Pages: 1 2 [3] 4   Go Down

Author Topic: Your proudest moment as a QRP operator....  (Read 1189 times)

K3UIM

  • Member
  • Posts: 2145
Re: Your proudest moment as a QRP operator....
« Reply #30 on: February 03, 2021, 07:00:24 PM »

"tossing out all of my crummy little nonsense, silly, life is too short qrp radios"

And some of us are totally satisfied with qrp and its potential for learning.
I will probably never use rtty, ssb, am, etc, but I certainly won't degrade those that enjoy those parts of the hobby. To each his own.
(I wish you had let me know when you were going to toss out all your qrp gear!!!! Drool, drool.) LOL

Charlie
 
Logged
Charlie. K3UIM
Where you are: I was!
Where I am: You will be!
So be nice to us old fogies!!

SOFAR

  • Member
  • Posts: 1640
Re: Your proudest moment as a QRP operator....
« Reply #31 on: February 04, 2021, 04:59:15 AM »

And some of us are totally satisfied with qrp and its potential for learning.
I will probably never use rtty, ssb, am, etc, but I certainly won't degrade those that enjoy those parts of the hobby. To each his own.

Charlie

So you operate strictly CW?
Do you have any preferred bands that you operate on?

I've been interested in going that direction. Need to set a study schedule, buy an oscillator.
Also going to start listening to actual QSOs.
Logged

K3UIM

  • Member
  • Posts: 2145
Re: Your proudest moment as a QRP operator....
« Reply #32 on: February 04, 2021, 06:47:34 AM »

FAR: The sun rises and sets on 40 cw. For me, that's always been my favorite. I haven't been on the air for a long time, being busy home-brewing, etc, but the radio is always on while I'm in the shack, "reading code". Hi.
Charlie
Logged
Charlie. K3UIM
Where you are: I was!
Where I am: You will be!
So be nice to us old fogies!!

WB0FDJ

  • Member
  • Posts: 262
Re: Your proudest moment as a QRP operator....
« Reply #33 on: February 04, 2021, 01:54:10 PM »

My proudest moment as a qrp op was tossing out all of my crummy little nonsense, silly, life is too short qrp radios and getting a real radio and a kilowatt  amp.

Why make the poor sucker on the other end of the RF link strain his hearing.

I actively and enthusiastically support my ham brethren making their own decisions about operating. That's the truly great thing about this hobby; it's not only "one" thing. Some guys are into satellites, for others it's digital operating, developing antennas, or what-have-you. If your thing is getting "a real radio and a kilowatt amp", I'd say: good for you. You found your niche. Have fun with it.

However the assumption that QRP contacts always involves some "poor sucker on the other end of the RF link" straining his hearing is IMHO largely myth. I recently spent some time looking over my logs dating back to 1979. (I won't count my Novice log from 1971. None of us knew what we were doing... ;D ) About 90% of the Q's were CW. I had forgotten the number of QRP to QRP contacts I'd made. Most of the RST's were in the 559 range (both ways) or better. And a lot of them were "real" QSO's. You know: 20 to 30 minutes about the other guy's dog, his new antenna and the grandkids. Most regular QRPers will relate similar stories. For me it's not about how many watts ya got. It's about what you do with 'em. 

73

Doc WB0FDJ
Logged

K3UIM

  • Member
  • Posts: 2145
Re: Your proudest moment as a QRP operator....
« Reply #34 on: February 04, 2021, 04:12:45 PM »

Amen, Doc
Charlie
Logged
Charlie. K3UIM
Where you are: I was!
Where I am: You will be!
So be nice to us old fogies!!

AA4PB

  • Member
  • Posts: 15504
Re: Your proudest moment as a QRP operator....
« Reply #35 on: February 04, 2021, 04:28:28 PM »

1st contact on my just completed Juma TRX2 transceiver kit  :)  20M, 10W PEP, SSB long path from Virginia to Australia. Of course it was connected to a 3 element Yagi at 60 feet.
 
