Some Contest Tips for QRP Operating:
from
Elliott Medrich, W6VFU
on
June 23, 2003
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Some Contest Tips for QRP Operating:
I recently acquired an Elecraft K1 and I decided to try my luck at QRP during the CQ WPX CW
Contest. I am a serious DXer, but not much of a contester, so I was really trying to learn some
of the possibilities (and constraints) of QRP during events such as this. I began with a
presumption. Like any contest, even with QRP power, here was an opportunity to work some
stations, perhaps even some DX. It turned out that I was right, and I had a great time figuring
out a good strategy.
After listening for a while the first day of the contest, I made a critical decision. Since I
was operating QRP, I would not have any luck with pileups of any sort. In fact, I decided not
to even try operating during the first day. Good decision. My modest signal would have been
wiped out by any and all stations with any amount of power.
As we know, the second day of a contest is quite different from the first. Many of the big
stations are beginning to play out -- i.e. they have worked most of the "hunters" and are
beginning the tedious process of endless Cqing and QRZing. For a QRP station, that's the good
news. Two reasons. One, competition is on the wane. Two, the big contest stations typically
have exceptionally good equipment. They hear well and listen well.
Sure enough, day two, especially the waning hours of the contest (between 1800 and 2400Z) were
an absolutely terrific time to try my QRP skills. During that time period I was easily able to
QSO over 100 stations in 30 states, most of them on the first call. I also bagged some neat DX,
starting with the obvious "big sigs" -- HC8N, PRØF, KH6ND. I also managed a VE6, a few very loud
JA's, an LU, an XE1, and some other common DX that I was more then happy to work QRP.
OK, I was running a 3-element yagi, and that didn't hurt, but even so I learned some very
useful lessons that might, or might not, be obvious to other QRP affectionados. With this as an
initial experience, I am going to plan a similar strategy for field day, and SS, maybe scoring
a QRP WAS. I will also try my luck at the big DX contests in the fall. What I was primarily
hoping to do this time around was find my way into the contests, and maximize the challenge for
myself. These lessons offer some direction, and surely indicate that the possibilities are real
for those with patience.
Happy hunting
Elliott, W6VFU
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Some Contest Tips for QRP Operating:
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by G0MGX on June 23, 2003
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Great Article!
I've been planning for a while to dust off the part of my brain that got me the 12 wpm morse and actually use it.
Fancy a home brew CW set-up on 20/40m.
Might just give it a go now!
Thanks.
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RE: Some Contest Tips for QRP Operating:
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by K0BG on June 23, 2003
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This year will mark the third Field Day I have helped a good friend operate QRP.
The first year we were running just 5 watts and made some 500+ contacts. Last year we didn't make as many although we were QRO at 50 watts. Most of the contacts were SSB, but a fair number were CW. All it takes is trying.
All it takes is an effort.
Alan, KØBG
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Some Contest Tips for QRP Operating:
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by K3YD on June 23, 2003
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Just because you are running QRP doesn't mean that you can't be loud somewhere or run at times. I still remember a mad 90 minute period in one ARRL DX contest where I was sitting on 28.004 MHz and running--using a 5 watt Ten-Tec rig into a ground plane! I had some wonderful DX call me.
When I am working most stations on the first call and occasionally beating out another station in "pile-ups" I can "run"--and we all know what that does to rate, and score.
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Some Contest Tips for QRP Operating:
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by W5ALT on June 23, 2003
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Whatever strategy works for you is great, but I think you are too pessimistic. I also worked the CQ WW contest using my FT-817 QRP rig and a dipole antenna. I worked about 200 contacts the first day, mostly Europe and US. I got through most of the pile-ups with patience and good timing on the calls. I didn't work the 2nd day at all.
