Back in 1966 I heard a station in Germany running a 20 mW homebrew SSB transmitter booming into MIchigan, USA over my old tube shortwave and sounding just like a local. For about a week there it sounded like I could hear every HF transmitter on the planet. Stations were coming in and fading out on every frequency. I seldom even tuned the receiver because so much was happening on each frequency.
I bought the Yeasu 817 as my first radio. But I understood the 5w limit and what it meant. I have loved QRP ever since. and don't have a radio that will do more than 15. I have never used more than 5w. Frustrating sure. Fun, absolutely.
Great little radio and every HAM should have one for some great fun. As an M6 I run low power all the time and love my 817 in the field. My only confirmed VK contact was with this little radio, a homebrew resonant diploe and plenty of patience. Power is no substitute for skill and I get great satisfaction from making contacts all over Europe on 5w. Great video Keith and thank you for sharing....... M6KVK 73
Excellent presentation! I recently had a 4000+ mile QSO Ohio-Slovakia with my FT818 5w SSB 20m and Endfedz resonant antenna. Get a good antenna set up and 5w is all that is needed.
I'm running a WSPR beacon on 20mtr band @185mw and an indoor fan dipole and being heard in Canada, Hawaii, North Pole, Antarctica, and Southern Australia. Amazing what can be achieved with so little rf power.
It really can be amazing to see how far QRP travels. The secret is having a superb antenna that does all the work. Running 1Kw into a dummy load wont get you first class DX.
Nicely done! All I do at the moment is QRP and all of it is phone. The majority is SSB, some AM on 40 meters, and occasionally FM on 10 meters when conditions allow it. I'm able to make contacts whenever I power up the FT-818, and that's what it's all about. Someday I'll buy a 100 watt rig but right now I'm enjoying QRP.
Awesome, yes QRP can be a challenge but at the same time really satisfying when you get some DX. Sounds like you are just enjoying your radio. Thanks for the comment. Keith
Good use of the reverse beacon network here. Worth considering WSPR for very low power as well, I've run one at .5w into a 40m dipole and have been heard in Australia.
Revease Beacon Network is really useful. I would like to add that it's mostly about location. A yagi in the garden won't help much if you're surrounded by tall buildings, or have +20db of PLT... or both! I'm able to work all continents from the beach with 5 watts into a coil-loaded whip ...something I cannot do with 100+ watts and a half-wave at home.
I would like to see you try that with SSB. Morse gets through where other modes don't but some of the digital modes makes Morse look old. Well done, trying to get through the high powered stations can be a challenge!
4w on my Alinco Dx Sr8e has got me around Europe many times, much more fun making a contact with low power. As of qrp radios, yes I like them but I also like the ft891, great video. 73's Ed 👋
Keith...Thanks for that well done and informative video. It is appreciated. I run a 200mw Whisper transmitter here... the ZACHTEK Unit from Harry Harrison in Sweden. Sofar in 4 weeks... I has been heard multiple times in Antartica, Japan... Australia, Hawai, the USA, Reunion Island, French Guyana... Brazil........ every nook and cranny in Europe and the USA. Low power mode is absolutely fascinating.... Antenna is an Endfed Half wave (80-10 meters) forty meters long.... BUT COMPROMISED as it is only THREE meters above ground at this time. Goes to prove..... propagation propagation is the name of the game. Albert EI7II.
@@TheHamRadioJunkie Keith... I am just blown away with what Whisper can do. After having been off air for a good 15 years and in the preceding years having been a QRP operator Whisper with its 200 Milliwatts has just about floored me. That my 200 milliwatts was received by the USA Antartic station was just about mind boggling. As I see it Keith.. the beauty of Amateur Radio is that it allows us... to EXPERIMENT. I used to have a BIG station and now I am a "shack in the box" guy... but you know what ? I am as happy as a pig in mud. Tmrw I am planning to raise the wire to 10 meters above ground which will make it a half wave on 20.... just can't wait. Keith... please keep your informative videos going. DO NOT BE AFRAID to "upset the apple cart" We should avoid getting "Stuck in our ways" , very recently...I saw a video where one guy commented that Whisper was meaningless and Useless and we should all concentrate on CW and SSB. I just feel sorry for him Keith... he does not know what he is missing. Anyway... doing these videos takes TIME AND EFFORT ! It is seen AND APPRECIATED !!!] Albert EI7II.
