Topband: QRP Question

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

What I want to put out about signing /QRP in a contest....

First, I ALREADY know you are weak and I'm going to have to work hard to
get you in the log. I WANT to work weak QRPers because there is a good
chance I can make that contact and others will not.  This makes for
vertical separation in the contest score listings  :>)   But this is also
true for wretched signal 100w stations who done something amazing to get up
an antenna AT ALL in their situation.  QRPers have no mojo advantage over
someone who gets up a working 160 antenna in a 75'x75' HOA lot.  Nod goes
to the HOA guy here.

Second, some QRPers obviously have very good antennas and are 579....WAY
out in the clear. They send their call and exchange exactly once like
they're QRO, and we have each other's call in each other's log in ten
seconds.  It's really not the power, it's the antennas, and the operators.

Third, and most important, if I am struggling to get your call out of the
noise, /QRP down in the muddle confuses the h**l out of me and may be THE
ONE reason why I'm not copying your call.

Fourth, and most irritating, I long ago lost count of the number of times
that /QRP was the **ONLY** thing I was sure of when I finally gave up and
said SRI TRY LATER.  At least the postage stamp lot guys running 100w to a
super-fold antenna are not tempted to send /HOA

/QRP = Terrible, Terrible practice.

QRPers, I'm begging you, please tell your QRP friends....

73, Guy

On Mon, Dec 12, 2011 at 3:06 PM, Bill Cromwell <wrcromwell at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Mon, 2011-12-12 at 11:58 -0500, W0UCE wrote:
> >
> > Maybe and experienced QRP OP can answer a question for me and please note
> > the question is not intended to anger anyone or start a flame. I would
> just
> > like to learn something - "Why?"
> >
> > So here is the question:  Why do some using QRP continually send /QRP
> after
> > a CQ, their call or a contest exchange?  In a contest I don't care if the
> > station I work is QRP, LP or QRO - a QSO is a QSO.
> >
> > The same when calling CQ or during a rag chewing - Why send /QRP? To me
> it
> > makes no more sense than someone sending /100w, /LP, /1500w or /QRO after
> > their call.
> >
> > 73,
> > Jack
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
>
> Hi Jack,
>
> I rarely attach /QRP to my call. The exceptions might be in a QRP
> contest (sprint) where other hams are searching for QRP stations. I send
> my call and see what happens next the same as everybody else. I started
> working QRP with a brand new ham license in 1980 and I still haven't
> exceeded 100 watts. All of my transmitters *CAN* produce more than 5
> watts up to 100 watts for some of them. All of them can dial down under
> one watt, too, and are most often under 30 watts. Sometimes QRPp is just
> not appropriate. On the other hand, if I need to scream at full legal
> power I would prefer to go play my music for a while. Or find a ham band
> with better propagation.
>
> If other QRP ops want to hang that /QRP on their call well that is their
> choice and has no effect on me at all. If they're calling CQ and I hear
> them I'm up for a chat.
>
> 73,
>
> Bill  KU8H
>
> _______________________________________________
> UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
>