Topband: QRP DX

[Robert Kavanagh]

The posting by G3ZES prompts me to comment that the first DX I ever worked 
on top band was on January 11, 1953 from one of my previous calls, VE1AXT, 
in New Brunswick. That night I worked G5RI, EI9J and G3PU. G3PU's QSL says 
that he was running 8 watts and I expect that the other two were running 
about ten watts. The QSO with EI9J was his first VE on 160.

I was running about 20 watts input to an 807. As I recall, the antenna was 
an end-fed wire about 100 feet long and about 20 feet above the ground. Of 
course, it's not so hard to work EU from NB and 1953 was close to the 
bottom of solar cycle 18. Even so, these QSOs do show that DX with low 
power is possible on 160. Nowadays, I run QRO (100 watts) !

Hope to QSO some of you on 160 in the RAC Canada Day contest tonight.

73

Bob, VE3OSZ