W2LJ QRP .... Do More With Less

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Sometimes you can just feel your HBP climbing.

Posted: 29 Sep 2016 10:39 AM PDT
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Saw this on Facebook, on the ARRL National Parks on the Air page. The
original post was a question:
"How much power (wattage) do you use for NPOTA QSO's? (Question is for both
activators and chasers)?"

I answered with:
"Worked Bill AB4BJ in Utah today from NJ. 5W SSB. When activating, 5W CW."

My comment was immediately followed by someone who said:
"100W - 95% of the time for chasing. 50 to 100W activating. QRP is unfair
to chasers."

Saywhatnow?

"QRP is unfair to chasers?" How the heck can QRP be unfair to chasers?

If you understand propagation, then a QRP signal will be loud to someone,
somewhere. As I've stated SO many times before, QRP does NOT automatically
equal "weak signal". I gave, as an example, just last Sunday, when I
worked that N7 station from Seattle, WA in the Peanut Power Sprint. His 5
Watts almost blew my earbuds out. He was 20 over 9, if he was anything.
And there were quite a few times that I got the comment "FB SIGS" during a
QSO when I was using 5 Watts (but not mentioning that fact). Heck, I'm
sure you have, too. In fact, I'm sure every QRPer has heard that at least
once - probably many, many times more.

So, if QRP is unfair to chasers, how about the times that I can't hear the
activators running 100 Watts? Do I blame them for running "low power"?
Should everyone run the full 1.5 kW? Would that be fair and satisfy
everyone?

Bottom line - It is what it is. If you can hear 'em then try to work 'em.
If you can't hear 'em - what are you worrying about?

Or maybe it might be better if certain people went back to the ol' study
manual and brushed up on that chapter about propagation.

I just don't understand comments like that..

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!