Really great video! can only speak about SSB. I use a Xeigu G90 which is 20-watts maximum. My longest contact was 10,000 miles away to Cape Town South Africa (from Northern California). My received signal was 57-58. He was a 59. Since I have 20-watts to work with, all my attention is on the antennas I use. I have a vintage 100-watt Ten Tec Corsair, but I use the G90 for DXing. Having to work low wattage caused me to pay attention to some of the little things you can do to make better contacts. If I was working with 100-watts or more, I wouldn't have maximized my antennas and learned so much about antenna theory, propagation, etc. Thanks again for the video...73...Hugh...KN6KNB.
I prefer to run QRP because it’s more challenging and it’s more akin to the hobby. I’ve been doing this for quite a while and the most I have ever needed 100 watts. The only time I turn up to 100 watts lately is when there’s a lot of people in a pile up that’s just stepping on people with 600-1000 watts and can’t get in.
True, but once you've put up the best antenna that you can in the space that's available, more power can be very helpful especially on HF where the bands are noisier. Stronger signals can be more easily heard over the DX station's noise floor.
Power: In general, in most cases. More power can help at lower freqs when noise is the problem. 80 meters is a good example. More power does not help at higher freqs as other issues are usually the limiting factor. Open to intelligent discussion.
most new hams live in apartments, condo's and hoa's, thus they have compromised antennas. Try hunting CW POTA with compromised antenna's, it is pretty much pointless because most ot the activators are QRP. When I activate POTA CW I run 75W and get 3 to 4 times the contacts in the same time as 10W. More power is the future of ham radio as the old guys with 100ft towers with yagi antennas die off.
I have good results (not usually excellent, but unexpectedly good) results with a magloop antenna. My preferred mode is the MFJ portable loop tuner but so far as I know, MFJ is no more. It uses capacitors to achieve matching and does not need or use a "little loop" to couple to the big loop. Consequently it is fairly easy to achieve nearly perfect matching and feeds the loop entirely from the bottom and that means you can have some very large loops for the lower frequencies; also two wingnuts to unscrew to change the loop for a different band. Multiband loops are not such a good idea; you want the largest loop that will still resonate at the desired band. I've gotten 6000 miles with FT8 with 40 watts with the loop inside my house. Conversational digital modes nationwide; Olivia, PSK31, and newest is JS8CALL which is like FT8 but conversational. You need the 100 watt radio since digital modes hit it really hard. 100 watts of Single Sideband is typically around a 15 percent duty cycle or averaging 15 watts; so a 40 watt digital mode signal is "hot" and also sets off my carbon monoxide detector and the DVD tray of the player opens and closes. So usually I operate 25 watts which doesn't affect things in my house.
I think a better way to explain this would be if you have $2000 and no gear, your best results would be 50/50 antenna/radio, not 1950 on radio and 50 bucks worth of clothesline strung ten feet high.
Love that comparison between 11 meters and 10. So true.
Right
Really great video! can only speak about SSB. I use a Xeigu G90 which is 20-watts maximum. My longest contact was 10,000 miles away to Cape Town South Africa (from Northern California). My received signal was 57-58. He was a 59. Since I have 20-watts to work with, all my attention is on the antennas I use. I have a vintage 100-watt Ten Tec Corsair, but I use the G90 for DXing. Having to work low wattage caused me to pay attention to some of the little things you can do to make better contacts. If I was working with 100-watts or more, I wouldn't have maximized my antennas and learned so much about antenna theory, propagation, etc. Thanks again for the video...73...Hugh...KN6KNB.
That’s awesome you took the time to learn all that, thanks for the comment Hugh 👍
Freedom Rock & Turn It Up!!!
@@75ohmHAM Hell yes 🍻
I prefer to run QRP because it’s more challenging and it’s more akin to the hobby. I’ve been doing this for quite a while and the most I have ever needed 100 watts.
The only time I turn up to 100 watts lately is when there’s a lot of people in a pile up that’s just stepping on people with 600-1000 watts and can’t get in.
QRP can be an exercise in patience and skill 👍
Back in the 80's having a export radio............the guy who sold it to me was saying AND IT HAS A 10Kc SLIDER
See, it's ole school!
QRP at the end Guilty AF but I'm not lying
Haha
Better antenna is more important than more power
I’d have to agree.
True, but once you've put up the best antenna that you can in the space that's available, more power can be very helpful especially on HF where the bands are noisier. Stronger signals can be more easily heard over the DX station's noise floor.
More power will help when everything else is correct.
I turn my vertical into the direction of the ‘DX’! Then turn the Preamp to 10!!
A good rotating vertical is pretty hard to beat!
@@TheSmokinApe I was going to include a QRP joke too, but couldn’t.
Those two guys probably have the same conversation every day 😅
Classic
Haha
Power:
In general, in most cases.
More power can help at lower freqs when noise is the problem. 80 meters is a good example.
More power does not help at higher freqs as other issues are usually the limiting factor.
Open to intelligent discussion.
Thanks for the perspectiv TheSzalkowski!
Let's revisit this in 5 years.....
I marked the calendar, thanks for watching VE9ASN
"Is MORE POWER the Key to Success or Failure?"
Yes.
Lol
"Not Salty Walt, he looks way younger than you."
Right
most new hams live in apartments, condo's and hoa's, thus they have compromised antennas. Try hunting CW POTA with compromised antenna's, it is pretty much pointless because most ot the activators are QRP. When I activate POTA CW I run 75W and get 3 to 4 times the contacts in the same time as 10W. More power is the future of ham radio as the old guys with 100ft towers with yagi antennas die off.
I have good results (not usually excellent, but unexpectedly good) results with a magloop antenna. My preferred mode is the MFJ portable loop tuner but so far as I know, MFJ is no more. It uses capacitors to achieve matching and does not need or use a "little loop" to couple to the big loop. Consequently it is fairly easy to achieve nearly perfect matching and feeds the loop entirely from the bottom and that means you can have some very large loops for the lower frequencies; also two wingnuts to unscrew to change the loop for a different band. Multiband loops are not such a good idea; you want the largest loop that will still resonate at the desired band. I've gotten 6000 miles with FT8 with 40 watts with the loop inside my house. Conversational digital modes nationwide; Olivia, PSK31, and newest is JS8CALL which is like FT8 but conversational.
You need the 100 watt radio since digital modes hit it really hard. 100 watts of Single Sideband is typically around a 15 percent duty cycle or averaging 15 watts; so a 40 watt digital mode signal is "hot" and also sets off my carbon monoxide detector and the DVD tray of the player opens and closes. So usually I operate 25 watts which doesn't affect things in my house.
I think a better way to explain this would be if you have $2000 and no gear, your best results would be 50/50 antenna/radio, not 1950 on radio and 50 bucks worth of clothesline strung ten feet high.
I’d agree a more balance approach is best. Thanks for watching Matt 👍
Get a good manual tuner
Agreed