[Elecraft] FD: QRO + QRP with pwr multiplier

[Peter Wollan]

For this year and last year, I've added a QRP station to our club's  
QRO FD setup, but I submit it as a separate entry.  As far as I can  
tell, this is within both the rules and spirit of Field Day -- it  
provides another station, another example of radio use for anyone to  
check out, try, or just talk about, while I share in the social  
aspect of the club event instead of being off on my own.  And it lets  
me keep the 5x power multiplier, though without being able to add it  
in as a contribution to the club score.

I ran 1A-Battery (solar), using the call W0SAA, while the rest were  
5A using W0SA (having those two calls available was a coincidence,  
but cute).  The QRP station was my K2, with two wire antennas, a bit  
away from the main stations, which this year consisted of four  
kilowatt stations, plus a 100-watt digital station and a VHF  
station.  I was off to the side a bit, but still within the 1000-foot  
circle of the main group.  Our club is dominated by high-power  
people, but the QRP station got some interest.  Several people came  
by to talk about kits and backpack radios, and one person tried CW  
contesting for the first time -- less threatening without an amp, maybe?

Interference was an issue, but mostly ignorable.  But then, the QRO  
stations had problems with each other, too.  One of the four was a  
K3, and it, too, had some problems, particularly with one specific  
transmitter.  I haven't heard a good account of that yet.  Someone  
here mentioned using a K1 near other stations -- I tried that a few  
years ago, and found that I couldn't hear anything when any other  
transmitter was operating, even a band away.  I haven't tried my K1  
again in this kind of shared space, but I'm surprised anything less  
robust than a K2 could handle it.

I'm not a competent contester yet -- I got 154 contacts, all CW S&P  
-- but I had a darn good time.

Peter N8MHD