QRP refers to transmitting at a power level of less than 5 watts. Anyone with even a basic understanding of this field knows that this is a very low power level. Making contacts this way is a challenge.
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CQ WPX Contest—Modestly
The CQ WPX Contest, as a shortwave contest, is among the best for locations in Central Europe. Practically every direction you work counts as a multiplier, and there are a large number of ham radio operators on this continent.
Diamond W-8010 Antenna
About a week before the contest, under the suspicious glances of my wife and children, a mast with a single element of the Diamond W-8010 antenna went up. The choice of bands for the contest was thus limited to 80m or 40m, but since it is a fairly narrow-band antenna on 80m, the 40m band was given priority.
Before the contest, there were still some technical details to work out, particularly the transmitter modulation. Since the box with the connectors has been missing ever since the move, the solution involved using a headset connected to the PC and routing the audio signal through MicroHAM to the transceiver. Unconventional, but functional. Since the headset has a short cable and there’s a meter of distance between the computer and the transceiver, I ended up using two headsets: one as headphones and the other as a microphone.
Setup for the CQ WPX Contest based on the FT-1000MP
Contest Time
I participated in the contest as much as my family and physical circumstances allowed. So I started on Saturday morning, followed immediately by a break for breakfast. I’d run over to the radio whenever possible, and sometimes there were even two of us there, HI.
Making contacts with QRP is a bit more difficult. Many times I couldn’t get through even after a dozen tries. However, there were always quite a few stations on the band, so if I couldn’t make a contact with one, it was time to try my luck with another. I tried the challenge about twice; I managed to make one contact.
Of the Slovak stations, I heard OM4MM and, once, OM3BH. My logbook is dominated by stations from Italy, Russia, and Germany.
Early Sunday morning, I got up early to make some contacts while other contesters were still asleep. It paid off—it was the most productive time in terms of the number of contacts. I operated the Yaesu FT-1000MP directly for the first time in a long while, rather than via a remote station, and it felt great. With the INRAD roofing filter, it really is an excellent radio.
Time distribution of the number of contacts in the CQ WPX Contest by OM0A
Prefixes in OM0A’s log
Results in the CQ WPX Contest
There are a total of 155 contacts in the log. It certainly would have been possible to make more contacts, but that would have required more time on the band and a better antenna—something to consider for the future. The mast is stored next to the house; it’s due for reconstruction and then lifting…
On the live contest score server, I compared myself with other QRP stations on 40m, though of course there weren’t many of them. OH1Z was particularly active and achieved a nice result.
Thank you for the contacts, friends on the air! I know you were straining to hear OM0A’s weak signal, and I’m glad that in many cases you were able to do so. Thank you!