This morning I finished packing up my Yaesu FT450 and preparing it for its travel to its new home…
It has served me well over the last 18 months or so but now its time to get ready for my next experiment in our hobby…
In the past you have heard me talking about the QRP DXCC award as an obtainable goal for me to attempt. I decided to force the issue….
Its hard to not run the full 100w when you are having troubles breaking the pile ups of that “Rare DXPEDition calling” so now I can’t run anything other than 5w….
My only HF rig is a Yaesu FT 817 which is a QRP rig so as of right now (914am EST on Feb 6 2013) all my contacts will be made in the QRP Catagory….
Its hard to believe that all my radio gear now fits in/on this bag…
I’m not giving up the hobby… Far from it…. but for the next little while I might be harder to hear…
73bob
Tags: amateur radio, Doing more with less, QRP Communications
February 6, 2013 at 3:19 pm |
Awesome! I had a lot of fun from 2001 – 2004 with an FT-817 and Z-11. Best DX: Israel, 5w SSB with a W3EDP antenna. Last QSO before I moved from Atlanta to FL. Keep up the effort! I’ll be QRV tonight if you get bored and need a QSO, 3.582ish, CW, and 1 awesome watt of glowbug power.
February 6, 2013 at 3:48 pm |
Hi “GB”…
Thanks for the visit and the comments….
Here I use a very old and used FT817 along with the original LDG QRP Autotuner (pic shown above) and at home I use the S9 43 foot vertical for 10-80m and a 6m delta loop for 2m and 6m ssb…
In the park I am using the same radio with a Par fend fed QRP Triband antenna or the end fed version of a W3EDP if I need 80m and 160m from the park. I also keep a buddistick deluxe in the bag just in case the trees are not cooperating for a wire antenna…
Will have to pass on the CW contact…. My CW skills are really poor… I passed the CW test but never really got into that mode of operating. I know the code but my skills would have to improve to be considered poor…….
Operating from the park I normally have no issues making contacts across 4land on 15m or 20m ssb…. will find out soon how it does from home as the FT450 has better filters than the 817 but it will be fun trying…
Hope to hear you on the bands somewhere….
73bob
February 6, 2013 at 3:42 pm |
Good look Bob. It will take a long time before I will sell my 100W rig. Although I prefer working with the small FT817. 73, Bas
February 6, 2013 at 3:44 pm |
Good luck I mean of course…73, Bas
February 7, 2013 at 1:16 am |
Good for you Bob. I made over 100 DX contacts on QRP (thanks to 10, 12 and 15 meters) in the last year or so. Mine are mostly digital, but it’s still a hoot on 5 watts or less and a little vertical. We’ll look forward to your progress on DXCC.
February 7, 2013 at 1:25 am |
Hi Bill…
It took me 18 months to get my SSB DXCC with the FT 450…. Now I have started working on my SSB QRP DXCC. After going through my old log books I have 35 so far so 65 to go…
CU in the parks if the wx ever warms up
73bob
February 7, 2013 at 11:11 am |
Good morning Bob, just want to pass along what has already been said many times over…and that is welcome to QRP!! As for DXCC last year I was able to work 83 (close to the 100 mark) with QRP and my attic dipole. Over all I am according to LoTW only short by one DXCC (This is over a 2 year peroind) contact from getting my DXCCG. I have had a great time with QRP and my next challenge has been QRPp!! I have so far been able to make over seas contacts with as little as 20mW’s. Keep us posted as to how the contacts go and you sure will surprise yourself with how far so little can go.
Mike
February 7, 2013 at 2:04 pm |
Good Morning Mike,,,,
Thanks for the visit and the words of encouragement…. I have been operating QRP (with the same FT817) for quite a while now… I think it would be close to 10 years now…. I love getting the radio out to a park where I can stretch out a decent antenna and talk to whoever I can hear…. I tried higher power in the park with a ft 857 but the battery runs out too quickly and if I bring a bigger battery the back (my back) gives out too quickly… Due to my local noise level although I am making contacts with the 817 from home I will be replacing the FT 450 with either a Flex 1500 or the Elecraft KX3 (thats the short list right now) as I need the DSP of either rig to help me with the local noise.
The difference between my 817 and the now departed 450 on RCV is like night and day…. It probally would of been smart to just dial back the power on the 450 and use it but if there was a pile up I could not break I did not want to tempt myself to dial it up a bit just to get the rare one….
Its been fun blogging about amateur radio over the last 5 years and I am hoping I have as many good stories coming up in my next 5 years…
73bob