i have the 817 and 818, using a mobile antena mounted horizontaly on the balcony i reach thousands of miles and i live in a flat in the first floor. using lithium batery i made to give 13v. my 817 got burned so it sends only 250mw out and with the same antena i reached NY with 5/9s. i'm in the Azores islands. the propagation does it all. cheers
I have made contacts 800 Kms away with 500 milliwatts SSB. I am in Chennai in East coast and made contacts with vu2uyc in Calicut in West coast. With 5 watts SSB my best contact is with 9M2S in Malaysia. My rig is a 15 years old Yaesu ft817nd.
Couple of weeks a go...I made a QSO with a sota station in france...with 100mW (KX3/CW) (1500 Km/900miles). Two years a go I managed to make a qso with a station in austria with 300mW (500Km/300Miles) in SSB. But also strange, two weeks a go I heard a station in US that was in POTA...and it was with 5W...but he didn't hear me with 100W...(CW). All my dx stations was made with 100W (I don't have power amp). Normaly, I keep my trx on 10W...and I am able to work all around the europe. So, QRP (even 100mW)...you can do a lot with that tiny power...but sometimes...even average QRO (100W) it's not enough. P.S. I am a big fan of QRP
ON 20m with only 10 mW (TX: Raspberry Pi 1, WSPR) and inverted 'V' antenna, every morning heard by VK2COW in Australia. Between 5:00 and 7:00 in the morning (Croatia, UTC+2) it is possible to reach Australia, and hour or two earlier, east coast of USA, mostly on 20m band. On 40m band, only Europe and maybe little bit more. That is because that antenna is really poorly made. 73 DE 9A4GE.
As a foundation licence student I have a genius suggestion - limit all hams to 10 watts (erp) for the summer months and 50 for the winter. This should stop the power arms race dead in it's tracks :-) . Clean out the power junkies and the airwaves should become a lot more useable for all and demand an engagement of brain. Cue lot's of abuse lol.
John, nice idea but sadly with a power limit of 400watts in the U.K. You can still go and buy a beefy linear and run it. The only person who knows how much power they are running is the person on the mic.
Once again, I'll post up my vote for the Horizontal Loop Antenna as the single best QRP DX antenna a ham can construct. It seems to take more of the QRP signal and get it out into the air in a useful low angle, omnidirectional pattern for making contacts......both transmitting and receiving. This assumes a 450 Ohm (3/4") twin lead "ladderline" feedline to a 4:1 balun then short Coax into the rig itself or into a tuner and then into the rig. I dare you to prove me wrong with any other antenna except a Rhombic directional when it comes to making QRP contacts. 73's, de KD5TXO
FT817ND, one valve xtal tx. 19 Set on low H.T. and my h/b rig so nothing over 5 Watts for 30+ years. Use c.w. on the QRP frequencies for best results. It depends on frequency as well. A Pixie on 5.262 MHz, 350 mW out, best QSO 180 miles with a SWL report at 220 miles. 19 Set at 2.5 Watts, 5.262 MHz, QSO at 280 miles to Mallaig. S.s.b easy into Europe on 14 MHz, even on h/b indoor mag. loop. 1 Watt c.w. now 10m opening, in the past have had QSO's into U.S.A. QRP to QRP especially pleasing. G4GHB.
QRP is only frustrating if you're trying to use an inefficient antenna. There are so many what I call "gimmick antennas". Someone new to QRP may get the idea they can work DX with a whip or some other snake oil antenna. Don't believe the hype... put up a wire antenna and QRP will become fun!
