QRP

[Alex_van_Eijk_at_DPKO-UNAVEM at un.org]

     And why is that so often QRP stations go to great extend screaming 
     "QRP" (on phono) instead of their callsign, as they should? Unless QR 
     is a new country prefix, I don't see the point in doing so. Would like 
     to hear the average pile-up screaming "QRO", and then what station 
     should you reply to? ("The QRO station, go ahead")
     
     Fortunately, we don't suffer from this "QRP-QRP pleeeeease"-syndrome 
     on CW, just as CW is still spared from DX-nets, lists, SSTV, 
     "oooolllaaa" and "last-two".
     
       <snip>
     >In a way, QRP is harder on the receiving station, who has to dig the 
     >signal out of the mud.  
       <snip>
     
     QRP stations can bring an entire pile-up to a virtual standstill. Ops 
     at the RX end indeed dig out the "first-two" (uh-oh) but then it takes 
     a while to fill the gaps, with signals just at - or mostly below - 
     noise level. I tend to stick to the station I heard till I've got the 
     call complete. Never give up is the motto (that is, outside a contest; 
     having the rate succomb to copying a microscopic underground signal 
     for 3 minutes during a contest is another story; then 
     new-mult/zone/rate/etc-considerations come into play). 
     
     The QRPer will finally log his contact thanks to the willing op at the 
     RX end, who in many cases has to turn up the volume 3 notches and 
     stick his ear in the loudspeaker, or at least push the earphones with 
     both hands closer to the ears. All this at the [propagation] time 
     expense of others. With all due respect to the QRPer's efforts, and 
     maybe all of this is a thrill to QRPers, but to the DX/RX-end of a 
     pile-up QRP could be destructive to a good going rate. 
     
     All the forgoing assuming that the QRPer is in an area with good 
     propagation to the DX station, but in spite of that he's still below 
     waterlevel at the RX end. 
     
     Yet another story is when there is no propagation: that is when QRO 
     becomes QRP, and QRP becomes QRT.
     
     CU in WW CW somewhere near 14.030.
     
     73, Alex D25L (my #1 choice call, 1st day)
     
     (aka PA3DZN, WH2L, 9X5EE, 9Q2L, 9R1A)