QRP priviledge?

Let's talk about QRO LID Privlege for a moment.  Why is it that the most annoying LID with a linear amp who calls on top of an ongoing DX pileup QSO or calls when it is obvious that the DX isn't looking for their callsign is almost always garunteed to make a contact quickly ?  Everyone sees this happen day in and day out, and DX stations rarely admonish or ignore LIDs that do this, but actually reward them with almost immediate contacts.

I'd rather make a QSO in a DX pileup any day with /QRP than use power and bad operating techniques.

As far as the "Life is too Short for QRP" tired cliche comments that always come out in QRP discussions, you just don't understand.  If anything, QRP is bringing back many of the foundational basics that made Amateur Radio such as building equipment, and has made the hobby "sexy" again to a whole another group of people.  Appliance operating 59 slam-bam-thank-you-maam high power QSOs have probably led to a whole lot of disinterested Amateurs that eventually drop out.

But let's get down to the core of this thread.  The annoyance of QRP to extreme QRO operators ("I've got this $50K station and dammit, I'm going to use it!") is that you don't need an expensive station to have fun in Amateur Radio.  I've had plenty of QRP contacts in DX pileups where I had to work at it.  Once in a awhile I'll use the /QRP technique, but I try to avoid it.  But do you know how great it feels when a DX station gives you a glowing real signal report when he knows you're QRP and he is compelled to ask about your rig and antenna and raves about how he can't believe how strong you are ?

72
Goody
K3NG
QRP DXCC and then some, but who's counting ?

 

What...they don't sell amps in Canada? Saying that a QRP operator should be given "priority" is like saying old dumpy cars that can't keep up with the normal flow of traffic should be given police escorts. Get real...then get 95 more watts.

 

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (n0ass @ Aug. 19 2002,12:13)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Saying that a QRP operator should be given "priority" is like saying old dumpy cars that can't keep up with the normal flow of traffic should be given police escorts. Get real...then get 95 more watts.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
No, saying that a QRP operator should be given "priority" is like saying that cars should yield to pedestrians and bicycles. Some people ride a bike or walk because they can't afford a car. Some people bike or walk because they choose to leave the car at home. Either way, those enjoying the benefit of motors (or kilowatts) should show a bit of curteousy. It's a matter of common decency.

And as for nets, isn't their main purpose to practice traffic handling so as to be prepared in the event of an emergency? Well, I just hope that in the next emergency, everyone has the luxury of using full legal power.

 

Oh, please! This is virtually a useless topic. Everyone has their opinion on which is the "best" power to use for a given communication. Some will argue that 100W is the minimum amount of power required for decent QSO's, others will want 1000W, or 10W or whatever! The fact is that we are ALL allowed to use a power setting that will produce "the desired communications", per the regulations. Frankly, the power necessary is really for the benifit of the LISTENING station. I mean what does it matter if I'm running 1000W or 1W? If my signal isn't above the noise floor you can't hear me! It's the receiving station that has to pull out my signal. For that reason I feel that the QRP awards should go to the receiving station, not the sending station. And yes, Virginia, there is skill required for QRP operations, but the skill is again from the receiving station not the sending station.

As regards to the QRM comment as a result of QRP operations. You're kidding, right? You're going to tell me, straight faced, that a low power station is causing QRM to a high power station? I'm not talking about operating courtesy, I'm talking about QRM (interference). What about the high power stations that are splattering their signals across several hundred Hz (for CW or several thousand for SSB)? Whose producing QRM?

Now lastly, concerning the /QRP suffix, what does it really matter? I prefer not to use it, but if a DX station wants to give the low power station a QSO, so be it. Who are YOU to tell the DX guys how to operate? And do you really think that /QRP (added to the callsign) adds to the noise? There is an article (actually it's a letter in Correspondence) in September's QST where a guy worked a station that appended his Russian call with /ANT. It turns out that the station was in Antarctica. Should the station have not returned the Russian's CQ because it had a non-standard appendix? Or, why did the Russian station append his callsign with /ANT? Was it so he might get noticed as being a little different from the standard fair? Whatever, the QSO was made and everybody was happy. Isn't THAT what this hobby is about?

And now, really lastly, the QRP calling frequencies are GUIDELINES for band SHARING! QRP is not relegated to 7.040/7.285, 14.060/14.285, etc. and the rest to QRO. We are all allowed on the entire band, no matter what power we use (excepting the regulations). The band plans are there to give some order, and courtesy, to the available spectrum.

To parody a slogan, "Remember... it's a HOBBY stupid!" Let's keep things in perspective and worry about the more important things in life!

72 ES GD,
NØYGY

 

Man working dx seems to take the "FUN" out of radio, guess that is why I never did it.  
You guys can have it, but if you wanna have fun, get on and chat.  no high strung
cqcqcqdewww0wwwcqcq
blkj
balkc
bjlad
blaj
ha ha

 

QRP....it depends on what you want to get out of the hobby....you can run a KW or 2 and say "look I've worked 300+ countries" or you can take all the time you want at under 5 watts and have fun!!!!!!!!! I've been running 1 watt and 500mw on 10 meters phone for 0ver 13 years (of FUN).I've worked 229 countries on 1 watt(using an antenna system of 4 element over 4 element modified stacked monobanders...) I'm not crazy running 1 watt I'm going to use an antenna system with gain .I got conversations out of DX stations a lot instead of 5/9 next even getting some to drop to 5 watts or less themselves.Do I have them all confirmed..NO...that's not really important someday I will and if I don't oh well !!! What I end up with is many contacts with the same station and I get to know a little about the voice on the speaker.So QRP on 10 meters is my fun outlet so if it's work him on the 1st call or 2 hrs later the smile on my face is about the same size.So don't tell me "life is too short for QRP " ,I figure it'll take me to I'm about 100 years old to get all countries at 1 watt and boy just thinks of all the neat QRP rigs I'm going to get to play with along the way!!!!!!!!!!! David W1CBI

 

What about those who's power is limited by their licence, like me?  As a new Foundation Licence (UK) I am limited to 10watts output to the antenna; so compared to a "barefoot" station of 100watts, or a "standard" US station of 1000watts, I AM a qrp station.  The guys who work 1watt etc. do it "because it's there" and have a lot of fun.  As I understand it, contesters actually LIKE qrp stations, because of the multipliers involved.

 From my own point of view, I ALWAYS call with my full callsign, unless the dx station requests otherwise; and, yes, I sometimes add "qrp" if I'm trying to work someone unusual.

For interest sake, since March 2002 using 10watts and a longwire antenna, I have made 585 contacts to 48 countries, including VK, VP5, PY, 6Y, USA & Canada.

Just for a change, try going back to basics - using as little power as is required to establish contact. You'll be surprised just how far you can get with low power and a good antenna, instead of using 'brute strength' to get out.

Best 73 and have FUN.

 

most  of  my contact  i work  only  on  CW   and  i  prefer  complete  call sign, this  is  not big problem.
Why  because  , i do  not  know  for  other  but  i   seek  for  part  of  call sign  who  identifies   country  and   then  rest  of call sign ,  for  example W2XXX QRP   , first  ill  be  recognized   there  is  a  low  power(i  do  not   ned  write  down  QRP  all letters)  after  than  i  try  to  recognize  country  prefix,  number,  and  rest  of   call sign.
Even  on SSB   i  do  not  use   only  two  letter  ,  nobody  can  figure  what  mean when  i  send  only   HP
allways  i  use   9A3HP/QRP  
nobody   yet  make  a  error  reciving  in  pile up  9A3HPQ
or  some  else  different than  real  call sign .

9A3HP    Zoky