- by:Dan Maloney
Newly minted hams like me generally find themselves asking, “What now?” after getting their tickets. Amateur radio has a lot of different sub-disciplines, ranging from volunteering for public service gigs to contesting, the closest thing the hobby has to a full-contact sport. But as I explore my options in the world of ham radio, I keep coming back to the one discipline that seems like the purest technical expression of the art and science of radio communication – low-power operation, or what’s known to hams as QRP. With QRP you can literally talk with someone across the planet on less power than it takes to run a night-light using a radio you built in an Altoids tin. Now that’s a challenge I can sink my teeth into.
Why QRP?
QRP takes its name from the Q-codes developed as shorthand by early Morse operators. QRP mean “Reduce power” or when posed as a question, “Shall I reduce power?” It has gradually morphed into a catch-all term that describes the whole field of low-power operation. Not surprisingly, there’s no hard and fast rule as to what constitutes QRP, but like a lot of things in life, you know it when you see it. Generally, any radio capable of transmitting at 5 watts or less would be considered a QRP rig, although some argue for anything below 10 watts. In the end these limits are academic, because most QRP aficionados like to work with much lower power, typically only a watt or two. Extreme QRP, called QRPp, lives below a watt and sometimes is best measured in milliwatts; for some serious over-achievers, it’s even measured in microwatts….READ MORE
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) International Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, reports that the ARISS team has been working closely... Read more
We take a look at one of the most recent HF transceivers to come onto the ham radio market. Could this be the new FT-101E that was one of the best sel... Read more
William Noble asks about the base used to hold up my MFJ-1846 Hex Beam antenna. The actual base that allows for a fold-over mast was designed by frien... Read more
Responding to comments and recent videos here on Youtube. Is there a big threat to amatuer radio operators fourth amendment rights? Are we opening out... Read more
ARISS APRS TestingThe ARISS team has been working very closely with NASA and ESA to identify potential ARISS radio anomaly causes and resolve the radi... Read more
Baofeng UV-9R TP 18-watt HT Ham Radio Unboxing and power testing – let’s see if this 18-watt HT does what it is advertised to do! Read more
An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact between youngsters and youth in Moldova and an International Space Station (ISS) c... Read more
The winning article for the February 2021 QST Cover Plaque award is “Create Your Own 1:1 Coax Choke Balun,” by John Portune, W6NBC. The... Read more
$760 Ham Radio Shack From Aliexpress? Read more
ACOM team to discuss the latest amplifier technology. Tune in and ask the team questions. Read more
More
ARISS, NASA, and ESA Continue to Probe Amateur Radio Problems on ISS
Yaesu FT-DX10 HF Transceiver – Is it Right for You?
What is the Base Holding Up My Hexbeam?
Warrantless Search Of Ham Radio Operators? No Fourth Amendment Rights?
ARISS APRS Testing
Baofeng UV-9R TP 18-watt Power Testing | UV9R Plus HT
Moldova Peace Corps to Sponsor March 3 Amateur Radio on the International Space Station Contact
John Portune, W6NBC, Wins the February 2021 QST Cover Plaque Award
$760 Ham Radio Shack From Aliexpress?
ACOM – Manufacturers Showcase
Warning: file_get_contents(https://plusone.google.com/_/+1/fastbutton?url=https%3A%2F%2Fqrznow.com%2Fhow-low-can-you-go-the-world-of-qrp-operation%2F): failed to open stream: HTTP request failed! HTTP/1.0 404 Not Found in /home/qrznow/public_html/wp-content/themes/goodnews5/framework/functions/posts_share.php on line 151
