[CQ-Contest] HELP-Accused of Cheating

[W0UN -- John Brosnahan]

At 10:37 PM 11/1/2006, Zack Widup wrote:

>I remember one year in ARRL DX CW I worked V73C on 40.  He sent me "005"
>as his power.  He was REALLY REALLY loud.  I almost fell out of my chair.
>
>He told me a few years later that he was indeed running 5 watts but a 40
>meter beam spaced the right height above salt water can do wonderful
>things.
>
>73, Zack W9SZ


I once tuned across a western Pacific DX-pedition just as he said -- 
now listening
for QRP.  QRP only!   So I turned down the rig to 5 watts and gave him a call.
He was very upset because I was obviously NOT QRP -- since I was 30 over 9.
He chastised me a bit and then I told him I was definitely QRP and I 
could turn up
the power for him to verify.  I did crank up the amp to 1500 watts 
and he was then
convinced that I was running only 5 watts when I first called him, 
even though I
was 30 over 9.

Of course, 10 meters is a wonderful band for big signals, even with 
only 5 watts,
ESPECIALLY when you are running a 4-stack of 8L Yagis that would give 
15 dB S/N
at 1500 watts on 10 METER MOONBOUNCE!

QRP with GOOD antennas (or GREAT antennas) can be a lot of fun!  But it can
raise unfounded suspicions.  Legal limit with big antennas makes you a beacon
on the bands.

If the note from the accusing station was SIGNED you might suggest that the
whole point of big antennas is to separate the "men from the boys"!      ;-)

--John  W0UN