Eric Falkof, K1NUN

For the North Shore Radio Association, 08-Apr-2006

Sixty Years of QRP History in One Slide!

• Once radio “happened,” it was big! But

Hams (and others) wanted it small.

• “Compaction” began, and in the 50s, we

began to see transceivers

• Then TenTec opened the gates to the

modern era
 Transceivers helped with compaction

• Collins KWM-1: the first

transceiver and 175 W
(1955ish)
• Cosmophone (UK); 35, 50,
and 1000 W (1957ish)
• Gonset G-76: 100 W AM
(1959)
• Ten-Tec Powermites: 2 W
(1966ish)
• Heath HW-7: 3 W (1972)
 So, what is QRP?
• > 100 W
• > 10 W
• >5W
• >1W
Today’s QRP Collection

And they just keep coming…!

 Let’s get right to it…
•Elecraft •http://www.elecraft.com
•MFJ Enterprises (incl. •http://www.mfjenterprises.com
Vectronix) •http://www.ohr.com/index.htm
•Oak Hills Research •http://www.smallwonderlabs.com/
•Small Wonder Labs • http://www.tentec.com
•Ten-Tec •http://www.yaesu.com/
•Yaesu •http://www.amqrp.org
•There are numerous clubs that develop and
distribute accessories and test equipment. See
the list of QRP web sites. Many more sites have
modification information for kit or commercial
products. For example, the MFJ Cub series has
extensive modifications as shown, in part, at
http://www.qrparci.org/cub.html.

•And several UK,

German, Russian
companies, too!
 The Watering Holes
CW SSB Novice
1810 --- ---
3560 (3579± colorburst) 3985 3710
7040 (7030) 7285 7110
10106 (10116) --- ---
14060 14285 ---
21060 21385 ---
24900 24950 ---
28060 28885 28110
50060 50885 ---
 Excitement!
• Contests: 28 contests or events between
March 9 and April 9 this year. DX, all
modes.
40 METER FOXHUNT - Each Friday 0200z to 0329z(Thurs 9 PM to 10:29 PM EST)(Ends Mar 9)Info: http://www.qrpfoxhunt.orgPesky Texan Armadillo
Chase (CW) *** QRP Contest ***Mar 9, 0230z to 0400zRules: http://www.w5nc.org/ptac/default.htmIdaho QSO Party (Ph/CW/Dig) ... QRP CategoryMar 11,
1300z to Mar 12, 0100z andMar 12, 1300z to Mar 13, 0100z Rules: http://www.ida.net/users/k0ip/parc/old_newsletters/Idaho_QSO.htmOklahoma QSO
Party (CW/Digital/Phone) ... QRP CategoryMar 11, 1400z to Mar 12, 0200z andMar 12, 1400z to Mar 12, 2000zRules: http://okdxa.orgAGCW QRP Contest
(CW) ... QRP/QRPp CategoryMar 11, 1400z to 2000zRules: http://www.agcw.org/agcw-con/2006/Englisch/agcw_qrp_e.htmElecraft QSO Party
(CW/SSB/Dig) ...QRP CategoryMar 11, 1500z to Mar 12, 1500zRules: http://www.elecraft.comSecond Class Operator's Club Marathon Sprint (CW) .. QRP
Contest!Mar 11, 1800z to 2400zRules: http://www.qsl.net/soc/contests.htmNorth American Sprint (RTTY) ... QRP CategoryMar 12, 0000z to 0400zRules:
http://www.ncjweb.com/sprintrules.phpUBA (Belgian) Spring Contest (CW-80m) ... QRP CategoryMar 12, 0700z to 1100zRules:
http://www.uba.be/hf_contests/rules_en.html#Wisconsin QSO Party (CW/SSB)...QRP CategoryMar 12, 1800z to Mar 13, 0100zRules:
http://www.warac.org/index.htmNAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint *** QRP CONTEST! ***EST: Mar 15, 8:30 PM to 10:30 PMUTC: Mar 16, 0130z to
0330zRules: http://www.arm-tek.net/~yoel/contests.htmlTen-Ten Mobile QSO Party (CW/SSB) ... QRP CategoryMar 18, 0001z to 2359zRules:
http://www.ten-ten.org/calendar.htmlBARTG Spring RTTY Contest Mar 18, 0200z to Mar 20, 0200zRules:
http://www.bartg.demon.co.uk/Contests/06_rules.htmRussian DX Contest (SSB/CW) ... QRP CategoryMar 18, 1200z to Mar 19, 1200zRules:
http://www.rdxc.org/rulesg.aspAGCW VHF/UHF Contest (CW) ... QRP CategoryMar 18, 1600z to 2100zRules: http://www.agcw.org/agcw-
con/2006/Englisch/agcw-dl0_e.htmVirginia QSO Party (CW/SSB/Dig) ... QRP CategoryMar 18, 1800z to Mar 20, 0200zRules:
http://www.qsl.net/sterling/VA_QSO_Party/2006_VQP_Rules.htmlRUN FOR THE BACON (CW) *** QRP CONTEST ***EST: Mar 19, 9 PM to 11 PMUTC:
Mar 20, 0200z 0400zRules: http://fpqrp.comAtlanticonMar 24 - 25Info: http://www.njqrp.org/CQ World-Wide WPX Contest (SSB) ... QRP CategoryMar 25,
0000z to Mar 26, 2359zRules: http://www.cq-amateur-radio.com/awards.htmlSpring QRP Homebrewer Sprint (CW/PSK31) ... QRP Contest!!!!Mar 27, 0000z
to 0400z(Sunday Mar 26, 7PM to 11PM EST)Rules: http://www.njqrp.org/data/qrphomebrewersprint.html
QRP BARBERSHOP QUARTET CONTEST (CW QRP)... QRP Contest!Mar 29, 9 PM to 11 PM EST Rules:
http://www.io.com/~n5fc/barbershop_contest.htmSP DX Contest (CW/SSB) ... QRP CategoryApr 1, 1500z to Apr 2, 1500zRules:
http://www.contest.spdxc.org.pl/reg/reg_g.htmlEA RTTY ContestApr 1, 1600z to Apr 2, 1600zRules:
http://www.rttycontesting.com/rules/earttyrules2006.pdfMissouri QSO Party (ALL) Apr 1, 1800z to Apr 2, 0500z Apr 2, 1800z to Apr 2, 2400zRules:
http://www.qsl.net/w0ma/contests.htmARS Spartan Sprint (CW) ... QRP Contest!!Apr 4, 0100z to 0300z (First Monday 9 PM EDT)Rules:
http://www.arsqrp.com/QRP ARCI Spring QSO Party (CW) ......QRP Contest!!!Apr 8, 1200z to Apr 9, 2400zRules: http://www.qrparci.orgGeorgia QSO Party
(CW/SSB) ... QRP CategoryApr 8, 1800z to Apr 9, 0359zApr 9, 1400z to Apr 9, 2359z Rules: http://gqp.contesting.comUBA Spring Sprint (80m SSB) ...
QRP Entries NotedApr 9, 0600z to 1000zRules: http://www.uba.be/hf_contests/rules_en.html#
QRP-specific: Sprints, Spartan Sprint (distinct from Heavy Metal!), Flight of the Bumblebees,
Fox & Hounds, Barbershop
 Where can I find more?
Online
BaconBits NewsLetters http://www.mpna.com/fpqrp/news.html
Adventure Radio Society’s Sojourner
http://www.natworld.com/ars/pages/back_issues/2002_
text/0302_text/0302_one.html
Digital QRP Homebrewing
http://www.njqrp.org/digitalhomebrewing/index.html