73,
Walt, YV1/W5ALT
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Some Contest Tips for QRP Operating:
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by AC4UR on June 23, 2003
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I also was in the CQ WW WPX with a K1. I was using a vertical antenna. I jumped right in the first few minutes and tried to stay in all night on 40 meters. I worked a lot of DX and came out with 8 new countries on 40 with 5 watts. The second day there were fewer stations on 40 meters so I am glad I got them the first day. You're right about things being easier during the last of the contest, but if you jump right in, you may be rewarded. I have only worked a few contest this year and really had a lot of fun. It is frustrating running QRP and you find that DX you really want only to be swamped with many stations also calling. It's also true I have been able to jump into some pileups and come out a winner over QRO stations. Timing, propagation and a huge amount of luck has really helped me. I have been a ham for many years and never worked a contest before now. All I can say is running QRP during a big contest is a true thrill ride. Just strap yourself in and hang on tight!
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Some Contest Tips for QRP Operating:
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by W4WNT on June 23, 2003
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Great article. I've done the same, worked QRP looking for DX during the second day of a contest and been happy with the results. You'll not likely break a pileup, but the skill set is different. You do have to study how the DX is listening but the results are worth the effort.
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QRP WPX
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by K0EX on June 23, 2003
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I was enjoying a weekend of camping in Estes Park, CO during the contest. Between hikes, running, and just vegging, I made about 70 casual QSOs with 2W and a dipole strung between two pine trees. This included European and Japanese DX. It was a blast!
Persistence and good judgement... that worked for me.
-Mark K0EX
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Some Contest Tips for QRP Operating:
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by W3BIG on June 25, 2003
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Good observations on operating QRP...but the most salient comment was in the last sentence. "Real possibilities exist for those with patience."
I've been an avid QRPer for most of my 25 years as a ham and if nothing else, this aspect of the hobby has taught me the importance of being patient.
Hang in there QRPers.
73 from Bob, W3BIG
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Some Contest Tips for QRP Operating:
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by KC4ATU on June 25, 2003
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After being number one in Virginia for QRP Phone Only in the last three 10 Meter contest, QRP works and works well. This was done with 5 watts to an indoor dipole. The ant. is in the attic which is above the third floor of my townhouse, 30 to 35 feet above ground. This has also worked over 100 countries in 18 months, so with a little patience anything done with power can and is being done with QRP. But, beware, the QRP bug bites and does not let go.
73, Bill kc4atu
QRP, doing more with less
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RE: Some Contest Tips for QRP Operating:
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by WB2WIK on June 25, 2003
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Nice article, and it all comes down to SKILL and ANTENNAS as prime elements for success.
PROPAGATION is important, too, of course, but usually whatever propagation "we" have is the same propagation "everyone else" has, or will have when the sun's in the right position, so this is a variable of minimal consideration.
As for getting runs going with QRP, I've worked very long runs during FD using 5W CW output power on nearly every HF band. At one FD operation 11 years ago, I ran 5W CW TX output to a 4L 20m monoband yagi at 80' on a portable tower, through 200' of feedline so the actual power at the antenna was probably 3W. Had a "run" as the result of a single CQ FD that lasted 4-1/2 hours, netting 344 Qs during the single run. Easy to remember because it broke our club record at the time!
WB2WIK/6
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RE: Some Contest Tips for QRP Operating:
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by K3YD on June 25, 2003
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As WB2WIK/6 points out, there is probably no better contest for QRP than Field Day. It's mostly a domestic contest, and the majority of stations are running 100 watts or less, often with simple antennas. So the QRP station is fewer dB below average signal strength. If the QRP station has the benefit of a really good antenna, there may be no relative disadvantage.
A few years ago I operated FD with the Williamsburg (VA) ARC from a QTH along the tidewater near Yorktown, VA. Antennas were full-wave loops at about 50'--fed with ladder line. We had no trouble generating long runs from a single CQ and often, on SSB, received compliments on our "Big Signal"--all 4.5 watts of it!
If that doesn't make a QRP guy smile, nothing will.
