No, I didn't miss it at all. I found your observations to be completely in line with my expectations. For most contests, I have to operate as if I were QRP -- no beam, 100 watts to compromise wire antennas on a city lot (and often a high noise level). That puts me roughly 17 dB below the guys with legal power and beams (and it puts QRP to a wire antenna 30 dB below legal power and beams). In other words, you've learned how I have to operate in virtually every contest except Field Day, and is why Field Day is my favorite contest -- there are very few stations running more than 100 watts!
But I have a lot of fun working contests at home, because it hones my operating skills. I am among those who believe that ALL contests ought to be limited to 100 watts to make it a more level playing field. It would mean that folks without big power and big antennas have a better chance to hit bigger numbers. 73, Jim K9YC On Tue, 29 Jun 2004 07:34:59 -0400, Bill Tippett wrote: >K9YC wrote: > >Our 100 watt 3A (K9OR) made 1039 Q's on 40 meters alone. > > You may have missed the point Jim. 100 watts is 13 dB stronger >than 5 watts. If most QRP stations like myself found that CQ-ing >was simply not effective and did S&P only, the universe of stations >to work is FAR less. I suspect most stations CQ-ing were 100 watts. >Also many guys choose to mainly do S&P independent of power. If you >cannot effectively CQ, you are going to miss both the QRP guys who >are S&P only as well as the 100 watt guys who choose not to CQ. You >can never do well in any contest (except for the NCJ Sprints) unless >you can maintain effective rates CQ-ing. > > I thought I might be able to CQ on the higher bands well up >in the band and out of the way of stronger signals, but that simply >would not work on any band for me, even though I tried many times. >Such is life with QRP and wire antennas I suspect. As I said >before, it was a good lesson in humility but I'm not sure I want >to repeat it again! I think I learned this lesson once before in >the Stew Perry Topband Challenge but had forgotten it. > > 73, Bill W4ZV > >P.S. Anyone have any comments on my K2 questions? QSK thumping, >power meter inconsistencies or memory keying timing? > >_______________________________________________ >Elecraft mailing list >Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net >You must be a subscriber to post to the list. >Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm >Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
