[SOC] RFTB Weekend

[Larry Makoski]

Bill Cunningham K4KSR wrote:
> Hi Larry,
>
> I normally don't play in RFTB, but certainly will be there tonight.   
> I'll be doing S&P @ 100mW and may try running at 200mW.  Have found  
> that CQing at 100mW ain't that effective.
>
> Motivation is that I've just completed WAS at 500mW, but specifically  
> want to push all 50 states to over 1000 miles/W.  From my QTH in  
> Tidewater VA, this means 100-200 mW for most of East Coast.  I knocked  
> off all of W1 in the NE QP, but don't have anything south of NY --  
> until FL and AL.   Tonight looks like a good night.  Hope the piggies  
> have good ears.
>
> This quest got started when FlyingPigs ran a QRP WAS challenge in  
> 2002.  At the time, I was running a DX-60 that put out 4.7 W in AM  
> mode (keyable, no modulation) and 500 mW in TUNE mode.  Solar cycle  
> was high and I discovered that 1/2 W would do much of the time.  I  
> finished the WAS with something approaching 40 at 1/2 W.  Then I  
> thought working 48 CONUS would be a good goal until I caught KH6  
> before dawn one morning.  That set me determined to work 50. I became  
> stuck at 48, needing MT and AK, and expecting to wait until solar  
> cycle improved.  Tuned into MT QP in April and to great surprise,  
> worked MT and AK within a couple of minutes.  Wham!.  So now what to do?
>
> Turns out I had neglected to police up QSLs along the way, so have  
> been doing that for last month, reworking a few where the original  
> contact had moved or died.  Kind of a goat rope.  But, reinforced by  
> 80m fox hunt experience, began to realize that a fixed power limit  
> wasn't really a good measure.  Anything within a single hop can be  
> worked rather easily with 100mW if circumstances are right.  In fact,  
> QRPp WAS should include something like 100mW per hop or all 50 over  
> 1000 miles/W.  A couple of guys have really pushed the envelope here,  
> one even working all 50 with total power of 1 W. That's an average of  
> 20mW per state!  I'm not that ambitious, but do want to push  
> everything over 1000miles/W.   And it turns out that the short  
> distance, high angle QSOs are the most difficult. VA, MD, DE will be  
> toughest for me.  The guys in DE, RI and maybe CT can't find another  
> contact within own state over 100 miles and that forces them into  
> special provisions beyond simply dialing 100mW into rig.
>
> More than you wanted to know, but am really excited about finishing at  
> 1/2W and the natural extension to 1000 miles/W.
>
> CU tonight.
>
> 72 es oo
>
> Bill Cunningham
> K4KSR, FP #249
>
>
>
>   

Bill,

Not more than I wanted to know.  Good work and good luck with your quest.

73 de Larry W2LJ

-- 
73 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

http://www.w2lj.qrpradio.com
http://w2lj.blogspot.com/