[Elecraft] The Joy of QRP

[Jim Brown]

On 9/26/2013 12:37 AM, Rick M0LEP wrote:
> Yeah, QRP often has the best chance when the bands are "dead".

QRP can also be rewarding when the bands are full in a major contest.  
DX contests scoring rules put west coast stations at a 10:1 disadvantage 
to those around the Atlantic basin, so most of us out here use them as 
nothing more than an attempt to pick up DX countries. In the last year 
or so, I've started running 5W in the ARRL and CQ contests. I can't 
compete with big signals, I don't get through with marginal propagation, 
and I can't work the alligators (those with big TX but no RX) but I do 
work those with good ears when propagation is right.  In only a couple 
of such efforts, I've worked 65 countries on the HF bands. On160M, I've 
worked about a dozen DX countries (two contests and several DXpeditions) 
and 44 US states.

NEVER, NEVER, EVER send /QRP in a contest. It only slows things down, 
and many serious ops, including me, will treat you as a lid and ignore 
you.  When you're weak, transmit nothing but the minimum -- your call, 
and the exchange, NEVER repeat anything that the other station has 
copied correctly, and when he asks for a repeat, be prepared to repeat 
several times.

73, Jim K9YC