Ol' Sol's Cycle 23 is in decline, but there's plenty of DX available for QRPers. [SOHO photo courtesy of NASA]
By Anthony A. Luscre, K8ZT
Contributing Editor
September 24, 2003
Triple witching hour means now is the time to get on the air!
In previous columns, I have discussed the concept of timing for QRP success. Learning how to time your on-the-air responses often is the only way for a QRPer to break that DX pileup.
Scheduling operating times during a contest helps increase your score. It's best to choose times to operate when propagation is in your favor.
And while we're speaking of time, if you are interested in QRP success, now is the time to get on the air!
To borrow a stock market term, we are at a triple witching hour. Timing of three concurrent events will probably make the next few months your best chance for QRP success in next few years. Factors comprising our triple witching hour are:
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Ol' Sol's Cycle 23 is in decline, but there's plenty of DX available for QRPers. [SOHO photo courtesy of NASA] |
Now more than seven years old, Cycle 23 definitely is diving towards its minimum. With numbers on the order of one-half or less of what they were at the peak of the cycle, fall 2003 is not likely to match the last two autumns. Even with the lower numbers, QRP DX contacts are still possible this fall. The QRP DXer's most efficient long-distance bands (10, 12 and 15 meters) definitely will experience less-frequent and shorter openings. This is why it is important that you get on the air whenever openings do occur.
Frequent monitoring of Web sites that provide real-time propagation and band
activity information such as DX Bands.com
and DX Summit can help you catch
those less-frequent openings. ARRL's weekly propagation forecasts
by Tad Cook, K7RA, can help you to plan your week. But don't forget: The
very best way to catch these elusive band openings is to be on the air.
The autumn equinox means the northern and southern hemispheres receive about the same number of hours of sunlight. The (approximately) equal irradiation of the ionosphere worldwide often results in greatly improved DX. Autumn in Ohio and other northern states also means the end to lawn duties and other outdoor activities allowing for more quality time in the ham shack.
Many larger contests occur during the next few months. Even if you are not a contester per se, contests do give QRPers thousands of chances for both DX and domestic contacts. My two-part column QRP Community: QRP Contesting (Part 1) and (Part 2) offers reasons for you to work contests and hints on how to be successful.
There's more information on QRP DXing in my two-part column QRP Community: DXing -- A Guide for DX Success Using QRP (Part 1) and (Part 2).
Here is a partial list of some of my favorite autumn/winter contests, arranged by date.
| Date (UTC) | Contest | Mode | Notes |
| Sep 27-28 | Scandinavian Activity Contest | SSB | Good chance to work rarer Scandinavian countries (JW, JX, OX. etc.) and call areas. |
| Oct 4-5 | California QSO Party | CW/SSB | The biggest state QSO Party; T-shirts available for those making at least 100 QSOs. |
| Oct 18-19 | ARCI Fall QSO Party | CW | Classic QRP contest |
| Oct 25-26 | CQ World Wide DX Contest (Phone)* | SSB | Premier DX contest; best place to increase your QRP DXCC totals. |
| Nov 1-3 | ARRL November Sweepstakes (CW)* | CW | Premier US Contest; the best place to increase your QRP WAS totals. |
| Nov 8-9 | Japan International DX Contest | SSB | |
| Nov15-17 | ARRL November Sweepstakes (Phone)* | SSB | Premier US Contest; the best place to increase your QRP WAS totals. |
| Nov 29-30 | CQ World Wide DX Contest (CW)* | CW | Premier DX contest; best place to increase your QRP DXCC totals. |
| Dec 3 | QRP ARCI Topband Sprint | CW/SSB | QRP can work on 160--give it a try. A good warmup for the sunspot minima ahead. |
| Dec 7 | QRP ARCI Holiday Spirits Sprint | CW | Pour a cup of eggnog, and kick off the holiday season with QRP. |
| Dec 13-14 | ARRL 10 Meter Contest | CW/SSB | Don't miss possibly the last chance for 10-meter DX during this cycle. |
| Jan 3 | ARRL RTTY Roundup | RTTY | QRP can work on RTTY. Contests are becoming the only place to work RTTY. |
| Jan 17 | Michigan QRP January Contest | CW | |
| Jan 24 | CQ 160-Meter Contest | CW | QRP can work on 160--give it a try. A good warmup for the sunspot minima ahead. |
* The big four!
Elecraft's newest kit the KX-1--an ultra-compact CW rig. [Elecraft Photo] |
My last column, QRP Community: Build a Construction Station, brought a lot of e-mail. Thanks for all the positive comments and suggestions.
Burt Schultz, AB9CV, expressed concern about static electricity from using styrofoam egg cartons as parts bins. Two alternatives that can lessen the static potential are cardboard egg cartons (which I now use) or metal cupcake/muffin tins. Additionally, I would strongly suggest using a static discharge wrist strap when working with sensitive components.
For the readers of the Elecraft Mailing List, the evening of September 5 seemed to drag on, reminiscent of youngsters awaiting presents on Christmas Eve. List members were awaiting the announcement of Elecraft's new kit, the KX1. The KX1 is described as a "backpacker's dream--an ultra-light, multiband CW station with internal battery and [optional] automatic antenna tuner." I will provide more details in a future column.
Editor's note: Anthony Luscre, K8ZT, an ARRL member, lives in Stow, Ohio. He has worked in the field of medical microbiology for 18 years and is now a technology and computer coordinator for a local school district. An avid QRP operator, Luscre has earned DXCC, WAS and WAC using no more that 5 W output. Readers are invited to contact the author via e-mail, k8zt@arrl.net or visit his Web site.
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