[CQ-Contest] History of Low Power Category

[Mark]

Actually if you run so2r you can also add the db loss of your filters (as they go between the 
rig and Amp).  Adding this on to the 150/100 watt gain and you start to make a significant 
difference.

After all we think of the effort we go through to get another couple of db out of our antennas 
and feedlines.

Mark. N2QT

> On Sep 16, 2014, at 2:20 PM, John Unger <w4au at verizon.net> wrote:
> 
> I think I remember that a number years ago ARRL or NCJ changed the NAQP from 150W to 100W. As I recall, one of the reasons given was that then stations would not have to use amps to get up to the 150W level. I was surprised at that revelation mainly because I had never thought of doing it! Maybe that ~1dB would have helped...
> 
> 73 - John, W4AU
> 
> 
>> On 9/16/2014 7:38 AM, Randy Thompson K5ZD wrote:
>> I was recently asked why the CQ Contests use 100W as the limit for low power
>> and the ARRL Contests use 150W.  I had not really thought about this much
>> and wonder if anyone can explain how the limits were chosen.
>> 
>>  
>> The CQWW introduced a low power category in the writeup for the 1990 CQ WW
>> SSB Contest (and the rules for 1991).  It  is assumed that 100W was chosen
>> because it was easily accomplished by most barefoot transceivers or radios
>> of the time.
>> 
>>  
>> Can anyone explain the history of the ARRL selection of 150W?  The slightly
>> higher power level can be reached by some radios, but it also encourages
>> "low power" stations to run an amplifier to gain that extra db between 100W
>> and 150W.
>> 
>>  
>> It would be nice if all contests used the same low power limit.  Not because
>> one limit is more right than another, but so there would be less confusion.
>> Last year there was one entrant that entered CQWW as low power and then
>> realized they had exceeded 100W (I think they ran 110W or 120W).  They asked
>> to have their entry reclassified to high power.  Admirable integrity, but
>> unfortunately caused by the confusion between ARRL and CQ category limits.
>> 
>>  
>> Randy, K5ZD
>> 
>>  
>>  
>>  
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> 
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