3G0ZC

Looks like I am going to run out of time in order to attempt a QRP QSO. For me, as well as for many others, this was an ATNO (All Time New One) so it was most important for me to just get them in the log. On 10 Meters, they were 599 and I was so excited to stumble across them that I didn't even consider trying QRP. And I literally stumbled across them. I was twiddling across 10 Meters when they rose up out of the blue - an instance of being at the right place at the right time. Two days later, on 12 Meters, they were only about 559.  I tried QRP there, but after a couple of hours as they were beginning to fade, my resolve failed and I switched over to 85 Watts to nab them on another band.

The DX bug seems to have bitten me hard lately. I like getting these new ones in the log and I feared that without the KXPA100, that this one might have eluded me like FT5ZM, Amsterdam Island did last year. I didn't have the KXPA100 for that DXpedition and totally missed out, unable to break the pileup, even though I put many hours behind the key on that one. A valuable DX lesson was learned there that will always be with me.

The beauty thing is that, even though I had to use 85 Watts to get them in the log, QRP discipline and the lessons learned from being a QRPer stood me in good stead. Knowing how to find the pattern, knowing when to call, and most of all - doing a lot of listening were valuable lessons learned and are now precious tools in the QRP/DX tool belt.

The more DX that I attempt to work, the more I realize that dedicated DXers and dedicated QRPers aren't all that different from each other.  They seem to have the same skills and disciplines, such as patience and endurance. They just like to hang out at different power levels - until you run across that very rare animal, the dedicated QRP DXer, who will hunt with 5 Watts or less - no matter what (even if they fail to get the DX in the log). Personally, I haven't reached that point, yet, as I like getting them in the log (for the first time, at least) a bit too much.  WFWQL

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least.