[Elecraft] Single band QRP rig

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

-----Original Message-----
From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Mike Short
Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 8:49 AM
To: Elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [Elecraft] Single band QRP rig

If I built a single band QRP CW rig, what would be the best overall band to
select?
 
Mike Short

AI4NS

AI4NS at arrl.net

--------------
 

For making QSO's, 40 meters has generally been the number 1 choice. It's
usually open 24/7 (or nearly so) to somewhere regardless of sunspots and
through all but the most gruesome solar flares. 

If you're in a reasonably populated area, 80 meters is a close second for
making contacts, although it's closed except for very local short-skip
during the day due to the high ion absorption at low altitudes until a bit
after sunset. Still, you can make contacts for 50 miles or so during most
daylight hours. And, at night, it can be a real DX band. The issue there is
usually antennas. Many Hams today don't have the room to put up an efficient
80 meter antenna which really hurts their signals. To be as good as a half
wave dipole at 35 feet on 40, you need 130 feet of wire at 70 feet up (or
more) on 80. So a lot of ops live with a vertical, which can be good IF one
has a really good set of 'radials' deployed, but most have to live with a
serious compromise. 

In the past, my personal favorite for one-band operation is 20 meters. It's
closed many evenings - especially if you're a night owl during the sunspot
lulls - but the DX is surprising, even now. But you may well spend half a
dozen evening hours tuning a "dead" band and a lot of operators have no
patience for that. The reward for doing that is suddenly you get a call from
a signal "out of nowhere" on a dead band half way around the world calling
you - often with a 599 signal! That's 20 meters. I've had a lot of good rag
chews with DX stations there until the 'scanners' catch on and a pileup
demands we quit chewing the rag so he can exchange signal reports. One time
I worked only 20 meters for three or four years with a homebrew 10 watt rig.
It was a happy and memorable period.  

If you aren't interested in contests, 30 is a great compromise between 20
and 40. I'm not a contester so if I were to build a one-band rig today it'd
probably be for 30. 

Ron AC7AC