QRP WHY NOT QRP What Why How Jim

QRP WHY NOT? QRP What, Why & How Jim Stafford, W 4 QO With foundation slides from Phil Salas - AD 5 X ARRL 2005 Bill Orr, W 6 SAI, Technical Writing Award Winner ad 5 x@arrl. net W 4 QO – Jim Stafford

QRP WHY NOT? Jim at the Key W 4 QO – Jim Stafford

QRP WHY NOT? W 4 QO Jim’s Bio u I am the past President of the 15000 member - QRP ARCI - the international QRP club promoting the construction and operation of low powered amateur radio gear. I have been to 15 of 17 Four Days in May events at Dayton. In 2010, I was honored by being named to their QRP Hall of Fame. I hold several of their QRP Achievement Awards, and I'm most proud of their 5 Band QRP DX award for 100 countries worked via QRP on each of 5 Bands. I also achieved Worked All States QRP in their 2011 Golden Jubilee Challenge where operators in all 50 states used the club callsign K 6 JSS. I just love this QRP stuff! Oh, I recently worked 100 "countries" at ONE WATT QRP and also worked 102 "countries" (not band countries) in one weekend in the 2013 CQ WW DX contest (QRP). W 4 QO – Jim Stafford

QRP WHY NOT? Definition u QRP: Decrease Power l Or, QRP? : Shall I decrease power? u Originally used to give some relief from the broad spark signals in the early maritime wireless service u In Amateur Radio, it refers to low power operation. u QRP intrigues because of the minimalistic nature over lower power operations, the high distance-to-power results that can be achieved, and the pure satisfaction of making a contact with so little power. u QRP gear is natural travel gear. W 4 QO – Jim Stafford

QRP WHY NOT? History of QRP u 1960: K 6 JSS started the QRP ARCI l Originally 100 w – then to world standard 5 w (1981) u. Definitions: l l l High Power: > 500 watts input Medium power: 100 -500 watts input Low power: < 100 watts input (200 watts PEP) 5 watts CW output OR 10 watts PEP SSB output QRPP: Milliwatters - Less than one watt output power W 4 QO – Jim Stafford

QRP WHY NOT? QRP Objective u Increase equipment and antenna efficiencies l l l Careful impedance matching More efficient output coupling More effective antennas u Improve operating proficiency l l Bands vs time-of-day Frequency vs desired distance u Improve design efficiency l l 1) Size & weight decrease and maximum output power 2) Minimize current draw n n n l l l No lamps (except LEDs) No digital display unless LCD Maximize TX efficiency 3) Use few components & pack the board tightly 4) Use ICs if possible 5) Sensitive RX - If you can’t hear‘em, you can’t work‘em W 4 QO – Jim Stafford

QRP WHY NOT? QRP Motivation u. Challenge of low power contacts l l 5 watts is 13 d. B below 100 watts (two S-units) 5 watts is 23 d. B below 1000 watts (four S-units) u. No interference to TV, stereo, intercom, telephone, etc. u. Simplicity of home-brew QRP equipment l l Learn to apply electronic theory Build low power emergency/portable equipment u. Low cost way to get on the air and get that code speed up! W 4 QO – Jim Stafford

QRP WHY QRP Rules for Success NOT? u. Call strong stations l If a weak station is QRO, he may not hear you. u. It is better to answer a CQ l l Choose a very clear frequency when calling CQ Call CQ properly u. Use an effective antenna l Only a masochist uses a poor antenna with QRP u. Be prepared to listen a lot W 4 QO – Jim Stafford

QRP WHY NOT? How far can you go? u. W 4 QO – 62 countries in Feb. 2006 ARRL DX contest – isn’t this at a sunspot minimum? u. KO 4 WX California to New Zealand – 5 W and MP-1 u. W 4 DU ARRL 160 Meter Contest - 2000 45 states, 22 countries and 3 continents -5 watts and GAP Vertical 700 mw accidental QSO u. Ned Mountain – QRP Bicycle Mobile SSB to Siberia (he has the tape!) W 4 QO – Jim Stafford

QRP WHY NOT? QRP Organizations u. G-QRP Club (SPRAT) l http: //www. gqrp. com u. QRP ARCI (QRP Quarterly) l www. qrparci. org u. American QRP Club (QRP Homebrewer) l www. amqrp. org u. No. Ga. QRP Club l www. nogaqrp. org W 4 QO – Jim Stafford

