[Elecraft] Alligators and Bats

Thu Jan 10 08:17:01 2002

FWIW, On 40, I find that a great deal of CW signals out there *are* QRP.  I
think its a gas to find a strong signal and discover that it is coming from
a QRP station.  I had had 20 minute QSO once with a station (a state away)
that was running only 60mw.  He was not strong but once I found out his
power, I put all I had into it.   When I run into stations running barebone
rigs like the 49'er , it gives me a thrill on par with hearing an old ARC5
station  (*Nothing* comes on par with a well tuned TPTG station though ;-).

Ken aa7jc

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]]On Behalf Of Jim Campbell
Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2002 5:23 AM
To: [email protected]; Elecraft
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Alligators and Bats

Ron D' Eau Claire wrote:
>
> But I am always aware that when I work a QRO station while I am running a
> barefoot K2, I have just 'volunteered' him to make a QRP contact whether
he
> wanted to or not. I try to stay aware of the changing band conditions,
> realizing that if the band isn't in the very best shape he is likely
working
> much harder to copy me than I am him, and the reason for that is because
of
> my choice to limit myself to low power.

Thanks, Ron, that explains something that I have experienced from time
to time in the last few months that I have been back on the air.  As
soon as I would tell the other station I was QRP, they wouldn't come
back to me.  I couldn't understand why.  Now I do.  As a result, I
usually don't share that I am QRP until near the end of the QSO.

I suppose that if I identified myself as a QRP station when I answered
his call (i.e., de W4BQP/QRP) it would give him a choice, but then I
would have fewer QSOs than I now do. Maybe I will try it and see what
happens.

Jim
W4BQP