[Elecraft] PS on The Complete DX'r

[Guy Olinger, K2AV]

I'm having as much fun with my K2 barefoot as the next guy, but those who pound 
their chest with a look-what-I-did beat when they work a rare one need to 
consider the stuff on the other end.

Can't tell you the number of times in DX tests from NY4A (with the high power 
and monster antennas) that I've had to grit my teeth, turn off the AGC, bear 
the pain, to hear a QRP signal and get the call sign right on a signal with a 
fast QSB only revealing a letter at a time if that. And then have someone try 
to take the frequency because they couldn't hear the QRP station AT ALL and 
thought the frequency was vacant.

My station, antenna, receiver, and willingness to bear pain is most responsible 
for the contact. 

I had a QRP station spot me on packet after working me, and proclaimed "I 
worked him with only 5 watts" as if he did it all. 

That's not intended to bash QRP stations, not at all. Being able to work the 
QRP layer is an advantage, because many of them are just barely readable, and 
given competition without the antennas or the ears, we'll work the QRP's and 
they won't. Working the QRP layer, spending the time and pain to do it, is a 
competitive advantage. We'll work every K2 using a mobile whip on a balcony 
rail that we can find.

And yes, we always give them 599. I can't bring myself to send anyone a 119 QSB 
to 239 signal report, though that's what some are, and manage somehow to get a 
call sign after ten to fifteen tries.

Got a QSL card from one DL station who was disappointed that he had to raise 
his power from 10 milliwatts to 100 milliwatts in order to work me on 40 
meters. Who gets the bragging rights on that QSO? Worked a G on 20 in the ARRL 
DX test giving R001 as his power (milliwatt).

PS, if you're running QRP in a DX test, PLEASE DON'T add /QRP to your call. 
When things are bad, it just makes it a lot harder to figure out the call sign. 
Believe me, we've already figured out you're QRP. 

Now, back to chasing DX on 30 meters with my 10W K2.

73, Guy.

> 
> From: "Julian, G4ILO" <g4ilo@qsl.net>
> Date: 2003/06/24 Tue PM 06:19:26 EDT
> To: "Elecraft List" <elecraft@mailman.qth.net>
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] PS on The Complete DX'r
> 
  ...snip...