Print
QRP Homebrewer http://www.njqrp.org/data/qrp_homebrewer.html
QRP Quarterly http://www.qsl.net/wd8rif/qq_arci.htm
QRPp http://www.fix.net/~jparker/qrpps.html
And QRP columns in QST, CQ, Worldradio, and others in the US
and abroad.
 My Show & Tell
• Transceivers:
• Knight SMiTe 40 m CW transceiver $10
• Small Wonder Labs DSW-40 40 m CW Transceiver $95 (case $35)
• Small Wonder Labs RockMite 40 m CW transceiver $25
• Transmitters and receivers:
• Home brew Columbus (OH) QRP Club MRX40 40 m receiver $20
• Test Equipment:
• SQRPion Stinger Singer frequency counter $20
• VE3NL Marker/Generator $12
• NoGA (Northern Georgia ) QRP Power Meter $20
• NorCal FCC-1 frequency counter $25
• Tenna-Dipper SWR analyzer $25
• Accessories:
• P-TiCK Keyer, with paddle $10
• NJQRP Balanced Line Tuner $25
• Total: $357
Promise of the Future…
Software Defined Radios
• What is a SDR?
• Hardware is minimal, software is king.
• Soundcard technology evolving further for
receiver image detection and demodulation.
• Evolution of softrock, from $15 with narrow
slice of 40m, now two-bands only $15.
• Transceiver in development!
 SOFTWARE
A real quick primer about Digital Signal Processing (DSP)…

… and the omnipresent waterfall display

The New Realm
How do you control a radio the
size of a stick of gum?
Significant Processing Power
 Where do YOU think it will go?
The future has no end…

But this presentation does!