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
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