[QRP] An Introduction

[Jess Materne]

Greetings to all on the reflector.

My name is Jess Materne, KC5CQD, located on the central coast of California, 
Monterey Bay.

I became interested in QRP operation because the living situation here on 
the peninsula is so overcrowed that QRO presents more problems than 
pleasure.  Major antenna restrictions and the very real threat of TVI/RFI 
considering the close proximity of homes.  It took a lot of nerve and 
convincing for me to pull my rig back to 5 watts but once I did, I was very 
impressed.  I'm hooked!  Even more so than I was at QRO!!

My rigs are a recently completed Elecraft K2 kit and a Ten Tec Corsair II.  
I normally operate the K2 but on rare occasions, when I'm tired of banging 
out CQ's for hours with no response, I switch over to the Corsair.  I keep 
it parked at 25 watts.  If I still get no response, I shut it all down for 
the evening.

My antenna is about 500 feet of #14 stranded copper THHN strung through the 
trees to form a horizontal Delta loop.  Basically a "sky loop" but in the 
shape of a huge triangle.  It's up at about 30 feet and I feed it with about 
30 feet of 450 Ohm ladder line that I tune through a PalStar CV1500 roller 
inductor tuner.  It's not the optimum radiator but it's quite invisible and 
both keeps me on the air and the neighbors silent.

My operating mode is 100% CW.  I own three morse keys and not one microphone 
for my radios.  Not that I have anything against phone operating.  It's just 
that although I'm only 42 I have a very "old shool" approach to radio 
operating.  I love the way it was done "way back when".  Basically, I'd 
operate "spark gap" in a heartbeat!

I'm currently a General Class operator but I'll be upgrading to Extra within 
the next three weeks.  I hope, anyways.  I've decided to keep my old 2X3 
callsign because I get so many compliments about my "CQD" suffix.  If you 
didn't know, "CQD" was the predecessor to "SOS".  It means "Calling in 
Distress".  If you watch the newest movie about the Titanic, the one with 
DeCaprio, you'll see the scene where the radio operator is calling CQD and 
the other operator tells him to "try the new SOS, instead."

I must admit that I also love the prices of the QRP equipment.  I can buy 5 
qrp rigs to one QRO rig.  That's REALLY nice!!

Hope to share info and insight with all of you and hope even more to meet 
you on the air.

73's

Jess Materne
KC5CQD(originally licensed in LA)
Seaside, CA

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