BY LOU FRENZEL W5LEF OPEN COMMUNICATION

Going All The Way With QRP

Low power operation, better than you think.

Q RP is the amateur radio Q code for Reduce Power. It is also a clear

niche or specialty of ham radio that focuses on radio communications
using low power transmitters. There does not seem to be a firm
definition of what low power is, but five watts maximum is the usually
stated limit. Some say 10 watts. In any case, it is a lot less than the capability
of the common ham transmitter. The typical transceiver today is usually
capable of 100 watts of power, and many hams use auxiliary power amplifiers
to boost power to the 1,500 watts peak allowed.
Generally speaking, the higher the power, the Despite my difficulty, others have had good results
stronger the signal and the farther it can travel. However, with this transceiver. Overall, the reviews of the MFJ-9340
many other factors are involved such as antenna types, on several QRP websites are very positive. If you have the
propagation conditions, frequency of operation, and time and equipment to do the proper soldering, alignment,
receiver sensitivity. On the high frequency bands (3 MHz and troubleshooting, give it a try.
to 30 MHz), propagation is such that even a low power
signal can travel around the world.
What makes the QRP idea so attractive is the
Cheap Transmitter Kits
challenge of making contacts with low power. It is usually My other QRP adventures involved testing low cost
easy with a 100 watt transmitter, but with one watt or less transmitter kits. There are literally dozens of cheap versions
you have to take special steps to make it happen. you can buy from the Internet. One of these is the Ramsey
I have been a ham for many years, but just recently QRP-30 (see Figure 2). Ramsey no longer makes these kits
got the QRP bug. Here is a summary of some of my but you can still find them online.
adventures and experiments. My unit operates on 30 meters in the 10.15 MHz
range. It is crystal based, but uses a pair of diodes as a
varactor to pull the crystal for tuning over a narrow range.
QRP Transceiver It uses a 2N3053 final amplifier that can put out about one
One early choice I made was to buy a complete QRP
transceiver. I discovered the MFJ-9340 Cub QRP unit. I
paid just under $100 for the kit (see Figure 1). This is a
sophisticated little rig crammed into a single PCB (printed
circuit board) with about three inches per side. It features
a superhet receiver with a crystal filter and a multistage
transmitter with a 2N5109 final stage that puts out one
to two watts; that is adjustable. The unit operates with an
external DC supply of 12-14 volts.
The PCB comes pre-populated with the surface-
mount ICs and many of the resistors and capacitors. The
kit builder installs more resistors, capacitors, inductors,
crystals, and connectors. While the manual and instructions
are clear, the installation is a real challenge given the small
spaces involved. This is no beginner kit, for sure.
Unfortunately, once I finished, the end result was a
dead transceiver. It did not power up and I could not get
it to work. I did some troubleshooting, but the small size
made it difficult. I finally sent it back for repair and MFJ Figure 1. The MFJ-9340 Cub transceiver. Its a cool
product, but I could not make it work initially.
sent me a new one. Thanks MFJ! The new one works great.
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final transistor stage and a Pi network that connects to the

