QRP DX Contact

QRP is the art of low-power ham radio communication. QRP enthusiasts typically use 5 watts or less to make contacts around the world.

Mike W0MRZ in Cedar Rapids, Iowa proved that you don't need high power when he worked Turner "Geordie" Fielding ZL1CDX in new Zealand using just 1 watt on 20m.

Turner writes:

On June 18th, 2010 on 20m CW I worked Mike W0MRZ in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Mike was running 1 Watt using a FT-817 battery powered, to a Transworld antenna indoors.

Of course I had the easy job running 100w, Kenwood TS450S to a homebrew 3 element triband yagi antenna.

Signal reports were I sent 539 and recieved 549.

As the solar indices were poor I thught Mike was worth a mention in dispatches Hi

de,

Turner "Geordie" Fielding ZL1CDX

Following the contact, Turner, ZL1CDX received this email from Mike, W0MRZ:

It was terrific to work you last nite on 20m cw:  you really do have good ears to hear me!  I was QRP with 1.0 W [Yaesu FT-817, battery powered] feeding an 8 ft INDOOR vertical antenna [transworld 20-10 antenna], all sitting in the entryway of my house.  Your sig was very solid here throughout, but the QSP demon was threatening toward the end of our QSO.  [I may have reported that I was 2.5 W to you, but I had reset my pwr level to 1.0 W and forgot that I had done so until I looked down at the read-out after our QSO was over!]
 
You are my very FIRST New Zealand QSO QRP/20m/CW.  During the past couple of months, I just secured WAS/20m/QRP all/all CW as well as a separate WAS/20m/QRP using all phone;  'took me about a year or so to snag all those cards.  I am within 13 countries of DXCC, all QRP on 20m.
 
If I perform my calculations correctly, I reached you with a benchmark of over 8,000 miles per watt, which ain't bad... tnx agn for coming back to me and staying with me...
 
If it's OK with you, I'd like to send you my QSL card directly, together with a couple of current IRC's with SASE, and hope you can reciprocate.  I don't need a formal QSL card, just some sort of written acknowledgement.
 
'and if you're a glutton for punishment, I'd be happy to set up a sked with you and see if I can work you with LESS than 1 W [I can reduce power down to 0.05 W]..I'd also dearly like to work you on 20m phone QRP, if you have a mike lying around somewhere.
 
73 from the birthplace of Collins Radio and tnx agn for making me a very, very happy camper last nite; all my QRP efforts are in vain without good ops like you around to patiently pull out the weak sigs...
best of DX to you,

W0MRZ Mike