Hi mate, just stumbled across this as you do on RUclips. Nice video. Hope you're both well. Just to let you know when I go portable or mobile I never use more than 10W - my radio of choice is my trusty Trio TS130. 73 4 now de G7CIY
@@KeithG7CIY Hi Keith, all good here and hope the same is true with you. QRP is amazing if you get it right and anything under 10watts is a real achievement. Catch up on the air soon.
Back in 1966 I heard a station in Germany running a 20 mW homebrew SSB transmitter booming into MIchigan, USA over my old tube shortwave and sounding just like a local. For about a week there it sounded like I could hear every HF transmitter on the planet. Stations were coming in and fading out on every frequency. I seldom even tuned the receiver because so much was happening on each frequency.
I bought the Yeasu 817 as my first radio. But I understood the 5w limit and what it meant. I have loved QRP ever since. and don't have a radio that will do more than 15. I have never used more than 5w. Frustrating sure. Fun, absolutely.
Great little radio and every HAM should have one for some great fun. As an M6 I run low power all the time and love my 817 in the field. My only confirmed VK contact was with this little radio, a homebrew resonant diploe and plenty of patience. Power is no substitute for skill and I get great satisfaction from making contacts all over Europe on 5w. Great video Keith and thank you for sharing....... M6KVK 73
I know it really is a fantastic box of tricks. Thanks for the kind words 👍
QRP is more than a type of transceiver. It's a state of mind.
Excellent presentation! I recently had a 4000+ mile QSO Ohio-Slovakia with my FT818 5w SSB 20m and Endfedz resonant antenna. Get a good antenna set up and 5w is all that is needed.
Very true, antenna is the key. If you can't hear them you can't work them.
I'm running a WSPR beacon on 20mtr band @185mw and an indoor fan dipole and being heard in Canada, Hawaii, North Pole, Antarctica, and Southern Australia.
Amazing what can be achieved with so little rf power.
It really can be amazing to see how far QRP travels. The secret is having a superb antenna that does all the work. Running 1Kw into a dummy load wont get you first class DX.
Nicely done! All I do at the moment is QRP and all of it is phone. The majority is SSB, some AM on 40 meters, and occasionally FM on 10 meters when conditions allow it. I'm able to make contacts whenever I power up the FT-818, and that's what it's all about. Someday I'll buy a 100 watt rig but right now I'm enjoying QRP.
Awesome, yes QRP can be a challenge but at the same time really satisfying when you get some DX. Sounds like you are just enjoying your radio. Thanks for the comment. Keith
Good use of the reverse beacon network here. Worth considering WSPR for very low power as well, I've run one at .5w into a 40m dipole and have been heard in Australia.
Very true. We are fortunate to have all these great resources.
Revease Beacon Network is really useful. I would like to add that it's mostly about location. A yagi in the garden won't help much if you're surrounded by tall buildings, or have +20db of PLT... or both!
I'm able to work all continents from the beach with 5 watts into a coil-loaded whip ...something I cannot do with 100+ watts and a half-wave at home.
The network is an ideal tool.
I would like to see you try that with SSB. Morse gets through where other modes don't but some of the digital modes makes Morse look old. Well done, trying to get through the high powered stations can be a challenge!
Many years ago I made a contact with a UA9 station this side of the Urals using just 400 mw in Morse of course.
Right conditions, right mode, right contact.
4w on my Alinco Dx Sr8e has got me around Europe many times, much more fun making a contact with low power.
As of qrp radios, yes I like them but I also like the ft891, great video. 73's Ed 👋
Sure can make some good DX on QRP if you try.
Very interesting and very well done video. I am a big fan of QRP. Now subbed. 73!
Awesome, yes it's a challenge but so satisfying when you work do. Thanks for the sub. Keith
Keith...Thanks for that well done and informative video. It is appreciated.
I run a 200mw Whisper transmitter here... the ZACHTEK Unit from Harry Harrison in Sweden.
