Starting HF with QRP?

[WA2TPU]

You know,now that I think about ......I had a couple of those GREEN STATIONS too. The HW-7 and HW-8 -both GREEN and both QRP.
Best regards and many 73.
Don sr. - WA2TPU - A TRUE 5 WATT GREEN QRP STATION.

[AA4GA]

No one has to convince you if already in your mind you don't want convincing. We all have a reason for doing it. You just have to find your owning reason.

This probably makes more sense to me than all the rest of it.

That is correct - I think it's kind of like what Louis Armstrong said about jazz - if you have to ask what it is, you'll never know.  Now, that's not entirely true, but it is a personal thing - and if it doesn't speak to you, it just doesn't.

I have no real idea about *why* I've been enjoying QRP as much as I have the past couple years, but I do.

FWIW, I use fountain pens, shoot film, tie my own flies, and made my own beer when I still consumed.  There are easier ways to do all those things, but the "hands on" approach appeals to me more I think.

I never sign "QRP."  I feel that if someone wants to answer my weak signal, fine.  If not, that's OK too.  Signing QRP sounds too much like begging to me.

I agree.  If anything, I find adding "/QRP" to be counterproductive when signing.

Some folks *don't* like it so much...which is one of the big reasons many recommend just turning down a 100-watt rig to 5 watts to see if they do like it before spending money on equipment they won't enjoy using. 

[K8AXW]

Lee,

I spent, as I recall, less than a hundred bucks for the first QRP rig.  It was a kit that I enjoyed assembling. It is for 20m and I connect it to my TH7DX on a 50ft tower.  I can usually work who I hear.  It now gets little, if any, exercise.

The second foray into QRP wasn't so much wanting another QRP rig as it was to build a very interesting (initially) piece of gear.  It was the TAK-40 40m CW/SSB/PSK31 transceiver that won the ARRL sponsored Homebrew Challenge back in 2008.

It turned into a nightmare which lasted 4 years but nevertheless I wound up with a working transceiver.  I'm now in the process of building a 50w amplifier for it. 

I think it's kind of like what Louis Armstrong said about jazz - if you have to ask what it is, you'll never know.  Now, that's not entirely true, but it is a personal thing - and if it doesn't speak to you, it just doesn't.

I suppose this says it all.  I just has to ask "why" just in case I'm overlooking something.  Now is the time to move on to something else to keep me off the streets!

[WA2TPU]

to K8AXW - "I suppose this says it all.  I just has to ask "why" just in case I'm overlooking something.  Now is the time to move on to something else to keep me off the streets!"

One of the beauties of our hobby is that there are so, so many different avenues and paths to pursue if you choose to do so.
Best of luck to you on your journeys through-out  the wonderful world of ham radio.
Many 73.
Don sr. - WA2TPU- A TRUE 5 WATT GREEN QRP STATION.

[AA4GA]

The second foray into QRP wasn't so much wanting another QRP rig as it was to build a very interesting (initially) piece of gear.  It was the TAK-40 40m CW/SSB/PSK31 transceiver that won the ARRL sponsored Homebrew Challenge back in 2008.

It turned into a nightmare which lasted 4 years but nevertheless I wound up with a working transceiver.  I'm now in the process of building a 50w amplifier for it.

There are a lot of folks in the QRP community that do just that - build and troubleshoot radios, and rarely, if ever, use them.  Nothing wrong with that.  Personally, I'm an operator more than a builder, but I'm expanding my building horizons as a result of being part of the QRP community - which is a positive thing for me.

I'm guessing you weren't able to build the TAK40 for less than 50 bucks, were you?  What were the main issues (give us the short version - I'll bet there's a loooong story involved!).