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QRP |
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QRP |
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Updated 08 - MAY - 2018
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May 2018
LD-5 5 band transceiver from LNR
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QRP Portable - Paddle-attached
Paddle kit and bracket available from (http://qrpkits.com/pfr3.html)
for $70 Nice, crisp American Morse DCP paddle
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QRP Portable - Paddle-board |
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Heath HW8 |
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Hendricks PFR3 Very cool! Designed by Steve Weber - KD1JV and kitted and sold by Doug Hendricks - just plug in a key, headphones, and an antenna and you are on the air. Covers the 3 best CW QRP bands: 40, 30, and 20 meters. Mine has a set of rechargeable batteries inside that seem to last a long time. Has a built-in manual tuner with a bridge type SWR indicator, built-in 2 memory keyer, DDS VFO for rock steady freq control.
Click here for
QRPKITS.COM |
Do the Math - QRP Works! Click here to see why
In March of 2005 I decided to try QRP operation with the acquisition of a Heath HW-8 transceiver. This rig is true QRP with about 2 watts out on 80 and 40 meters and about 1 watt out on 20 and 15 meters. When you tell me you're running a K-3 at 5 watts I'm thinking you are QRO!! (But with that K2 or K3 I know that you can probably hear me!) The HW8 receiver is sensitive but, being a direct conversion type, each signal appears twice as I tune across the band (only one side of the signal is the 'proper' side to use). My plan originally was to have a nice portable (not a backpacking) station for operation from remote locations and to take with me on business trips. See the picture at right with the HW-8, battery, and the Butternut antenna in the background. However, after acquiring my PFR3 from Hendricks radio I now have a great portable QRP rig that can easily travel thru airports and in the trunk of my motorcycle. It would also fit in a back-pack very easily and since the keyer, ant tuner, batteries are all built-in there are not very many extra accessories to haul along. This is probably an old story here: I am amazed at the contacts that I have been able to make with QRP. I routinely work stations across the US and have now worked some good DX to Europe as well as Alaska with 1.5 watt out on 20m. New Zealand with 1.5w on 20m. Remember, we're at the bottom of the solar cycle). I am quickly learning where, when, and how to operate. I also realize that making contacts to Alaska with 1 watt on a Butternut vertical is a testimony to the effectiveness of the Butternut, good propagation, and a patient operator with a good receiver and antenna on the other end. I have been on the other end of many QRP contacts so I appreciate the work that sometimes goes on at the receiving end. Thanks to all those who make the effort to copy our peanut-whistle signals. At this point in time, HW8 does not have Receiver Incremental Tuning so sometimes I have to move the transmit frequency a little to tune you in. Hope you can use your RIT to keep us from leap-frogging up or down the band. I installed the TiCK-1 keyer into the HW-8 and that works very nicely. I also have added a Digital Display (See HW-8 Mods ) Soon I will make the modification to the HW-8 that will add RIT. I am now (January 2007) using a radio Shack DSP behind the HW-8. This provides an audio amplifier, sharp digital audio filtering, and a speaker. I have also added a TouchKeyer and Paddle.
NEW! 04-03-05
- Anchorage Alaska -
WL7CDC -
Doug - 20m with 1 watt out - 3000 miles |
