[Elecraft] KPA100 Elimination?

[Don Wilhelm]

Tom,

I don't think you will be thrown off the list - this is not a QRP reflector,
and with questions about the (hopefully forthcoming soon) KPA800 and
KPA1500, it is definitely not all QRP oriented - there are folks of both the
QRP and QRO persuasions using Elecraft gear.

Your thoughts are consistent with a talk given by Mike Boatright KO4WX at
FDIM last year.  Here he was talking to a bunch of QRP enthusiasts about
Emergency Communications - he made a valid point that you must use enough
power to create a signal above the noise level at the receiving end -
whether that be 1 watt, 5 watts, 100 watts or 1500 watts.  If your signal is
down 'in the mud' at the receiving end, and you must make communication,
there is no choice but to increase power - of course a directional antenna
could increase power at the receiver end if it is pointed in that direction,
but a beam on 80 meters or 160 meters is not a common thing.

Even though we have a 5 watt limit to the QRP category for contests and
such,  the minimum power necessary for reliable communications may exceed
that limit by a large margin.

73,
Don W3FPR

> -----Original Message-----
>
> I'll probably get thrown off of the Elecraft list for what I am
> about to say...8-)
>
> Don't get me wrong...I love QRP....most of my contest
> participation is at 5W.  I can work the world with 5W.  And on
> 10M during a solar peak I can break pileups with 5W.
>
> But my experience is that 100W with a dipole on 160M *IS*
> QRP...that the chances of grabbing a VU7 in a 40M pileup from the
> U.S. running 5W are pretty low and anyone looking to run
> emergency traffic with 5W only has to try checking into the
> Elecraft CW net to have a sense of what to expect when your
> antennas are down and the water is flowing past your bedroom
> window.   Turn it up to 400W and maybe get heard...and fry some
> fish as they float by!
>
> QRP...the real skills are at the other end.  <boy...am I asking
> for trouble with THAT line!>  LOL.
>
> 73 de K2TA/qrp
> _______________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Post to: Elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
> Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
>  http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
>
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
> Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
> --
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.15.27/602 - Release Date:
> 12/25/2006 10:19 AM
>
--
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.15.27/602 - Release Date: 12/25/2006
10:19 AM