says that QRPers should not call CQ. C'mon ..... you know you've read that in just about every QRP or "stealth" radio book, article or primer that you have ever read. "You are a QRPer, and as such, your signal is weak and will not be heard. Don't waste your time calling CQ".
To that ..... I say, "Horse hockies".
I was working on the PFR3A this afternoon, winding coils. I switched the K2 to 20 Meters and started calling CQ via the memory keyer. Something to listen to while counting turns of wire being threaded through toroid donuts.
I received two answers to my calls; SP6JOE and DL5MC. The conversation with Joe was rather a quickie. A typical "Slam, bam, thank you. Ma'am" exchange; but I did get a 579 out of Joe in Roztoka, Poland.
The next answer was from Hal DL5MC from Erfurt, Germany. And this turned out to be an actual QSO! Hal and I exchanged the normal stuff ( got a 559 report); but then ended up chatting for about 20 minutes or so. It was very refreshing to have a QSO with a non-US station that went further than RST, rig info and weather.
So the next time someone "in the know" tells you that QRPers shouldn't call CQ, you can tell them that they are selling so much bologna. It works for me - always has; and if it works for me, it will work for you.
72 de Larry W2LJ
Goody,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment. I deleted it by accident, along with another one of those "Chinese" comments that still come through from time to time.
Goody's comment was that he agrees that calling CQ while using CW can be productive. QRP SSB is another animal altogether and requires the judicious use of "Search and Pounce".
I have to agree that QRP SSBers; such as Paul PC4T and Goody K3NG are brave souls.
Larry W2LJ
"No CQ?" I agree--Horse @#$%
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing what some folks with nothing better to do than dream up "stuff" can come up with.