Logged
Bob  AA4PB
Garrisonville, VA

K5AF

  • Member
  • Posts: 23
Re: Your proudest moment as a QRP operator....
« Reply #36 on: February 04, 2021, 08:08:29 PM »

I have many proud QRP moments beginning with my first winter on 160M.  I had a Heathkit AR-3 receiver with a QF-1 Q multiplier. and a Johnson Adverturer running about 35 watts output, with a Heath VF-1 VFO.  I tweaked my AR-3, so that 160M  would be included in the first band on the AR-3, just above the AM broadcast band.  In the AR-3, each upward band change meant more drift and less selectivity, so I had the receiver configured for maximum performance.  My only problem was my Johnson Adventurer did not cover 160h.   The only way to get to get on 160M just using the output of my VF-1, which was an estimated 3-4 watts output!  I placed a large capacitor across the output plug and found that at one point the signal seemed to get stronger on the receiver.  Who would have thought that anyone would hear me, but after a couple of months, I had worked 13 states.  My most memorable experience was working a station in Pennsylvania from Wisconsin. That poor guy must have spent about 20 minutes just trying to pull my call out of the noise.  I owe all those contacts to a 600' longwire antenna, made with #22 wire.  It obviously didn't stay up through an entire Wisconsin winter, but I regularly trudged out in the snow and spliced the antenna many times that year.
Logged

K3UIM

  • Member
  • Posts: 2145
Re: Your proudest moment as a QRP operator....
« Reply #37 on: February 05, 2021, 06:18:30 AM »

"but I regularly trudged out in the snow and spliced the antenna many times that year."
Now there's a ham with determination! LOL Of such stuff are ham ops made! Well done!
Charlie
Logged
Charlie. K3UIM
Where you are: I was!
Where I am: You will be!
So be nice to us old fogies!!

KF4ZGZ

  • Member
  • Posts: 315
    • HomeURL
Re: Your proudest moment as a QRP operator....
« Reply #38 on: February 07, 2021, 03:43:57 AM »

I just submitted my WFDA ( Winter Field Day log).
I ran 1O NC using QRP for the event.
Claimed score of 6540 ..... Not to bad for my first ever contest in QRP.
Logged
Matt

KL7CW

  • Member
  • Posts: 1162
Re: Your proudest moment as a QRP operator....
« Reply #39 on: February 07, 2021, 11:39:16 AM »

K5AF, Thank you for your 160 meter story.  I also have a history of using Heat products in non approved ways !   Back in the 1950's made some VF-1 QSO's probably on 40 meters.  Also some of the local kids and I made some good QSO's with each other using the Heath GDO as the TX.  Coupled to the antenna with a 1 or 2 turn coil and a key in series.  However we had a problem, good signals with the key up, but not with the key down.  Finally found each other's key down signals by tuning our RX's way off frequency. Good signals between our shacks about a mile apart, but hoped our drifting FSK signals would not reach FCC about 10 miles away, so our few QSO's were very short. Fast forward about 55 years and I had made a few 160 meter QRP QSO's from my home in Alaska with only an inverted L and a minimal radial field.  This was using my big transceiver just turned down to 5 W, so being a QRP fanatic, I did not really count this.  So I needed to build a battery powered 160 meter set up before the next contest.  For the TX, I dug out my old Heath HW-8, and set it up for 3.6 MHz.  I then padded the few watts down about 10 dB and fed this into a 74HC74 divide by 2 chip, then into several parallel sections of an octal inverter chip.  I fed this into a power FET and a kluged 160 meter LPF.  I had 5 watts output with a 12 volt battery.  Some key clicks, but no active local hams within about 40 miles on that contest, so doubt I caused too much angst among the contesters.  Worked about 6 states and I believe Canada and Japan in a relatively few hours. I think most of the QSO's were between about 1500 and 2500 miles, but my signals were very weak.  Conditions were exceptionally good, and most of the QSO's were after midnight and took some effort on the other poor guys.  For my RX, I tacked some 1500 pF capacitors across the input filters on my KX-1, which improved it's RX by about 45 dB, so it was now band noise limited. So a future project is to build a small battery operated 160 meter transceiver with proper keying, and filtering.  I may build a small transverter for my KX-2, or possibly modify something like a 30 meter MFJ Cub for 160, or just design and build from the ground up.  In my 67 years as a ham, I have spent ten times as many hours building as I have spent operating.  After I build something and make a few QSO's, I often tear it down and start over again on an "improvement" (hopefully).  It has been a good ride for 67 years, and hope I have many more QRP adventures.  Rick KL7CW,  Palmer, Alaska
Logged

