[Elecraft] Changes from 100 watts to 10 watts

[Julian (G4ILO)]

I don't know what was in Eric and Wayne's minds when they designed the K2.
Certainly the information I had was that it was a 10W transceiver, and it
was several months before there was talk of a 100W PA on this reflector.

The trouble with the 10/100W argument is that it applies equally to
100W/1000W. There's always going to be a situation where more power would
help. 

But 100W is just an arbitrary figure: it's neither QRP nor the legal limit.
It might gain me a few more contacts compared to 10W, but I'd be playing in
a pool with much bigger fish. By choosing to go QRP I eliminate the
frustration of not being able to use higher power, because if I did it
would be cheating on the QRP restriction. I might make fewer contacts with
QRP but I get greater satisfaction because I'm no longer comparing my
results with people who can run 1KW. Another upside: nobody makes a special
effort to hear you, or compliments you on your weak signal, if you say
you're using 100W. They do if you're using 5W or 10.

But my only disagreement is with those who think that a 10W radio is almost
worthless. Like those who wouldn't buy a K2 kit while there was no 100W PA
available; those who gave Wayne and Eric hassle over the long period
between the PA's announcement and it's appearance, and the few who actually
sold their K2's because they were fed up with waiting. I think the problem
is that in many people's subconscious, one tenth the power equals one tenth
the number of contacts. If that were really the case, QRP would not be such
a popular branch of this hobby. (But it probably explains the number of
people who run 100W and are received at S9, who are surprised that my 10W
are almost S8!)

73 and Happy New Year to all,
--
Julian, G4ILO. (K2 #392)
Homepage: http://www.qsl.net/g4ilo



  ==== Original message ====

k4wtf@ENTERZONE.NET wrote:

[snip]

The K2 was designed as a 100w radio.  If you don't believe me, ask Wayne
and Eric.

[snip]

> I'm going to hazard a guess that the 10% of contacts that require 100w
> will be 75m phone and 160m phone.  Come down to 3.875 some summer
> night.  When the band noise is at S8, it doesn't do you any good to be 
> S7
> with 10w.