Post by F5JKK on 28th October 2010 at 11:40
Hello everyone.
Let me introduce myself > F5JKK/QRP
Deriving from the wonderful world of the magic 6m band where I had more than addiction, I find myself thrust into one of SOTA after an family event.
Today I have to thank DJ3AX/P Lutz, for giving me the 4 points that I needed to reach my 500 points of “chaser”. There is nothing special except that these points have been harvested in 54 days with a maximum power of 5 watts on CW and digital modes, 8 watts on SSB, with a vertical antenna as a 6 meters fishing rod at my window with an 9/1 balun!
But I must also thank the other “Activator” for their patience in the hard realities.
I take this opportunity, to say that I do not understand all the time why some hunters use powers that are not related to those of Activators! I think this topic has already been discussed, but I am convinced that we must always restart the debate if we are to change attitudes.
I’m happy to have given you 4pts Eric. Last Sunday on 30m you were a very good signal for QRP. Thank you for the contact and for sending slow enough that I could copy you with my poor CW skills.
In reply to F5JKK:
Congratulations Eric. I am also working towards my 500 points SOTA Chaser certificate with about 430 points achieved so far.
My efforts commenced in April 2010 so I’ve taken a bit longer to get this far!
I, too, am frutsrated by the big guns out there that are obviously swamping the activators with many 100s of Watts whilst I attempt to break through the pile-up with my maximum permitted 10 Watts.
I sometimes invoke my QRP status after the callsign (knowing that this may upset some purists), however it does occasionally stir a fellow operator to rally to my cause during his QSO to notify the activator that there is a QRP station out there patiently waiting for the big guys to dwindle away. Thanks for those who take time to do this.
I would also ask the big guns to quit calling late ie waiting for the calls to finish and then calling, which has the effect of gaining an (unfair) advantage, but more often just swamping the response from the activator whom we’re all straining to hear.
Finally, a big plea to the gallant activators to sometimes spare a thought for the M6s and M3s and those others who choose to operate QRP. Please ask for any QRP stations once in a while. We’d be very grateful!
Finally, a big thanks to the activators! It’s a great challenge (sometimes more than others!) and I for one appreciate your efforts.
I am also a long time QRP chap and it is great fun. Have been actively chasing SOTA for the past few weeks - now on 826 points so eyeing the magic 1000… I think SOTA is one of those aspects of our hobby where QRP works well, and I am always amazed when I call activators right down on the noise level and they come straight back, something you don’t get in the normal HF pileups - but there again most activators have the advantage of a very low noise level on the summits, away from the urban smog most of us have to put up with.
As for the pileups, they can get a bit unruly at times and it is hard to break through the big boy callers. But I find choosing the right time to call (eg after the initial burst of 20 all calling at once has momentarily stopped) works wonders. I am not sure you adding /QRP really helps, and actually causes confusion as it may or may not be logged by the activator as it is not officially part of any callsign. I never add /QRP myself, though I may mention it during a QSO (though not usually in SOTA ones as they are usually quick and snappy).
Keep up the work Eric, and you will soon get to Shack Sloth…
<<But I find choosing the right time to call (eg after the initial burst of 20 all calling at once has momentarily stopped) works wonders. I am not sure you adding /QRP really helps, and actually causes confusion as it may or may not be logged by the activator as it is not officially part of any callsign.>>
This is the dilemma Dave! I only add QRP when I’ve been calling for a long while and then I actually say " . . . QRP station." to avoid the callsign confusion. Your waiting for the initial calls to subside is a technique that may work wonders but your late call does tend to ‘trample’ over the reply very often. I wonder which is the worst of the two evils!
I guess we all break the good operating code from time to time when frustration sets in . . .
In reply to M6NJB:
It is actually a bit easier on CW Nick. I use QSK with my K2 and it is easy to hear the activator come back to somebody else while I am calling, at which point I stop sending a dot or two later. Or sometimes I just send a G3 and stop as soon as the rabble starts - then wait for him to say G3?.. which seems to happen a lot.
As for /QRP, there is probably nothing wrong in sending/saying ‘qrp’ but to add it after the callsign as G3YMC/QRP is wrong, certainly the UK licence only allows you to add /A, /M, /P and /MM to your call. A controversial topic which some interpret differently.
the UK licence only allows you to add /A, /M, /P and /MM to your
call
Really? My licence must be different to yours!
As I recall all mine says is something along the lines of may use /A, /P, /M, /MM in various circumstances, I do not recall it saying that you cannot use other things !
Congratulations Eric on achieving 500 chaser points.
Aye, that’s excellent progress.
In reply to G0LGS:
I do not recall it saying that you cannot use other things !
Mine says (under Identification): “shall transmit the Callsign specified in Section 1 of this Licence and any Modifier applicable under the provisions of this Licence:”
Then (under Interpretation): “‘Modifier’ means the applicable Regional Secondary Locator and may also include a suffix in accordance with note (d) to this Licence.”
Note (d) lists circumstances for using /A, /P, /M and /MM (and no others).
…so I guess it depends on how “may also include a suffix in accordance with note (d)” is interpreted. It’s late, and I’m no lawyer, and I think I can read it at least three different ways at present…
There’s no interpretation needed. Note (d) says what is RECOMMENDED and that an assortment of letters MAY be used. It doesn’t say they SHALL be used nor that they are the only letters that SHALL be used.
