++++++++++++++++ Reply-To: From: "Ron D'Eau Claire" To: Date: Thu, 22 Aug 2002 19:00:36 -0700 Subject: [Elecraft] Watts Important? Skip, N2EI wrote: I love my original K2 QRP rig with all the trimmings. The idea of having the 100 watt amp and KAT 100 tuner in a separate enclosure that allows me to keep my K2 essentially as it is now is extremely interesting.... ---------------------------------------------------- I agree. I have been one of the ops who wanted to be able to "turn up the wick" a bit with a 100 watt option. Others commented that 100 watts is very seldom needed. We are BOTH right. I find listening to the worldwide DX beacons enlightening and amazing. (If you don't know about the DX beacon system, they are a series of 18 automated transmitters around the world operating on 14.100, 18.110, 21.150, 24.930 and 28.200 MHz. They transmit in rotation providing an indication of band conditions. http://www.oldradioworld.de/ncdxf.htm is one of many web sites with more info). Each beacon has a similar vertical antenna. After sending its call at 100 watts, each beacon sends a series of dashes: the first dash is at 100 watts, the second at 10 watts, the third at 1 watt and finally the last dash is at 0.1 watt (100 mw). Listening to these beacons I notice that either I cannot hear it at all or I can easily hear at least the 100 and 10 watt dashes. Indeed, very often the 10 watt dash is much stronger than the 100 watt dash, thanks to rapid QSB. It's amazing how often the 1 and even 0.1 watt dashes are audible as well. It's an object lesson in just how LITTLE difference there is between 10 and 100 watts in the real world on the air. It's often impossible to tell one power level from the other. It's more often the rule that if I can't hear the 10 watt dash, I can't hear the 100 watt dash either. Short skip and ground wave on the lower frequencies are a bit different. Stable signals and higher noise there mean that the extra S-unit or so the 100 watts offers is noticeable when conditions are marginal. It can be a big help when the signal is hiding down in the noise just a bit too far to read. SSB is different too. It requires many times the spectrum width of CW. That requires more signal. Being an avid brass pounder, I can't speak about how 10 watts works on SSB compared to the "big boys". So why do I want 100 watts around? To be "polite". When conditions are a rocky and the other guy is running one of the mainstream 100 watt rigs, it's nice to be able to match that power so he doesn't feel like I am forcing him to dig for my signal down in the mud. Forget that he probably can't tell the difference between 10 and 100 watts, it's nice to be able to have "parity" in our power levels. Even if he is running a kilowatt, 100 watts is what the bulk of the hams are running these days so I am not subjecting the other op to any unusual difficulty for working me. And who knows, someday, somewhere an elusive, rare, DX station just might catch my call because I "turned up the wick" at the right moment. But I'm not counting on it. Ron AC7AC K2 # 1289 +++++++++++++