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So lets talk a little Low Power Radio and Solar
Terminology briefly.
In the days of telegraphy we used a shorthand called the Q codes and they persist to this day in that usage. CW Continuous Wave or how Morse Code transmissions are called sends a letter at a time so abbreviations are useful! Texting before texting if you will. There were some unique to trains, and planes and ships, and radio but there are some standard ones radio operators use. In use they were statement or questions depending on if you sent with or without a question mark. I have QRM means I'm bothered by man made interference. QRM? was Are you bothered by man made interference? Some of these modified as figures of speech. QRP? shall I decrease my power? QRO? shall I increase my power? Remember that radio started as spark, like lightning you were transmitting on all frequencies at once and controlling how loud you were was a matter of power, it quickly refined but when you're operating even today it's best practice to use no more power out than needed so as not to cause interference. The terms took on new meaning though as to describe your station.
QRP radio- a radio that could only transmit with 1-5 watts of power
QRO- a radio that could transmit with more than 5 watts power
The sub 1 watt crowd even adopted the term QRPp
QRM was man made interference. One story as to why we're called hams was because of this. Ships at sea inbound to New York might try calling on the spark gap radios to the harbor and get nothing. Then they would hear some amateur radio operators say in New Jersey talking to someone in Rhode Island. The amateurs were making enough noise as to drowned out the ship's signal. So the ships would start calling to each other to make sure their radios worked and eventually after figuring out it was "local interference" one ship would say to the other, it's the damned amateurs hamming it up again...
QRN is natural interference, light lightning for example or other cause of non controllable or predictable interference.
QSB is fade. Signals fade in strength as we're relying on the
ionosphere to bounce them. Remember, we're bending the laws of physics to make an electromagnetic wave but we're still bound to the natural environment to make best use of it. The sky even 80 miles up is still like the sea and there are better sailing days and worse sailing days, smoother days and rougher days. Sunlight plays an important part it all of this. In the day the F layer has 2 parts, but at night they merge into a higher single F layer letting you skip a little further.
Greyline is a term to describe the odd mixing time and position of the layers. Anywhere on earth it is dusk or dawn is the Greyline and you can use this to get a long but specific path of transmission. Sometimes dusk or dawn are better than actual night conditions but they are momentary.
Low power radios QRP and in particular using Morse Code can really ask you understand what's happening around you in a way that QRO radio doesn't. I'm a poor fisherman but it compares like fly fishing to going out on a small charter on the lake. QRP is fly fishing as you need to understand the stream you are in, the time of year, the time of day to really make the most of it. Picking the right mode, the right band, the right time to cast, even with antennas if it's an option how do I case efficiently? QRO radio is bound by these same things but like the fishermen on a boat in a lake they can turn up the power and compensate or overcome for less than ideal conditions. They might get away with working in a particular band even if it's not the best time as they can apply more power to overcome it.
For me I've found after a decade of not having the option the fun is in the fishing. I have a QRO radio and it's in a box waiting for someone else to enjoy. I've grown to like visiting the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center and looking at the solar reports and checking the Reverse Beacon Network for spots and just hearing the bands to see what's doing. There's nothing wrong with full power stations, there's nothing wrong with folks using amplifiers to go up to their legal limit it's just I've found more enjoyment in the less is more take. There are stations I've wanted to make a contact with who just couldn't hear me. There have been times I've used what I know to make a quick contact even though the odds are against me. If I need to call someone I'll use my phone!
Radio was always magical for me, we are mages of sorts, bending the laws of the universe for fun. And hanging onto that mas kept it fun for 31 years and counting.
Jul 28 · 5 months ago · 👍 norayr, johano · 🤘 1
Great write-up! I'm excited to get into low-power operation now that I've got some capable gear. QRM encompasses car ignition systems, electrical transformers, and other man-made sources of noise as well, right? Or is it just "intentional" RF emissions from a transmitter?
📡 Queen_City_Nerd [OP] · Jul 28 at 23:48:
@addison I'd say that's all QRM, powerline noise and transformers are as well. I was just being general but yeah in the old Q Code list I have QRM? is to mean "is your transmission being interfered with? vs QRN? "Are you troubled by static?" And boy were we... The flight of the bumble bee event was a downer for the bands being down today. I just worked a great contact KA9I who gave a signal report of 229! He stuck with me to his credit but we gave up for the weak signal. I emailed him after logging in QRZ to say thanks and asked if he had a usual time/frequency I'd keep an ear out to continue the QSO later.