AmateurRadio.com

Today’s QSO was a very pleasant 20 minute rag chew with Gene N5GW. Gene and I have worked each other countless times, but to be honest with you, the majority of our conversations have sounded something like this:

N5GW DE W2LJ UR 559 NJ 5W
W2LJ DE N5GW TU UR 559 MS 5W
N5GW DE W2LJ TNX 72 DE W2LJ QRZ?

But as I stated before, today we had an actual conversation – no QRP Sprint exchange …. for a change!

And this time, Gene was not in Mississippi, he was in Tennessee, on vacation on the Cumberland Plateau.  Gene and his XYL are enjoying the mountains, and having a gold old time. Gene brought along his IC-7000 and strung up a wire antenna in an oak tree outside their cabin. Gene had a good 589 signal into New Jersey, and I got a 559/569 report in return.

Gene had the good fortune of having a good antenna (even though it’s temporary), and high elevation. That combination gave him a winning signal.

It’s always a delight to actually converse with guys that I’ve only held brief QSOs with. QRP is not just contesting and sprints. It’s also very much getting to know the other guy, just like in the other niches of Amateur Radio. And this is the better part, because this is where the lasting friendships are made.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP – When you care to send the very least!