[Elecraft] Dreaming...a challenge for the Elecraft team (fwd)

Wed Dec 4 20:23:01 2002

Hey, you want something distinctive for running QRP? Why not use your
call/QRP? Then it doesn't matter what rig you use. When I'm running stations
from a dx location, I don't take the time or care what the other station is
using for equipment. The only time I care is if the signal is distinctive,
both in a good way and a bad way. But, if someone sends me their call/QRP, I
will log it as such and indicate that on the QSL CARD. I don't ask what
power they are running to define their QRP status. That is up to them.

What defines QRP seems to be up to the individual, and I think that is the
way it should be. A good friend of mine cranks the power all the way down on
his 950SDX to work stations QRP. He is running less than a watt. He has over
300 countries worked. He doesn't send for QSL cards. He doesn't even tell
the station he is working that he is running QRP. This is a personal thing
to work QRP as he has defined it.

If you are on the other side of a pileup, you have no way of knowing if the
station calling you is running QRP or high power. Antennas, conditions,
location, and propagation probably have more effect on who you dig out of a
pileup then the power level. When pulling out stations, you don't listen for
the weakest to pull him/her out because you think he/she is running low
power. You work the strongest and/or the most distinctive first. Sometimes
the QRP and mobile stations beat out the kilowatt boys.

Look at the plus side of the high power addition to the K2. More folks are
buying the K2. That means more money for the manufacturer, which means more
improvements in the radio. Ultimately the radio continues to improve due to
help from the end users and the manufacturer. This also goes to the
longevity of the product, which everyone benefits from. You can continue to
see improvement in your QRP run radio, while others will also see
improvements in their higher power radio. Kind of like having your cake and
eating it too for both groups.  Although I kind of like the idea of it being
one group that just runs the radio differently.

Tony
N2TK

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]]On Behalf Of Julian (G4ILO)
Sent: Wednesday, December 04, 2002 13:04
To: Elecraft List
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Dreaming...a challenge for the Elecraft team (fwd)

It matters if they are having trouble copying you. The original K2 was
famous and distinctive as a 10W radio, and people would make an effort to
read you because they would realise you were running low power. Now there's
no clear distinction, we've lost that advantage. Instead of feeling
special, a 10W K2 now feels a bit like the poor cousin, like using the 10W
"S" versions of some of the early JA rigs.

I don't recall making any claim that running only QRP is morally or
environmentally better or in any other way better than using QRO, though I
might feel there is some truth in the matter. However, I don't feel that
those who use QRP occasionally, just for a change or to give the linear a
rest, can really understand the motivation of those who use low power all
the time. It may be asceticism for some, but it's a necessity for many.
Whatever the reason, I think that it is true to say that it is important to
many of us who work low power to feel part of a distinctive branch of the
hobby and not just someone with a poor station and weak signal. It doesn't
help in that regard that the K2 is no longer immediately identifiable as a
QRP rig. That's all I was trying to say in my previous post.

I'll be away for a few days so I won't be around to respond to any replies
to this thread, if there are any, but I'll look forward to reading them
when I get back.

73,
--
Julian, G4ILO. (K2 #392)
Homepage: http://www.qsl.net/g4ilo

Vic Rosenthal [email protected] wrote:

I wasn't going to join in this discussion, because it is off-topic and can
become inflammatory.  But I need to make two points (not necessarily
directed at
Julian, just the issue):

1) Who cares how much power people think you're running?  If you want to
cheat,
you can buy an Alpha and claim it's an SST.  Who will be the loser, you or
the
guy who believes you?

2) Although it may be a worthwhile challenge for some to operate only QRP,
it
isn't morally better to do so.  Legal and gentlemanly (or -womanly)
operation is
of course a matter of ethics, but radio asceticism is private matter and
not
something akin to environmentalism.

Vic K2VCO

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