During the contests, where my power level is about 4.5watts out (maximum) I wait on 20 meters, around 14060 khz for signals to be audible. They pop up above the noise for a moment, and then are gone, it sometimes it that way for hours. Then enough signals to form calls, come through, and I call, and I call. Sometimes the signals jump out of the noise, and I get excited, perhaps mine is doing the same thing at the other end? Then, it happens, One contact after another...and then usually the end of the contest just as the band is opening for KH6.
Often, when the band is poor for QRP, I go to QRO...10-20+ watts and often trade good reports to these same places that do not copy my QRP level signals.
These days 15 meters is open from time to time and QRP signals do very well. I have even had QRP QSOs when we were the only two stations copied on the band. My HW-8 with 1.5 watts output has made many contacts from the Home QTH and Beach Parks along the Windward Coast of Oahu.
10 meters is open less frequently, but monitored with great anticipation of the improved propagation in the future. During the 1998 WW DX Contest some 5 watt SSB Exchanges were made.
Sometimes I take the HW-8 or Homebrew Xcvr and a portable antenna out to a beachpark and try and make a few contacts on 20/15 & 10. I suppose I should take a gag picture with me on the beach with the J-37 WW2 telegraph key on my leg and some tropical drink with an umbrella and fruit in the glass with girls doing the hula in the background or something..
7mhz is pretty predictable, the late afternoon to early evening and early morning the grayline brings new signals to me. I can hear the signals start come in around 7025- 7040 khz, many with /QRP in their calls. I call, but most often find that I am down in the noise on the other end. Lots of QRM in the Continental US masks my signal. However, that is nothing compared to the SW broadcast stations that are all over the 40 meter band out here. There is even a special part of the band for voice out here..7075-7100khz. I rarely operate there, and it is often full of digital intruders. The International Broadcast Stations are every few Khz, and if there is an open spot, it is filled with a SSB signal from a foreign phone band, or pirate operator. Eventually, the band stretches out as night falls and signals get stronger for a short time. I make a few CW contacts, and then recognize when the band changing. I can still hear signals, but my experience now tells me to wait. I usually must wait several hours until it is very late at night (or early in the morning). In the meantime often stations throughout the Pacific can be contacted, and ocassionally some pleasant suprises from elsewhere in the world.
I often tune to 3.5 and 1.8 in search of a CW contact, but with the exception of the contests, when stations listen closer, and some fire-up their big "DX" antennas, pointed out this way. it is hard to make QRP contacts on these lower bands. On 3.5/1.8 I try with 10/20W, but often resort to 100W to make contacts. If I had room for a larger antenna, I am sure I could do more with low power on these bands.
In December 1997, I tried very hard to make contacts on 160 Meters, the ARRL 160 Contest presented a great opportunity. In the 1997 ARRL 160 Mtr CW Contest, I used a 1944 National HRO-W Receiver with Plug-in Coils and a 1944 Collins TCS-12 CW/AM Transmitter at 4.75 watts out to the Butternut Vertical. It was difficult, after almost 10 hours, I finally did make 2 exchanges, Alaska and Nevada. In 1998 I hope to do more with 80 meters, some QRP SSB, CW, and perhaps AM. There is some local interest in building some gear, and that will bring new stations active on QRPs. Classic AM.I also try to make QRP Satellite CW/SSB contacts on RS-12 satellite when it is configured to take my 5W signal transmitted on 15mtrs and retransmit it on 10mtrs. The RS-12 satellite beacon transmits CW on 29.408mhz. Check into Satellite Operation, it is a real challenge!
My antenna system is primarily a couple of verticals, a Butternut HF-5V with the 160 coil, with it's radials into the Bay itself.It probably does not do much electronically, but it sounds good and makes me feel better . The other vertical, an R5 is at the other extreme of the small lot, near the street. The G5RV is in the middle of the lot on one side, hanging 25' up in a small Palm Tree. It works well too, especially for local inter-island HF communications, or to extend a QSO as the band is changing and the vertical is loosing the signal. It also is used for RS-Satellite downlink reception.
I am working on various temporary antenna designs for use in contests, and for testing. None of the small palm trees is in the right place, and I am above the more desiriable low-profile antenna level now.
For portable operation, a portable vertical is used on 20, 15 & 10 meters with a counterpoise. Various 1/2 wave longwires, dipoles and a G5RV are used aswell.
All equipment is transported in plastic packing boxes, and plastic covers are at the ready to protect the station from the frequent rain showers.
Power for portable operation is provided by a 6 ampere hour Gell Cell, or a 12 volt Deep Cycle Battery. A small solar panel is often transported to the portable location, to keep the gell cell charging from the sun.
Continiously Modified Article/Greg
Last Updated: June 27, 1998