Sofar in 4 weeks... I has been heard multiple times in Antartica, Japan... Australia, Hawai, the USA, Reunion Island, French Guyana... Brazil........ every nook and cranny in Europe and the USA. Low power mode is absolutely fascinating.... Antenna is an Endfed Half wave (80-10 meters) forty meters long.... BUT COMPROMISED as it is only THREE meters above ground at this time. Goes to prove..... propagation propagation is the name of the game.
Albert
EI7II.
Albert, thanks for your kind words and great going with your QRP. 200mW, good work sir. 73 Keith
@@TheHamRadioJunkie Keith... I am just blown away with what Whisper can do. After having been off air for a good 15 years and in the preceding years having been a QRP operator Whisper with its 200 Milliwatts has just about floored me. That my 200 milliwatts was received by the USA Antartic station was just about mind boggling. As I see it Keith.. the beauty of Amateur Radio is that it allows us... to EXPERIMENT. I used to have a BIG station and now I am a "shack in the box" guy... but you know what ? I am as happy as a pig in mud. Tmrw I am planning to raise the wire to 10 meters above ground which will make it a half wave on 20.... just can't wait.
Keith... please keep your informative videos going. DO NOT BE AFRAID to "upset the apple cart" We should avoid getting "Stuck in our ways" , very recently...I saw a video where one guy commented that Whisper was meaningless and Useless and we should all concentrate on CW and SSB.
I just feel sorry for him Keith... he does not know what he is missing.
Anyway... doing these videos takes TIME AND EFFORT ! It is seen AND APPRECIATED !!!]
Albert
EI7II.
@@albert7ii yes low power can spring up some surprises
My longest contact was 3000km until now. Avg. is about 1100km. with an FT-817 5W and an EFHF antenna.
It always surprises me how well low power can go.
Great video. I’ll try the reverse beacons in my area!!
i have the 817 and 818, using a mobile antena mounted horizontaly on the balcony i reach thousands of miles and i live in a flat in the first floor.
using lithium batery i made to give 13v.
my 817 got burned so it sends only 250mw out and with the same antena i reached NY with 5/9s.
i'm in the Azores islands.
the propagation does it all. cheers
I have made contacts 800 Kms away with 500 milliwatts SSB. I am in Chennai in East coast and made contacts with vu2uyc in Calicut in West coast. With 5 watts SSB my best contact is with 9M2S in Malaysia. My rig is a 15 years old Yaesu ft817nd.
Amazing, the FT817 is an awesome radio. Keep up the QRP DX. Keith
Hi Great video, are you going to do anything on how to set up and operate FT8 ?
Hi John, I will whatever people are interested in. What setup you got? I'll look to include your rig etc
Hi, I have a Yaesu Ft 991a, I would like to try 2m
Couple of weeks a go...I made a QSO with a sota station in france...with 100mW (KX3/CW) (1500 Km/900miles). Two years a go I managed to make a qso with a station in austria with 300mW (500Km/300Miles) in SSB. But also strange, two weeks a go I heard a station in US that was in POTA...and it was with 5W...but he didn't hear me with 100W...(CW). All my dx stations was made with 100W (I don't have power amp). Normaly, I keep my trx on 10W...and I am able to work all around the europe. So, QRP (even 100mW)...you can do a lot with that tiny power...but sometimes...even average QRO (100W) it's not enough.
P.S. I am a big fan of QRP
I understand QRP isn't everyone's thing, but you can be totally amazed at the distance you can travel on minimum power. Nice work.
ON 20m with only 10 mW (TX: Raspberry Pi 1, WSPR) and inverted 'V' antenna, every morning heard by VK2COW in Australia. Between 5:00 and 7:00 in the morning (Croatia, UTC+2) it is possible to reach Australia, and hour or two earlier, east coast of USA, mostly on 20m band. On 40m band, only Europe and maybe little bit more. That is because that antenna is really poorly made. 73 DE 9A4GE.
