[Fists] Sprint, QRP and contesting

[Claude TERRIER - F5PBL]

Hello agn Hans and all Friends,

At first, "chapel's battle" is a French saying. We call it more exactly
"Bell-tower quarrel", you know those little "funny quarrels" existing btwn 2
small villages ;o)) // what is the exact English saying for that, pse. //
It was some kind of joke but also a way to say that I would have been sorry to
see the thread abt the FISTS Sprint becoming some "battle" abt CW or QRP or
contesting or whatever it can be. Some weeks ago, on an other list, I have
hardly suffered such kind of fight (abt an other subject, also starting with
some kind of "light controversy" but quickly becoming a real unpleasant thread)
and I now want to "prevent" instead of curing.

Abt the use of  "/QRP" I do agree with you .. From time to time I am wondering
if the guy/DX will answer to me bcoz he has some "compassion" for me : "Oh, poor
little guy, not lucky enough to have an Alpha XX feeding Y*Z elts Yagi .. Let's
see what we can do for him". But honnestly speaking I do not really think that
all DX are full of compassion ;o)) (no offense intended !).
Abt not using /QRP just to see how it can go through without that "sign", I
share your theory too. Well, here my _main_ TRX is a K1 and a so-called
"multi-band GP" of the kind "aluminium magic tube from 0 to 30 MHz w/o tuner and
w/o radials". Last year I entered the CQ WW and for every QSO done (out of 319,
not a big shot but I did have fun) the way of calling was always : "F5PBL K"
then <DX calling me> then "BK 59914 de F5PBL/QRP" to make it clear abt the QRP.
And more than 50% of the time I got then : "FB QRP CQ TEST DE dx_call". Pleasant
time !

With all we can see/hear/read nowadays, I am also wondering if all the stations
calling QRP are really QRP ... :o((
Everyone knows the "tip" abt calling /QRP or /M ... as is known the way to
suddenly being /6 or /0 if the DX, calling by numbers, is now running 6s or 0s
... But that's an other subject (maybe !).

>I have a lot of contest plaques and winners certificates on the wall

Humm ... I do have some cups (3) and some certificates but you know ... I am a
SOCer (too !) and realistic abt my possibilities : the rewards are where I was
alone (or almost !) in my category ;o)) Last one received yesterday, CQ WPX 2001
SSB (sorry ! Pse forgive me ... !!), 1st place in Viet Nam as 3W2KF, 1st place
of ... 3 entries ! But, well, mono-op, 1470 Qs in the WPX (limited to 3 bands),
1st ever DXpedition (4800+ Qs at the end of the 10 days), I did have fun and I
even have a contest certificate as a souvenir so what else should I want ?!!
// And BTW all reports sent by 3W2KF were real ones :o)) //
Pse note that for the CQ WW 2001 for sure I was not alone in the QRP category
;o))

Take care till next QSO and hope our QRP sigs will reach each other !!

73/72!
Claude, F5PBL

http://www.qsl.net/f5pbl

DIG #4451 - FISTS #7722 - SOC #503 - 10-X #71724