Thanks for the replies. Much of it is info that I do already know, having worked QRP for a number of years. The thing I DON'T have is the experience of working QRP during various phases of the sunspot cycle. My ham activity has always gone in blips and blops and has been mostly out of phase with the 11 yr solar cycle. In other words, I get interested and active when we're near a low point and become inactive during the peaks. I've done it that way since the early 1980s :-)
I find as I work folks on 40, I'm glad to have a "full" 80 watts. Noise level is high, QSB is an issue, QRM is an issue. Yea, 5 watts is only 1.5 S-units down but that makes a difference when conditions are not optimal. Last night, after aligning my rig, I happen to catch HA3MQ (?) on 40 CW. He was fluttery but I could copy so I answered him. We did the usual short exchange. He gave me 559, I gave him 449. Turns out he was running 100 watts to a Yagi at 30 meters. So even when using the other guy's beam, we pretty much needed the power to make the QSO. I don't know, maybe 5 watts would have done it, but I doubt it. I guess the way to find out is to just turn my rig down to 5 watts for a few weeks and see if I'm still having fun ... 73! - Keith - _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