antenna. It puts out about 100 mW with a nine volt battery
supply. You can get more with a 12 volt supply.
This circuit also works as a receiver. When not
transmitting, the S8050 final transistor power amplifier
serves as a mixer. It mixes the input signal from the
antenna with the always-on crystal oscillator signal down
to an audio signal that is amplified by a 386 audio power
amp IC. As crazy as it sounds, it does work, although the
bandwidth is too wide and there is little selectivity. Tuning
is done by a pot you have to adjust with a screwdriver.
Cheap but not ideal.
Just so you know, there is no manual or instructions
with the kit, just a schematic. You have to match the
Figure 2. Two kit transmitters: the Ramsey QRP-30 on the
left and QRP Pixie on the right. component numbers on the schematic to those on the
PCB. Some of the parts were not marked. I ended up
watt with a 12 volt supply. measuring most of the capacitors with my DMM. I got the
This was an easy kit to build and the manual was inductor color code from an Internet search. Connecting
straightforward. The kit worked right away. I certainly the speaker, antenna, key, and power are a nuisance with
recommend this one if you can find one. Other models are the screw-type connectors. Nevertheless, I like this little kit
available for the 80, 40, and 20 meter bands. because of its uniqueness.
One of the most unusual units I discovered is the QRP If you want a cheap and dirty transmitter, try the one
Pixie. This is a 40 meter transceiver that uses two transistors shown in Figure 4. It uses a single 2N3904, 2N2222, or
and one IC (refer again to Figure 2). I got my unit from equivalent transistor, and a nine volt battery or 12 volt
NightFire Electronics for around $10 (www.vakits.com). supply. I used a 7.040 MHz crystal.
Its a bit primitive, but unique in design. The schematic is The only hard part to find is probably the 365 pF
shown in Figure 3. It starts with a crystal oscillator driving a variable capacitor. I had one in my junk box left over from
a crystal radio project. The
antenna was just a long wire,
but it works. Im not sure how
much power output is, but my
guess is only a few milliwatts
true QRP.
One thing I would like
to try is a vacuum tube kit. I
used a one tube 11 watter as
a novice on 80 meters and
worked all states. I also had a
6V6 10 watter later during my
poor college days. It worked
great too. I did not realize that
I was a QRPer at the time. It
would be fun to try that again.
There are lots of QRP kits
out there. Just do an Internet
search on QRP kits and spend
some time digging through
the pile. There are plenty of
experimentation opportunities
for you at low cost. Check
out the many kit reviews at
www.eham.net/reviews/
Figure 3. Schematic of the QRP Pixie from NightFire Electronics that is both a products/22 to see what
transmitter and receiver. (Courtesy Night Fire Electronics; www.viakits.com). others say.
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Going All the Way gear but you dont have to while enjoying this hobby. If you
want to try hamming, try QRP.
After lots of playing around with cheap and simple Here are a few tips to make the experience positive:
equipment, I have finally satisfied my QRP curiosity. It truly Be sure to have a good antenna. That makes all the
is amazing what can be done with low power. However, difference. A half wave dipole on the band of interest
I wanted more. So, when I found a few extra bucks in works great; so does a good quarter wave vertical with
my budget -- with spouse approval -- I decided to buy the radials. A long wire works well too, but be sure you use
Cadillac (or Mercedes) of QRP: the Elecraft KX2 transceiver a tuner to get a good match. Its almost best to spend as
(see Figure 5). much or more on the antenna as the equipment itself.
Its an expensive little thing, but has everything you Select the right band. Propagation characteristics really
ever need to be a successful QRPer. Its battery operated impact low power results, and that varies with frequency
for full portability, and has a built-in antenna tuner to match and the time of day. Best results are usually had on 40, 30,
whatever crappy antenna you can put up in the field. It and 20 meters.
operates in all the basic ham bands from 80 to 10 meters. Operate on the best frequencies. The QRP community
It offers CW or SSB operation. Note that even the keyer is has identified specific frequencies where QRP contacts can
built into the front panel. be made. That means hams are out there looking for QRP
The unit itself is a software-defined radio (SDR) with contacts on or around these frequencies. Here are some to
full digital signal processing (DSP). The maximum output consider:
power is 10 watts, but it is adjustable downward if you 80 meters 3.560 or 3.58 MHz (3.710 MHz for novice)
want to test yourself. 40 meters 7.030 or 7.040 MHz (7.110 MHz for novice)
I have had great success with this little unit. The 30 meters 10.106 MHz
receiver performance is world class and the antenna tuner 20 meters 14.060 MHz
loads standard dipoles and verticals. I recently tested it on 15 meters 21.060 MHz
20 meters with a 25 foot wire and got excellent results. Answer CQs, dont call CQ. From experience,
Currently, Im using a Buddipole portable antenna that I operators know that you get more contacts by answering a
can tune on 40, 30, and 20 meters. call rather than initiating one yourself.
When you get tired of experimenting and want to Be patient. You probably wont get through every
focus on operation, a fancy rig like the KX2 is definitely the time, but keep trying because eventually you will connect.
way to go. Ham radio offers a wide range of interesting
specialties. QRP is a great one for low-cost fun
experimentation, as well as the challenge of developing
Making QRP Work for You your operating skills. Give it a try. NV
QRP is good because you can get into ham radio
at a low cost and experience that eureka! feeling of
communicating at a distance with something you made.
QRP gear gives you great portability for field day and
vacations, and off-the-grid operation in emergencies. You
can spend thousands of dollars on great commercial ham

Figure 4. Simple one transistor transmitter that is just a Figure 5. The Elecraft KX2 QRP transceiver does
crystal oscillator connected to an antenna. everything well.

Reference: A good source of QRP info is available in a book from the American Radio Relay League
(ARRL; www.arrl.org): Low Power Communications, by Rich Arland W3OSS.
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