K3UIM

  • Member
  • Posts: 2145
Re: Your proudest moment as a QRP operator....
« Reply #40 on: February 08, 2021, 09:29:34 AM »

"(I won't count my Novice log from 1971. None of us knew what we were doing... ;D )"
You're certainly right there and we really learned how to send well spaced code from battling the other novice sender's straight keys. LOL In fact, I finally built a keyer from Ham Radio magazine and found a paddle to try to improve my sending. (I love listening to the sending of W1AW as I find I can copy a lot of it when they're sending faster than the speed I'm comfortable with.)

Each and every QSO was, to us, a God send that we felt sure we'd never forget. What wonderful days those were! And, after a while of wading in the hobby, we'd dive right in and get selective, looking for those hams way over on the other side of the states, the 6's and 7's. Wow! (The xyl got the first California)  :'(

Ah, memories that last a lifetime!

Charlie
Logged
Charlie. K3UIM
Where you are: I was!
Where I am: You will be!
So be nice to us old fogies!!

KM1H

  • Member
  • Posts: 11155
Re: Your proudest moment as a QRP operator....
« Reply #41 on: February 10, 2021, 06:21:14 PM »

"but I regularly trudged out in the snow and spliced the antenna many times that year."
Now there's a ham with determination! LOL Of such stuff are ham ops made! Well done!
Charlie


I do it regularly 12 months of the year with 5 two wire Beverages of 500-750' long for 10 directions. These are made with Army surplus WD1A field telephone wire bought by the reel

They break when tree branches fall on them or summer T storms blow up the matching transformers (literally) in small plastic boxes. A PITA to repair but since I ran 120V all over the rear acres it gets done pretty fast. Plus I have cleared paths to run the lawn tractor and cart mounted on the back with tools, etc.

Its a little slower with a few feet of that white dreck on the ground but the regular exercise keeps me young.

Logged

K3UIM

  • Member
  • Posts: 2145
Re: Your proudest moment as a QRP operator....
« Reply #42 on: February 11, 2021, 07:49:24 AM »

Three years in Germany, helping uncle Sam out, brings back some sinful memories.  8) (I was SO much younger then)

Charlie
Logged
Charlie. K3UIM
Where you are: I was!
Where I am: You will be!
So be nice to us old fogies!!

KM1H

  • Member
  • Posts: 11155
Re: Your proudest moment as a QRP operator....
« Reply #43 on: February 12, 2021, 10:25:58 AM »

My #2 son spent most of his 20 year USAF career (retired as a Major) officially based in Germany from Ramstein to hole in the wall slots but assigned to many EU and AF trouble spots training others how to deal with terrorists. He said the Rwandan AF were absolutely fantastic dealing with Somalis (splat) as were the Russians. But you never saw any of that good stuff on US TV. He was stationed at the USN site in Djibouti (where the Arabs went to party) then where a wide selection of multi nation Special Forces trained. Georgia and Turkey were other countries he enjoyed.

Currently lives in Montenegro with his Russian wife.

Carl
Logged

K3UIM

  • Member
  • Posts: 2145
Re: Your proudest moment as a QRP operator....
« Reply #44 on: February 12, 2021, 11:59:42 AM »

Carl,

It occurs to me that you probably didn't get the gist of my last note. You used the word "dreck" and I busted out laughing. I haven't heard it since 1954.

Charlie
Logged
Charlie. K3UIM
Where you are: I was!
Where I am: You will be!
So be nice to us old fogies!!
Pages: 1 2 [3] 4   Go Up