antennas rise into the sky, capturing signals that would be impossible from a standard home QTH. DX contacts travel farther, propagation is cleaner, and operating from this remote Ham Radio superstation is an experience unlike any other.
It’s a location that proves the power of combining Ham Radio passion with real estate strategy: owning prime RF real estate lets you maximize performance, create a legacy station, and even open opportunities for remote operation. For those who stumble across a site like this, the rewards are endless—and once you’ve operated from the summit, you’ll understand why some say it’s the ultimate mountaintop Ham Radio QTH.
Where Ham Radio Meets Real Estate Investing
Here’s the hidden gem: the W2/Summit build was not just a ham radio project—it was a strategic real estate investment.
That mountaintop parcel wasn’t just land; it was prime RF real estate, delivering world-class propagation. Over time, the station became part of the RemoteHamRadio network, giving operators worldwide access to a superstation via the cloud.
But the vision didn’t stop there. This property also functions as a short-term rental (STR), listed on Airbnb and VRBO, generating additional income that complements the remote Ham Radio service. This is how Ham Radio + STR + income = $$$.
The possibilities are compelling:
Land in prime RF locations gains value when paired with towers and antennas.
Remote station access turns a personal hobby into a revenue-generating digital asset.
Just like vacation rentals, storage units, or other real estate investments, a Ham Radio station can become part of a diversified portfolio. For Ray W2RE, the W2/Summit project in 2010 was the first glimpse of this model. Today, more and more hams are realizing that their passion for radio can also be a smart investment.
In the video above from Ray’s W2RE-Jonesport Facebook page, you can see the story of how W2/Summit became more than just a station—it became a STR property. After establishing W2/Summit as a winning station in contesting, the performance earned Ray a spot in WRTC 2014 from W2 call area, but it wasn’t just contesters who took notice. The remote operation capabilities created a buzz across the amateur radio world, drawing attention from DX enthusiasts as well.
Ray, always thinking outside the box, saw an opportunity: this incredible station sat vacant 325 days a year. Why let it go unused when it could generate income? The answer was clear—turn it into a short-term rental (STR). In no time, the property transformed from a potential liability—like many vacation homes—into a powerful asset. Today, the combined income from remote Ham Radio operation and STR bookings surpasses what Ray once earned working full-time for Pepsi.
Ray is an innovator, and as the video shows, he’s turned W2/Summit into a true gem. The location is so extraordinary that he even hosted his son Bobby’s wedding there, with 150 guests during the pandemic, proving that this mountaintop QTH is not just for radios—it’s a place for memories, opportunity, and innovation all rolled into one.
50 × 50’ tent for the wedding!
The Blueprint for Future Ham Radio Builds
The lessons of W2/Summit shaped every new ham radio superstation that followed. Each project became more efficient, more powerful, and more reliable—yet all of them trace their DNA back to that mountaintop in 2010.
The message is clear: Ham Radio isn’t limited to a basement shack anymore. With vision, engineering, and the right piece of real estate, it can become both a world-class station and a valuable investment.
Check out this mountaintop QTH from the top! Towering antennas, breathtaking views, and world-class Ham Radio performance—this is what a dream Ham Radio QTH looks like in the Catskills.
Final Thoughts: W2/Summit – Where Ham Radio Meets Innovation and Real Estate
The story of W2RE’s W2/Summit station is more than just a Ham Radio build—it’s a blueprint for innovation, remote operation, and smart real estate strategy. From a decade-long search for the perfect Ham Radio QTH to building towers by hand, W2/Summit demonstrates how the right location, engineering, and vision can create a world-class superstation.
But what makes W2/Summit truly revolutionary is the way it merges Ham Radio with real estate investing. By combining a prime mountaintop QTH with short-term rental income via Airbnb and VRBO, this property has transformed from a high-maintenance asset into a profitable, multi-purpose station. Remote operation, contesting success, DX performance, and real-world revenue streams show that Ham Radio can be more than a hobby—it can be a long-term investment.
For hams, investors, and innovators alike, W2/Summit proves one thing: when you think outside the box, Ham Radio, prime RF real estate, and smart income strategies can come together to create something extraordinary.
Whether you’re chasing DX, building your own remote Ham Radio station, or exploring ways to turn a QTH into a revenue-generating asset, W2/Summit remains the gold standard, inspiring the next generation of Ham Radio operators and real estate-minded innovators.
Some of the world’s top DX’ers and contesters have visited W2/Summit, but thanks to innovation, these operators—and many more—don’t even have to set foot on the mountaintop. Through www.RemoteHamRadio.com can access the superstation remotely, experiencing its world-class propagation from anywhere on the globe.
As seen in 2014, Nicky EI9JF, Adrian KO8SCA, and Lee WW2DX—my partner in RemoteHamRadio—took in the breathtaking W2/Summit QTH in the Catskills. From towering antennas to panoramic mountain views, this is a testament to what happens when Ham Radio innovation meets a prime QTH, making remote operation and contesting accessible like never before.
If you enjoyed this deep dive into W2/Summit and the world of Ham Radio innovation, there’s plenty more to explore! Visit our other blogs at www.HamRadio247.com/blog or check out www.W2RE.com for more stories, station builds, and insights from the cutting edge of amateur radio.
This is just the beginning—more exciting adventures, station builds, and Ham Radio innovations are on the way. Stay tuned, and keep your antennas up!
