In reply to G8ADD:
Some interesting points Brian. Thank you.
I’m still an M6 with only two years’ experience and I’m beginning to realise that there’s no one ‘right’ way of doing most things in AR despite the instruction books laying down the law by saying it must be done in a certain way!
Perhaps if I achieve my 2E0… I’ll be first in the queue anyway!
Nick M6NJB
In reply to MM0FMF:
Only because you are limited to QRP by legislation and not through
choice. When you have completed your license upgrade and you choose to
operate QRP the last thing you’ll want is people giving you a free
ride… that takes away the challenge.
Not quite so!
I think we’ve come full circle Andy! That’s my original point. When I choose to be QRP and nobody lets me in to a valuable activation, SES, DXpedition or whatever, then there’s no point being QRP: time to switch off and start train spotting.
It’s only when, by the actions of a courteous operator, I’m allowed a space for my small voice to be heard, will I achieve a contact via low power and learn that there is a DX path obtainable with <10W, and therefore achieved something worthwhile.
I guess it depends on your raison d’être.
I know it’s a jungle out there and the meek must stand their ground - to coin a double cliche!
Nick
In reply to M6NJB:
It’s only when, by the actions of a courteous operator, I’m allowed a
space for my small voice to be heard, will I achieve a contact via low
power and learn that there is a DX path obtainable with <10W, and
therefore achieved something worthwhile.
Nick
Can you explain to me why it is that you think you have achieved something worthwhile in such circumstances? I would have thought such an accolade ought to go to the dx station you just worked - after all, it’s him who is doing all the hard work in copying you!
Now, if you are doing 2-way QRP (as is often the case in SOTA) then I would accept your comment.
73
Reg G3WPF
I work all my best DX on 5 watts. Much better results than 100 watts, and never ever mention “/QRP”.
Tom M1EYP
In reply to G3WPF:
An old argument, Reg, and as spurious now as when I first heard it 50 years ago!
The DX might be doing a good job of copying (and we ALL ought to be good at copying weak signals, shouldn’t we?) but the QRP station is still doing a good job by providing a copyable signal!
As for people’s comments about it being a jungle out there - we might be neck deep in triffids, but I’m sure we have all heard people telling an activator that he has an S2S call waiting, and we’ve all heard the pile-up quieten down while the S2S contact takes place - and then all hell breaks out again!
73
Brian G8ADD
In reply to G8ADD:
Spurious Brian?
Show me a guy who is top of DXCC Honor Roll using 2-way QRP and I’ll show you a liar!
Reg G3WPF
In reply to G3WPF:
What’s that got to do with the price of antenna grease?
73
Brian G8ADD
PS Must stock up on antenna grease!
In reply to G8ADD:
Must stock up on antenna grease!
Could I interest you in a tube of twig-swaaaring cream, Brian?
73,
Walt (G3NYY)
In reply to M6NJB:
In reply to MM0FMF:
As for being insensitive during QSOs and trying to gain an advantage
during pile-ups, I guess it’s human nature to stretch the etiquette
somewhat by calling late, calling multiple times, using short-form of
call signs, yelling etc; I’m sure we’ve all fallen into this trap from
time to time. Patience is a virtue!
Hi Nick, well I have a policy of listening to a pile up and deciding whether, I’ll get through it or not. I see no mileage in sitting in a pile-up for an hour only to hear the station say he’s going QRT.
Don’t ask me how to explain it, but I sort of listen to either side of the pile-up and work out if I can beat the other stations in or not. If I think I’m wasting my time, I may pull out a couple of calls, then simply pass. It works for me. Yesterday for instance, I spent a few hours on the 12m band and worked EX8, DU, 3B8, LU, 5V, CN, VE, PY, PU, NP3 and TO2FH on the Island of Mayotte, all with 50 Watts and a CB antenna. All but a couple were big pile-ups, however, I had no problem working any of them.
Another thing worth trying, find somewhere clear on one of the higher frequencies and put out a CQ. Be patient and you’ll be amazed what you’ll work when the bands are open. I’ve worked Bob VP8LP in the Falklands about 8 times and he’s always come back to my CQ and we’ve had a rag-chew for up to 25 minutes. You try working him in one of his pile-ups!
Perhaps if I achieve my 2E0… I’ll be first in the queue anyway!
Stick with it, Nick. The instruction books are there to help you. Remember, at the end of the day, Amateur radio is all about experimenting… I’ve done some pretty wacky things in the last year or so, however, I’ve had some amazing results.
I still maintain that QRP is a mode in itself and deserves (another
strong word?) to be catered for in the grand scheme of things.
Otherwise, where is the challenge in AR?
Working someone who is QRP is a Damn sight more rewarding than working someone someone throwing Kilowatts at you, By all means stick QRP on the end of your callsign. To my knowledge, there are no rules against it and in my experience, DX stations love working QRP stations.
