Third year in a row with the K2, a deep cycle battery and the home
antenna farm.
540 QSOS... all CW in 15 hours of operation. This is becoming my
yearly test of the emergency set up.
2 years ago when I first got the K2, I managed to finish at the top of
the 1E class list (they sort the entries by descending point totals in
the listings)
These last 2 years, I have done part time efforts.
I enjoy QRP field day. The point totals usually exceed what you can do
with similar antennas and 100 watts. I can get answers to CQs from the
home antenna farm, and with dipoles in the field can still find times
when CQing is productive.
There is a potential problem. QRP operation is getting more popular
for FD. QRP in general is probably the fastest growing activity within
Amateur Radio (maybe digital stuff actually is). The scoring system
gives an almost overwhelming advantage to QRP, at least in the lower
transmitter classes where you can concentrate on CW. (the 2.5 extra
mult for 5 watt battery may not be worth the 13 db loss in signal on
SSB, but is considerably more valuable than 13 db on CW)
If most QRP operators abandon CQing, they will never work each other.
Thus you can see 1200 CW QSOs from a 100 watt station and 700 from a
QRP station on 40 meters. (note the QRP station ended up with more 40
meter points) of course the QRP station that made 700 Qs on 40 was
pretty successful CQing using a 3 el wire beam. Bottom line, you have
to call some CQs even when QRP.
The K2 is pretty much a perfect FD rig, very conservative of battery
power, especially when receiving, and a first rate receiver. The small
size is a plus for
taking it out in the field, especially to really remote locations (ditto
the low battery consumption).
Now if anyone wants to know how the K2 subjectively compares to the
IC7800 &/or the TT Orion ...we can address that off reflector.
73 Chas K3WW
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