The CQ WW CW contest for 2015 is now in the books and I did participate in it as non assisted, QRP and single band. I find that search and pounce is the way to go when my power is low and my antenna is the MFJ 1788 loop antenna. I figured with what is stacked up against me to add to it calling CQ contest would prove to be very frustrating contact wise. In this last contest I did hear a station who was search and pounce and QRP.......not sure about his antenna though BUT he was adding /QRP to the tail end of his call. I found this to be interesting and the times I ran into him in a pileup he seemed to get the attention of the station he was calling very fast and was able to move on to search and pounce more contacts. I will be honest I have thought about doing this in the past but for various reasons I did not. So this is just a question to those out there......what's your feeling during a contest about a station that signs "VE3WDM/QRP??
Ok you contesters (and non contesters) here is a question??
13 December 2015 | by 
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I will usually try to work the QRP station once I hear him or her calling before I answer the others. I have worked some stations who claim to be QRP but I have my doubts on some, I felt were just using /QRP just to make a contact.
Adds too much time each time you append “/QRP” which could be better spent else where, IMHO. E.G. Assume you make 1000 calls with the dded 1 second (assuming 30 WPM or so) for “/QRP” so that’s over 16-1/2 minutes added time for calling! If you assume a really low 2 contacts per minute that’s still 33 contacts lost from the log over an hour. If you are a casual, slow speed contestor you don’t care, but if you are serious about maximizing your totals, then every second wasted costs you in the long run, IMHO!
Best of the holidays to you and yours, OM.
73,
Robert
Robert: Unless the contest rules require you to send /QRP, don’t. It is extra letters the receiving station does not have to copy. The other station seemed to be making more contacts? Probably not because he was signing /QRP, but that he was still sending after others stopped. You can do the same thing by waiting a few seconds before calling. I usually operate LPCA (Low Power Crap Antenna) and a lot of station come back with OW? The last two letters of my long call, because that was what was in the clear. Also, you might find this amusing. An actual off the air audio clip of an old friend, K2OJL/V31BB (SK) reacting to someone signing QRP. Enjoy. http://users.iswest.com/ballen/v31qrp.wav 73, Mike, WV2ZOW
I always use /QRP. It may take a little longer, but more contacts in the long run. At 5 watts or less, that’s important!
Good morning Fred, I have been wondering if the /QRP got the attention of the calling station and it seems that you as an op you ears go up when you hear that the /QRP. During my next CW contest I am going to give it a go and see how my results compare.
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Mike
Hello Robert thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment, I do agree it does take time to add the /QRP but with my small station Im really not looking at being super efficient I’m just trying to get some extra calls in the log.
73, Mike
Hello Mike and good morning, I will load that wav clip and give it a listen! You have a very good point and I never thought that it may be from just being the last few call letters in the pileup once all have stopped transmitting.
Have a good week Mike
73, Mike
Good morning Bob, interesting to hear that you actually do get more contacts signing /QRP.
Mike
Here in the UK adding /QRP would not be legal.
Good morning Roger, did not realize that….interesting.
73, Mike