Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Whiskey Tango Hotel ???

As in "What the heck?"

I went out for another lunchtime radio session. 15 Meters seemed to be hopping, I heard CO2IR and worked him -  he was 599.  I listened to 9Q0HQ work his pileup (he was doing a magnificent job, by the way) for a while and then I decided to go up to the Watering Hole and call CQ for a while.  I had a nice QSO with George WN4G near Tampa, FL and called CQ again after him.

I was answered by someone who shall remain unidentified. The QSO was going smoothly. I gave him a 579, he gave me a 559. Then I did the unforgivable.  I mentioned that I was using a KX3.

"SRI DONT QSO WID QRP. GA ES 73 DE (call sign omitted)." - dead air.

Wait. What?

You answered my CQ. Obviously my signal was decent enough in your opinion to start a QSO. As soon as you discover I'm QRP (which technically is an assumption - I could have been home using my KXPA100), you QRT?

And that's OK too - you don't like to work QRPers. I can respect that, I've run into that before - but "SRI DONT QSO WID QRP" and just leave ???? Obviously brief and to the point, but perhaps we could have been a wee bit more tactful?

How about using the old telephone call excuse, or the "XYL JUST PUT LUNCH ON THE TABLE" excuse, or even "My cat just puked on the carpet" for crying out loud!

Good thing is that it was time to come back into work, anyway.

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


13 comments:

  1. Not that I operate QRP, but I've never heard of such a reaction before. Why would the power someone is using matter in having a QSO? Definitely WTH!

    ReplyDelete
  2. WTH. This is really discriminating QRPers. It's good we are just a bunch of friendly people! 73, Bas

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh Boy! I have never heard of something like that in the air.
    "SRI DONT QSO WID QRP" --- perhaps the reply "TKS FOR SHARING THAT 72 QRZ DE W2LJ" would have been fitting. 73, Dave K5MQ

    ReplyDelete
  4. Good evening Larry, I was shocked when I read the reply you had! That is a first for me and I for the life of me don't understand it.
    Mike

    ReplyDelete
  5. Larry, I bet I can guess who that was as it has happened to me as well. Funny how he hangs around the QRP frees.

    I guess it takes all types and not everyone has enthusiasm for QRP and I understand that but to not want to QSO because of it is very rude at beat.

    72
    Frank
    K0JQZ

    ReplyDelete
  6. Rude and crude. It takes all kinds of people "to make the world go 'round." As long as your signal is stable and good, who cares what rig you use or what power you run? I've never had that reaction during my Amateur Radio "career" (starting in 1977). Russ (KH6JRM).

    ReplyDelete
  7. Obviously a QRO guy who hangs around QRP frequencies as he can't deal with QRO signals on the rest of the band(s). QRO QRM, for example. So he goes where the five-watters gather and plays the big-shot with his big rig. A jerk, probably off-the-air as well.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Everyone knows those QRP guys are so puny weak that you have to work too hard to have a QSO....

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hello Larry, It's a strange experience, to get a compliment in a unexpected way.
    Just think about all these fine QRP QSO's you had, where your signal was answered and you had a smile from ear to ear. hi.
    They do not know our power, till we tell.
    73, Bert

    ReplyDelete
  10. Maybe he works for the electric company.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Well..... regardless of my blogsite name it wasn't me!!!! I have very heard of QRP avoidance. I wonder if it was a joke that just didn't translate well in CW? (HIHI)

    ReplyDelete