Jim and All, Conditions currently are a bit shakey. Accordingly, operating QRP can be a tad more frustrating than when we are in a better part of the cycle. However, openings still are happening, and QRP is very often sufficient. I have found, over many years of QRP operating, that more often than not the reason I am not heard is because someone running QRO covers me up, as opposed to me having a relatively clean shot at making the contact. Unfortunately, some ops will ignore a calling station who isn't at least 10 over S9! That happens on SSB more than on CW, or at least it seems so to me. Try this sometime--snag a contact at 80-100 watts or so, then start turning the power down without announcing you are doing so. I can't tell you how many times I've gotten, say a 579 report at 100 watts, then had a station say the QSB has taken me down to 559, but still solid copy, when in fact it was me running 5 watts. I don't do this a lot really, but if it is a DX station I couldn't raise initially at 5 watts, and had to shift to 100 watts to get him, I sometimes like to see if I really could be heard at 5 watts. I just use an R8 vertical. If I had a beam it would probably be a no-brainer! This exercise will also probably help to convince you that running your 100 watt rig at 100 watts isn't very necessary. My K3 doesn't see more than 80 watts or so usually. The difference is imperceptible at the receiving end.
I love QRP operating, but I'm not a purist. I'll hike up the power for a casual QSO to minimize the strain on the other end, or to work a new country. But the only way I feel I earn any bragging rights is to do it QRP. If conditions are just too stinko for QRP, I don't fight it very long. However, I never seem to have more fun than when I'm doing "limbo QRP--How low can you go?" Dave W7AQK ----- Original Message ----- From: "JIM DAVIS" <nn...@astound.net> To: <elecraft@mailman.qth.net> Sent: Thursday, March 05, 2009 10:06 AM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Re Your Opinion: The realit.. > Wayne, > > Our niche in this fabulous hobby of ours is chasing DX > (new entities-DXCC) and don't really > care about QRP per/se as our radio location is marginal at > best here in "ant. un-friendly" > Concord, Ca. so most of the stuff that I work is worked > using 100w., but if band conditions > dictate (including pile-ups!) we'll lite off the Alpha 91b > amp to make ourselves heard. Believe > me though, even sometimes 1KW IS NOT ENOUGH from our > marginal area. So QRP is definitely out > from here locally. > > Jim/nn6ee > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: > http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
