You know what happens when you make assumptions .....

There are things you take for granted in life - and other things that you shouldn't. One of the things that I've taken for granted, and I guess I shouldn't have, is for the definition of what power level is QRP - amongst QRPers. I can understand varying answers from the QRO crowd. In e-mails and articles from the general Amateur Radio community, I've seen the high power aficionados bandy about all kinds of power levels that define what QRP is - all the way from 500 Watts (I know, kind of ridiculous) to 5 Watts and anywhere in between. But you would think that those of us who dabble at the low end of that range would agree on what the definition of QRP is.

We don't. That kind of surprises me.

There was a discussion on the QRP-L reflector that started up yesterday, entitled "What is QRP?" I mistakenly thought the answer was pretty clear and that the e-mail thread would sputter out quickly. I was wrong. If you partake of any of the QRP groups on Facebook, you see this ALL the time there, as well. Again, one would think QRPers would have our act together and be in agreement. Not so, Grasshopper, not so.

Many (or even most) define QRP as I do - 5 Watts for CW and the digital modes, 10 Watts PEP for phone, and of course, any power level below those. But there were other responses as well. Some argued for 5 Watts regardless of mode. Some wanted the definition changed to 10 Watts regardless of mode. Some of the hardest die-hards would like to see QRP defined as 1 Watt or below, I would imagine.

Reflecting on this debate, I realized I shouldn't have been surprised at all. The definition of QRP has never been written in stone and is actually somewhat fluid. Back when I joined QRP-ARCI in 1980, the definition for QRP was 100 Watts or below.

QRP became to be considered to be 5 Watts and below in the USA in later part of the 1980's, after ties between EU and US QRPers became closer, in an effort to come up with some sort of universal definition. But as I stated before, the definition is NOT standard. You can see this most clearly in the world of contesting and operating events. Just look at the definition of what is considered to be QRP by the organizers. In the case of Field Day (which we ALL know is an operating event and not a contest - wink, wink, nudge, nudge!) the ARRL deems QRP to be 5 Watts and below, regardless of mode. But if you look at other events, like the QRP-ARCI sponsored Sprints and even the Skeeter Hunt, QRP goes back to the split 5/10 Watt definition as mentioned before.

Will there ever be a hard and fast definition of what constitutes QRP and what doesn't? I doubt it and I guess there never will be - unless, say maybe someone like the ITU sets forth a definition. As long as there is no international governing party performing that function, the definition of what QRP is and what it isn't will remain subjective.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!