[CQ-Contest] /QRP

[Dale L Martin]

On Mon, 13 Dec 2004 23:55:25 -0200
  "PY2NY - Vitor" <py2ny at arrl.net> wrote:
>Fast and quick...
> Used QRP to call stations at ARRL 10m
> last week end. With some guys, was the
> only way to be listened and worked.


Vitor,

I was QRP and never used and never will use /QRP with my (or any 
other) callsign.  99 percent of the stations you call will either hear 
and work you or not hear you at all.  Only two stations blew me off 
because they could not copy me well enough.  I found them a few 
minutes later, called and worked them with no problems.

Not everyone is going to copy you the first time, Vitor.  Adding /QRP 
to your call doesn't increase your signal strength.  In fact, I know 
of a couple of people who will ignore /QRP callers because they see 
them as saying "Oh, please work me...I'm QRP and weak and cannot get a 
QSO any other way...."  Don't be in that group, Vitor.  You are better 
than that.

Look at it this way, Vitor:  You have a certain amount of time to 
operate in the contest.  You should make the most of the time.

Let's look at 1 hour of operating time. That's 60 minutes or 3,600 
seconds.  Your callsign PY2NY takes 2 seconds to send.  That means you 
could send your call almost 1,800 times in that 1 hour period.  If you 
used PY2NY/QRP, that adds about another 1.5 seconds to your time.  So, 
now you are at 3.5 seconds per call or being able to send your 
 callsign only 1,000 times.

If I were you, I would not send the /QRP and so I could send my call 
800 more times in that hour.

In short, /QRP is an anchor or brake doing nothing but slowing your 
rate.


73,
dale, kg5u
ARRL 10m: QRP CW - 417 QSO's