Subj : Re: QRP To : K0neo From : Spaceman Spiff Date : Fri Dec 10 2004 09:04 pm Re: Re: QRP By: K0neo to Warlord on Mon Dec 06 2004 08:18 am > -=> Warlord wrote to k0neo <=- > > Wa> Re: Re: QRP > Wa> By: k0neo to Speed Demon on Wed Dec 01 2004 10:10 am > > Wa> This is what I like to see. 10 watts is a healthy signal unless > Wa> the bands are totally dead. I have the regular stuff here. Icoms 706, > Wa> 746PRO, 756PRO2 and this little Icom 703 that uses no power, has a > Wa> GREAT antenna tuner built in AND works EVERYTHING that any other radio > Wa> running here at 100 watts does. KA6HGT > > Imagine what the bands would be like if we all ran only enough power to get > job done and, instead, concentrated on better antennae and better operating > practices. Am I asking too much? When did we lose it? > > Ron > K0NEO > > > ... First time in this part of the cosmos? I like the idea of better antennas. I just makes sense. Every 3 dB of gain is like doubling your wattage. If you are transmitting 100 watts into a 12 dB gain antenna, ok subtract 3 dB in feed line loss, that still give you 9 dB of gain 100 watts - 3dB feed line loss = 50 watts 50 watts + 3 dB= 100 watts 100 watts + 3 dB = 200 watts 200 watts + 3 dB = 400 watts 400 watts + 3 dB = 800 watts 100 watts and a good antenna and you are running effective radiated power of 800 watts...it is a lot cheaper than a Linear and antennas can be easily home brewed from inexpensive wire and aluminum. Ah an think if you can go with larger diameter coax and shorter feed lines to the antenna, if you could get that extra 3 dB back it would be like 1600 watts. :) It really makes sense. The more gain on your antenna also makes the station your talking to seem more powerful by doubling his signal every 3 dB. I have a new Station Master 2 meter repeater antenna ready to go up on our clubs repeater tower. I believe this antenna has about 8 to 9 dB gain over the present antenna. It should really help with coverage in our area. We have a lot of guys that have problems with HTs getting into our club machine. (Big complaint of our club members down in a nearby town.) I am thinking this new antenna along with upgrading the diameter of the feed line from 1/2 in feed line to 1.25 inch diameter feed line will solve this problem. My first HF rig was a 3 watt Heathkit QRP CW rig, I ran 50 feet of RG-8 to an 80 and 40 meter dipole, I was making contacts from Philadelphia up into Canada and out through the mid west down into Virgina, kentucky and even had a Florida contact. I never ran the QRP rig wide open at 3 watts but kept the power down to only 2 watts. MY call at the time was KA3YSA and I would pound out CQ CQ de KA3YSA/QRP .... I think the fact that I had a new novice call and that /QRP at the end of the call would really get the other HAMs make the effort to come back. I think I am going to look into a CW QRP KIT for this Christmas. Does Ten Tec sell kits, guess I'll jump over there after I am done on the BBS. 73 Mark .