73
Mike 2E0YYY
In reply to 2E0YYY:
Please do NOT put /QRP after your callsign. Legal or not (and it is probably not) it is NOT part of any callsign. I am a dedicated QRP operator here. If somebody sends /QRP I don’t put the /QRP in my logbook or QSL card, nor do many other operators. It creates havoc with eQSL and LOTW as it will be classed as a different callsign, needs a separate sub account, and won’t match with any of my uploaded contacts. Your correct call is 2E0YYY and that alone, or of course 2E0YYY/P if you are out on a SOTA.
Yes, please do tell folks you are QRP during the QSO and they appreciate working us QRP chaps, but don’t pretend your callsign is something it is not.
73 Dave G3YMC
In reply to G3YMC:
Yes, please do tell folks you are QRP during the QSO and they
appreciate working us QRP chaps, but don’t pretend your callsign is
something it is not.
Hi Dave,
I wasn’t suggesting for one moment that the callsign should be logged /QRP.
What I don’t have a problem with, is if someone answers a CQ with their callsign and states “QRP station” at the end of it. This is not uncommon with Eastern European stations.
73
Mike 2E0YYY
In reply to Reg G3WPF:
Hi Reg
Can you explain to me why it is that you think you have achieved
something worthwhile in such circumstances? I would have thought such
an accolade ought to go to the dx station you just worked - after all,
it’s him who is doing all the hard work in copying you! [Reg]
The guys up a mountain are usually about 10W too. He/she is not working that much harder to hear another low-powered station, just straining to hear through the pile-up of higher powered stations. [Nick]
Now, if you are doing 2-way QRP (as is often the case in SOTA) then I
would accept your comment. [Reg]
Yes, again, this is my point. We agree! We ~are~ talking SOTA here!
Incidentally, I tend not to append QRP to my callsign verbally or in written form, however, I occasionally say “M6NJB QRP station calling”
Nick
In reply to M3XIE-1:
I often think it would be good practice if activators (or anyone
working through a pile-up) would occasionally break from answering the
strongest and loudest callers to call for any QRP or mobile stations.
The best operators sometimes do this.
Most of us often work as QRP stations. Sometimes its very hard to hear anything. If you call parts of calls everybody is answering again. There are some great operators who will hear to their call but some others only repeat their calls an never will hear your calling for others.
http://www.mydarc.de/dl2ajb/dl2ajb/Fotos_Videos/Seiten/MOV01962.html
In reply to DL2AJB:
When i first wrote this thread i was not expecting so many different opinions all i was saying was that we are all sfter the same thing i.e the contact so can we not all be nice to each other and not experience the abuse i received when i first wrote the thread happy chasing best 73s Dave M3XIE.P.S are not we either has sota activators or chasers better than this
In reply to M3XIE-1:
Life is too short for QRP.
73 de G3NYY
In reply to G3NYY:
In reply to M3XIE-1:
Life is too short for QRP.
73 de G3NYY
One of those totally meaningless things quoted by many who have never operated QRP. It depends what you want out of life. If you want DXCC Honour Roll in a few months, then maybe. Using never more than 5W, CW only, I have worked 229 DXCC and 1175 slots. Got SOTA shack sloth in a couple of months of casual operating. Despite it being sometimes tough going, I can work most things and certainly as far as SOTA is concerned get through mini pileups fairly quickly. QRP suits me. Life is too short to spend all of it sorting out TVI problems with neighbours if I were to use QRO…
73 Dave G3YMC
In reply to G3NYY:
Ah well, I guess that life is indeed to short for anything you don’t like but not long enough for the things that you do like! Come to think of it, you and I are both licensed for 400 watts, but I’m not about to carry a big linear up a hill, that would definately make life too short!
73
Brian G8ADD
In reply to G3NYY:
Battery life too short for QRO 
In reply to G8ADD:
In reply to G3NYY:
but I’m not
about to carry a big linear up a hill, that would definately make life
too short!
But I would like to see that!
In reply to M6NJB:
Hi Nick.
Yes, my reference to SOTA was intended to indicate a degree of agreement between us, although I might take issue with your point about the /P station not working that much harder to copy a QRP station. Our agreement is built on my point about two-way QRP.
I felt, however, that the thread had moved away somewhat from the original post by Dave M3XIE (which was as much to do with pile-up behaviour as QRP) and was in danger of becoming the “holier than thou” approach with the anti non-QRP (as distinct from QRO) views and practices I’ve seen many times over the years - just call CQ on 7030 as a non-QRP station and see what happens! I felt that Andy MM0FMF had made some valid views (choice, operating tips etc) which appeared to have been largely ignored so I thought I would pitch in!
73
Reg G3WPF
