QRP Fox Hunts by Andy Zwirko – K1RA

Overview What is QRP & QRPp? What equipment is involved? Who are the QRP centric groups? QRP Fox Hunt Sponsors and Event Rules & Players of the Competition Where & when do they occur? Audio & video of K1RA 80m (2008/9) Stats from Winter 2008/9 season

QRP & QRPp Explained Q-signal - Shall I decrease power? QRP is usually defined <= 10 watts In most contests QRP <= 5 watts QRPp is usually defined <= 1 watt Opposite of QRP is QRO – Increase power QRO is usually defined > 100 watts Powers of 10 –1w, 10w, 100w, 1000w - 10db increments

QRP Equipment Commercial 100w transceiver –Throttle power output ~5 watts –Transverter output 1-100’s milliwatts Commercial QRP transceivers –9-12vdc battery powered, 5 watts max. output –Portable, self-contained, multi-mode QRP Kits & Home brewing –Simple CW Transmitter Xtal control –VFO based transceivers SSB&CW –DDS, Digital and SDR based tx/rx

Commercial QRO Rigs 100+w – Icom, Yaesu, Kenwood, Elekraft –Throttle power output to ~5 watts –Tap transverter output 1-100’s milliwatts

Commercial QRP Rigs 5w – SGC, Yaesu, Icom, Tentec, Elekraft –9-12vdc battery powered 5 watts max. out –Portable, self-contained, multi-mode

QRP Rig Kits 5w – Elekraft, TenTec, Hendriks, Softrock, EMtech, JUMA, NorCal –Battery powered 5 watts max. –Portable

Homebrew QRP Rigs

QRP Centric Organizations International QRP groups –American QRP Club (AmQRP) –QRP Amateur Radio Club International –Flying Pigs QRP Club International Local VA QRP groups –Northern VA QRP Club –Virginia QRP Society

QRP Fox Hunt Organization Members of other QRP groups who had an interest in creating a competitive QRP event Main mode of interest in CW (morse) Test operator skill at copying multiple weak signals Exercise station capabilities Competitions occur on HF bands –80m/40m during winter –20m during summer

QRP Fox Hunt Events A QRP Fox Hunt is a series of 90 minute Amateur Radio events during which low-power (QRP) stations, or "Hounds," attempt to make contact with specific QRP stations designated as "The Fox." Time – GMT (-1hr if during DST) Dates – 80m Tues & 40m Thurs nights (winter) Months – 1 st week in Nov. -> 3 rd week in Mar. (winter) Dates – 20m Tues nights (summer) Months – 1 st week in Jul. -> 1 st week in Sept. (summer) Op +/- 10Khz of MHz & MHz & MHz 2 Foxes per night (one high/one low)

QRP Fox Hunt Details Only Foxes call CQ FOX Fox will initially listen UP ~1 KHz (split / pileup) All others (hounds) attempt to contact (bag pelt) Exchange RST, State, Name and Power Only Foxes submit a log to the sponsor

QRP Fox Hunt Details Hounds can form teams of up to 5 members Foxes, Hounds and Hound Teams scored at end of season Score based on successful contacts (pelts) Pelts “given” by Foxes and “bagged” by Hounds

K1RA as 80m Fox - Jan. 2009

Winter 2008/9 Fox Stats Best DX MilesFox CallHound Contacted 2425K4KSRAB7R 2407NG7ZKC1FB 2395W2LJAB7R 2217AA4LRAB7R 2177N4DDAB7R 1954KV2XAC7A 1946K2ZNAC7A 1931K1RAW9CF 1930K4BAIVA6RF 1777K9CWAB7R 1662W8RUW9CF 1645K0FRPKC1FB 1631KT5EN1VWD 1623WC7SKC1FB 1608KI0IIW2SH 1602KR0UW2EEW 1591VE1ZACN9WS 1431N0ARVE1ZAC 1409N0URNG7Z 1408KI0GW4PM 1203NR5AN4DD Fox Calls Total Hounds Contacted Individual Week Scores N4DD K9CW N0UR K1RA K4BAI N0AR W8RU AA4LR K2ZN WC7S K0FRP KT5E KV2X KI0II KR0U K4KSR VE1ZAC W2LJ59+59 NG7Z41+41 KI0G NR5A

Foxes WorkedHound Calls 40 39K9CW 38 37KK5LD N4DD N4SAM 36K9IS 35K4PIC 34K1RA N9NE WA9TZE 33 32N0AR W9XU 31K4KSR WC7S 30KR0U KZ5J 29KB2FEL W5AJD WB9HFK 28AC7A KI0II N0SM NU4I WA0ITP 27K0LOA K9XE KG4YLZ 26N0UR W0IIT W9JOP 25K3PH K4AXF K5JHP N8WS N9AW NO2D W2EEW W2SH W9CF W9LR 24KF8K 23AB3CV AB9CA K3ESE NK9G W9QS 22AA5CK K4BAI W9HC 21K5OI K8KFJ N4KV 20KC1FB N1VWD 19AE4Y K4QS K5DI N3VF N5DGK W9OD 18K2ZN KV2X 17K0EVZ VE1ZAC WA8BXN 16K5AEM KT5E NU8S WA9ETW 15AB7R N4CY N8KBG WB8WTU Winter 2008/9 Hound Stats

K1RA Contact Map (1)

W8RU Contact Map (1)

K1RA Contact Map (2)

W8RU Contact Map (2)

# Contacts by Hounds by Grid

QRP Online Resources QRP Club Resource list – – – QRP Kits – – – – – – Itemid,23http:// Itemid,23