Dave G3YXM wrote:
Pascal, I would recommend building a TX with at least 200W output to begin
with. Once you have made a few contacts you can improve the antenna etc. and
then try QRP. I think you will be disappointed if you start with only 5W.
Steve has been improving his station for years before he tried his QRP
experiment and he has the advantage of quite a few stations about 100km away
to give reports.
It is true that QRP might result in disappointment - although
this probably depends upon expectations. However, my first tests
on 136 kHz were actually conducted using quite low power. (I
completed my first 136 kHz CW QSO with Graham G3XTZ over a
distance of 157 km using 15 watts RF. At the time, I was using a
very poor single-turn loop antenna: tuned by very lossy
capacitors; and fed by a very lossy balun. But it was a start.
For me, QRO and better antennas came later.)
Although I would not want to mislead people into thinking that
they can work all around Europe with low power CW on 136 kHz, I
am concerned that would-be experimenters could be discouraged if
they are told repeatedly that they need a computer; DSP; a 50 Hz
IF filter; and a QRO TX before starting their journey on LF.
Instead, I think that it is important to encourage newcomers to
_begin_ their LF journey - even if their first excursion only
results in a tuned antenna - and a SWL report from 10 km across
town! For some experimenters, this might be enough success to
hasten their journey toward QRO, and better antennas.
Regards to all,
Steve GW4ALG
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