QRP WHY NOT? QRP Contesting u. Great way to pick up QSOs, countries, states u. Good operators with good ears u. QRP ARCI - Sprints – QSO Parties u. Adventure Radio Society – 1 st Monday month u. FOX Hunts – each Tuesday at 2100 eastern u. Dozens of major contests each year have QRP categories – why? They want you to give them some QSOs! u. Greatly Improve your operating skills W 4 QO – Jim Stafford

QRP WHY NOT? QRP Awards W 4 QO – Jim Stafford

QRP WHY What kind of equipment? NOT? u. Normal 100 watt rigs turned down to QRP levels u. New QRP Rigs l l l SGC-2020 MFJ-9 xxx Argonaut V Elecraft K 1, K 2, KX-1 plus T-1 tuner, MP-1, etc. FT-817 IC-703 u. Kits l l l Many club kits – Nor. Cal, Am. QRP, No. GA Ten-Tec MFJ Cub Wilderness Radio Small Wonders Labs – your best first QRP rig! SW-40 DSW-20 Rockmite ($30) W 4 QO – Jim Stafford

QRP WHY QRP Rigs – Then and Now! NOT? W 4 QO – Jim Stafford

QRP WHY NOT? QRP Equipment u. Qrp Kits PFR-3 A ~ $250 W 4 QO – Jim Stafford

QRP WHY NOT? QRP Equipment u. Elecraft KX 1 with paddle: elecraft. com u 4 bands ~ $300 - $400 W 4 QO – Jim Stafford

QRP WHY NOT? QRP Equipment u. Elecraft K 2 With Bail paddle: elecraft. com u~ $760 - $950 W 4 QO – Jim Stafford

QRP WHY NOT? QRP Equipment u. Elecraft KX 3: elecraft. com u~ $1000 W 4 QO – Jim Stafford

QRP WHY NOT? No. Ga. QRP Club u. Serving the North GA area – Macon to Blairsville u. Meets 2 nd Saturday – Wieuca Road Bap Church u. Meetings start at 10 AM until ? ? u. Every meeting is Show and Tell – amazing stuff u. Other events – Field Day, QRPTTF, FYBO, etc. u. Projects: No. Ga. Watt meter, No. Ga. PIG, GA Sierra, Guppy, No. Ga. Naut, Georgia Cracker u. Fun events – Run for the Kudzu, etc. W 4 QO – Jim Stafford

QRP WHY Most fun in Ham Radio! NOT? u 1. Get a used rig – a $200 transceiver from e. Bay u 2. Listen/Study/Get your license/callsign u 3. Learn the code (CW) (Charlie Whiskey)(didah) u 4. Upgrade to General; get a 1 x 3 callsign u 5. Get your QSL made – cheapqsls. com ($12) u 6. Make a CW contact, then 100 (SKCC) u 7. Build your own rig – SW-40, Ten. Tec, Qrpkits u 8. Go for an award – WAS, WAC, collecting QSLs. u 9. Enter a contest – Spartan Sprint, QRP ARCI Party u 10. Build antenna & go to THE FIELD – FD, a park u 11. Upgrade to Extra Class W 4 QO – Jim Stafford

QRP WHY NOT? QSL CARDS uhttp: //cheapqsls. com W 4 QO – Jim Stafford

QRP WHY NOT? Conclusion u. QRP challenge: Use the least power necessary to establish and maintain communications u. QRP reduces QRM, and re-introduces an element of adventure & challenge that was part of amateur radio’s earliest days. u. QRP gear is compact, portable, and inexpensive u. QRP gear is great for the experimenter & the homebrewer u. Sharpen your CW and operating skills W 4 QO – Jim Stafford

QRP WHY NOT? u. What can you do with QRP? l Anything = use the skill, tenacity and patience to do it!! u. Just remember: l l l “Power is no substitute for skill” (QRP ARCI) QRP – When you care enough to use the very least! “Use wits, not watts” (unknown) “It is vain to do with more, what can be done with less” (William of Occam, 1290 -1350) QRP- The Thrill is Back! (W 4 QO) W 4 QO – Jim Stafford