Topband: Top Band Contest Warm-Up, This Wednesday Evening

[Charles Moizeau]

In advance of the forthcoming ARRL affair, let me propose the six-hour event on Wednesday, 1 December 2010 (in the Western Hemisphere), i.e., 0000-0600Z, 2 December 2010, offered each year by QRP Amateur Radio Club International.

Full details for this event are at: www.qrparci.org.  The gathering spot will be around and about 1.810 mHz.

All stations regardless of power can participate and are invited to join in, but defined QRPers maintain 5 Watts Po on CW and 10 Watts Po on SSB.  Therefore, a 1.5 kW Po risks causing some receive problems in a QRP midst.

Most of the manufactured HF rigs can be throttled back to a measured 5 Watts (or less).  If this causes readers heart palpitations, let me say that among my regular pleasant experiences have been 160m QSOs made with 5 Watts, not only to Europe, but at distances of 600 or so miles to the west, four hours AFTER sunrise in NJ! 

73 es hopefully bcnu Wednesday,

Charles, W2SH