As a foundation licence student I have a genius suggestion - limit all hams to 10 watts (erp) for the summer months and 50 for the winter. This should stop the power arms race dead in it's tracks :-) . Clean out the power junkies and the airwaves should become a lot more useable for all and demand an engagement of brain. Cue lot's of abuse lol.
John, nice idea but sadly with a power limit of 400watts in the U.K. You can still go and buy a beefy linear and run it. The only person who knows how much power they are running is the person on the mic.
@@TheHamRadioJunkie or the neighbour with tvi ;)
@@saxon12qa Very true
Once again, I'll post up my vote for the Horizontal Loop Antenna as the single best QRP DX antenna a ham can construct. It seems to take more of the QRP signal and get it out into the air in a useful low angle, omnidirectional pattern for making contacts......both transmitting and receiving. This assumes a 450 Ohm (3/4") twin lead "ladderline" feedline to a 4:1 balun then short Coax into the rig itself or into a tuner and then into the rig. I dare you to prove me wrong with any other antenna except a Rhombic directional when it comes to making QRP contacts. 73's, de KD5TXO
Whatever works is great for me. 73 Keith
FT817ND, one valve xtal tx. 19 Set on low H.T. and my h/b rig so nothing over 5 Watts for 30+ years.
Use c.w. on the QRP frequencies for best results. It depends on frequency as well.
A Pixie on 5.262 MHz, 350 mW out, best QSO 180 miles with a SWL report at 220 miles. 19 Set at 2.5 Watts, 5.262 MHz, QSO at 280 miles to Mallaig.
S.s.b easy into Europe on 14 MHz, even on h/b indoor mag. loop.
1 Watt c.w. now 10m opening, in the past have had QSO's into U.S.A.
QRP to QRP especially pleasing.
G4GHB.
Bill, I love the FT817 and 818. Sadly, Yaesu have discontinued their production. Maybe they will produce another winning portable rig.
@@TheHamRadioJunkie Yes, it had a good run and still a great radio to me.
Well done Keith!
De N1XV Rahway New Jersey (NYC Metro)
Thanks for the nice comment 👍
Good stuff. I’m in!👍☘️
Awesome, do it!
Thanks Keith 👌
Thanks for watching Ray 👍
Nice Video 👍. Greetings From Belgium 73 .
Thanks for watching. Regards Keith.
Why not get the 100 watt version then turn it down if you want QRP?
You could do nothing stopping you.
My next radio
They are great little radios. Remember they can be a bit annoying if you can't work people on QRP.
qrp baby anyone can load up a kilowatt and make contacts but it takes a good operator to use 5 watts or less.73 ki0ad
Very true James
Well done fellow addict! Now try 250 mw.
I may well do that Todd.
Nice vid Keith, thanks, 73 de Keith
Thanks for the nice comment.
👍👏👏
Hi Mark! We meet again...lol!
@@KX4UL 😂👋 Hey nice to see you here Gary, stay well & safe 👍
I am Keith Dalton WV4G.
Great to meet you Keith.
Around the world if propagation is favourable. Full stop.
Very true. 👍
Who disliked this? Cannot understand why!
Must be a fan of high power. 😀
some powerful people!
QRP is only frustrating if you're trying to use an inefficient antenna. There are so many what I call "gimmick antennas". Someone new to QRP may get the idea they can work DX with a whip or some other snake oil antenna. Don't believe the hype... put up a wire antenna and QRP will become fun!
@@fintronics very true.
RUclips have an excellent sk fist! Former military or commercial cw op?
Hi mate, just stumbled across this as you do on RUclips. Nice video. Hope you're both well. Just to let you know when I go portable or mobile I never use more than 10W - my radio of choice is my trusty Trio TS130. 73 4 now de G7CIY
@@KeithG7CIY Hi Keith, all good here and hope the same is true with you. QRP is amazing if you get it right and anything under 10watts is a real achievement. Catch up on the air soon.