[CQ-Contest] What's with the power = 0 watts exchange?

[John W]

I'm playing a little in the ARRL DX contest and I've noticed something new that I don't recall from previous years.  Several DX stations have sent their power as zero watts.  I've received  5NN T,   5NN TT,  and 5NN TTT   so far.

(For some reason, nobody is sending something more precise like 0.0  (would that be  TRT?)


What is the reason for this?   I must have missed the memo.


At least one of the stations was in Puerto Rico. So I was wondering if his zero meant that he has no commercial power at his station.  Maybe I'm reading into it too much?


And one South American sent "LP" for his power.  So does that mean he is using a generator that runs on Liquid Propane?  😉


The rules at http://www.arrl.org/arrl-dx say:


4.2 DX stations send signal report and power (number or abbreviation indicating approximate transmitter output power).


Where I come from, transmitter power is measured in units called WATTS.

So I would expect the exchange to be either a number, or an abbreviation for a number, for example using 'cut' numbers.   "LP" is not exactly that.   But I get it - it probably means 100 watts, or at least "no amplifier".   But what does TTT mean?  That must mean "approximately 0.499 watts or less".   Yet the guy was 10 dB over S9, so I doubt that.


Ahh well, got to do something to keep it interesting when condx are in the toilet.


Hope everybody caught the brief but glorious 10m opening this afternoon.

P40W was 15 dB over S9 in NNJ for more than 10 minutes!


73,


John

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