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RE: Some Contest Tips for QRP Operating:
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by N2MG on June 26, 2003
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Not to take anything away from the QRPers and the work involved in being successful at it, and not all QRP signals are PunyWeak, but a lot of credit must go to the guys at the *other* end of the QSOs - the ones who (in many cases) work quite hard trying to dig out those QRP signals.
73 Mike N2MG
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Some Contest Tips for QRP Operating:
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by KR2Q on June 29, 2003
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Welcome to QRP contesting! I've been doing this for many decades and it's nice to see new blood.
Now that your feet are wet, may I suggest that you get on for BOTH days and lose the "I'm only qrp" attitude. Skill is your best friend and "I'm only qrp" is your worst enemy. Remember, NOBODY looks at the S-meter in a contest, especially something like WPX or CQWWDX or ARRLDX (I hold/have held QRP USA records in all three, both modes). The "trick" is wait until (a) the other guy's signal is very loud (relative) and (b) don't call while others are calling.
That does NOT mean that you should skip the pileups...not at all! Just bide your time during the calling until you hear an "empty" spot and DUMP IT IN. I've beat out KW stations by the hundreds (in pileups) by SMART calling. If I don't get through after 3 calls, I move on. As you've already found out, there is always "tomorrow" or even later in the day.
Also...remember that many contesters are hungry to RUN. So when the band is wide to Europe or JA (depending on which coast you are on), look for stuff "in the other directions." Not exclusively, but don't forget to look and call. A good trick (if you have a directional and/or rotating antenna is to take a quick run up the band looking for stuff in the "wrong" direction. I do this ALL THE TIME for South American when Europe is open (I'm in NJ). Same thing with JA (again, from NJ). When Asia is hot here, everybody wants to run JA's. This is a good time to listen for VK/ZL, T32, etc. As Apple sez, THINK DIFFERENT.
MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL is to be SMART about your calling. Again, don't go head to head with KW guys....wait for a gap in the calling or (on cw) call up 500 cycles or so (sometimes call down 500 cycles, depending if the other guy is listening to cw on LSB or USB.
If anyone has any specific questions, I'll be glad to answer. Check me out on QRZ.com (look up) or Contesting.com (in the CONTESTER LOOKUP) section in the left hand column
de Doug KR2Q
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RE: Some Contest Tips for QRP Operating:
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by W9WHE on July 2, 2003
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With the "might makes right" mentality of so many contesters...why would anybody run QRP? Isn't that like volunteering for a root canal?
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Some Contest Tips for QRP Operating:
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by N6KD on April 24, 2004
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I disagree with your tips. I was told that I couldn't operate QRP in the big DX contests because of the strong signals. I managed 240 QSOs by just jumping into my first international DX contest from CA. I recently returned from PJ2 where I operated QRP for a full week and often was over S9 in Europe. Many QRP signals I copied were S9. During a week of casual operating I made 790 QSOs in 78 countries - all QRP. The deciding factor in QRP operating is not the other stations but propagation. When conditions are excellent you will get through. When conditions are really lousy, you can't get through with a KW. You can break pileups with 5W and you can get stations to return your CQs - but not as easily as when you are running 1.5KW. I have QRP WAS and DXCC.
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Some Contest Tips for QRP Operating:
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by N6KD on August 5, 2004
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I have had quite different results operating QRP in contests. I am not afraid of pileups and find that I often can make a contact when many stations are calling. The other stations may be QRP also and may not have as good of propagation as I do - and the DX station may be listening on just the freq that I am transmitting on. In my last DX contest I made about 240 DX QSOs. I have also found that I get contacts easier the second day as there is less competition. Granted, some pileups I do not "crack" so just move to the next station after several tries.
I have found that QRP is much more fun when you have good antennas - especially working DX. I spent a week at PJ2T in April and operated QRP from there exclusively - 790 QSOs in one week and about 90 countries - but had stacked monobanders and the QTH is right next to the Caribbean.
73, and gl with QRP operating.
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