From owner-qrp-l@Lehigh.EDU Tue Mar 25 12:37:33 1997 Received: from fidoii.CC.Lehigh.EDU (fidoii.CC.Lehigh.EDU [128.180.1.4]) by oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu (8.7.6/8.7.1) with ESMTP id MAA11677 for ; Tue, 25 Mar 1997 12:37:32 -0500 (EST) X-Received-x: from fidoii.CC.Lehigh.EDU (fidoii.CC.Lehigh.EDU [128.180.1.4]) by oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu (8.7.6/8.7.1) with ESMTP id MAA11677 for ; Tue, 25 Mar 1997 12:37:32 -0500 (EST) Received: from Lehigh.EDU ([127.0.0.1]) by fidoii.cc.lehigh.edu with SMTP id <35190-11544>; Tue, 25 Mar 1997 12:36:01 -0500 Received: from nss2.CC.Lehigh.EDU ([128.180.1.26]) by fidoii.cc.lehigh.edu with ESMTP id <35177-42263>; Tue, 25 Mar 1997 12:33:33 -0500 Received: from mgate.arrl.org (root@mgate.arrl.org [205.217.201.2]) by nss2.CC.Lehigh.EDU (8.8.5/8.8.5) with SMTP id MAA86340 for ; Tue, 25 Mar 1997 12:33:21 -0500 Received: from smtp_gw by mgate.arrl.org with smtp (Smail3.1.29.1 #9) id m0w9a63-0004rCC; Tue, 25 Mar 97 12:33 EST Message-Id: Date: Tue, 25 Mar 1997 12:28:00 -0500 Reply-To: gswanson@arrl.org Sender: owner-qrp-l@Lehigh.EDU Precedence: bulk From: "Swanson, Glenn, KB1GW" To: "Low Power Amateur Radio Discussion" Subject: Survey results: Which band? [long] X-To: "'QRP Reflector (postings)'" X-Mailer: Worldtalk (NetConnex V4.00a)/MIME X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 beta -- ListProcessor(tm) by CREN Status: RO Greetings, The survey question was: "If you could pick one band, and only one band, for your QRPing, which band would you choose? (Consider this a bit, and think about vacationing, sunspot cycle, and whatever, but choose just one band.)" Thank you for your response! --KB1GW - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Total votes received from QRP-L'ers = 109 votes. The winner is: 40 meters (with 60 first-place votes) 1st runner up: 30 meters (with 18 first-place votes) 2nd runner up: 20 meters (with 14 first-place votes) 3rd runner up: 17 meters (with 5 first-place votes) 4th runner up: 15 meters (with 4 first-place votes) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Here's how the voting went--by call sign area--just for fun! W1, #1 pick: 40 meters (with 6 first-place votes) - - - W1VT: 10 GHz W1AAZ: 75M (SSB) K1NIT: 40 meters KB1NW: I'd choose 40m (20m is a *REAL* close second) KA1CV: 40 meters AA1BK: 30m K1EPJ: 30 Meters AA1MY: 30 meters N1MVU: 40 meters W1EAT: 20 KC1FB: 80M WB1EDI: 30 meters KB1GW: 40 meters (20M as second choice) W1FMR: 40 M (CW) W2, #1 pick: 40 meters (with 7 first-place votes) - - - WB2VUO: 40 Meters! KA2ZGW: 40 Meters (2nd would be 30 M) WB5GWB/2: 40 meters W2GL: 40 meters (That's my vote!) N2VPK: It has got to be 40M K2JHU: 40 meters KV2X: 15 meters KA2PQY: 40 meters W3, TIE: 20 meters & 40 meters (with 2 votes each) - - - N3VXI: 40M WB3GCK: 30 meters K3TKS: 40 Meters K3HW: 20M W6TOY/3: 20 meters W4, #1 pick: 40 meters (with 6 first-place votes) - - - (30 meters received 5 first-place votes) WA4DOU: That's easy: 30 meters KD4OBQ: 20mtrs W2UX/4 (SC): 40 meters (Not ruined by lack of sunspots.) N4EUK: 40M N4JS: 40M KR4RO: 40 meters W4ED: 30 mtrs WD4ET: 40M K4NK: 30 mtr band W4WYT: 20 W4STX: 17 meters W4HFU: 40 meters N4SO: 18 Mhz K4GT: 30 meters W4STX: 17 meters AE4JM: 30 meters W5, #1 pick: 40 meters (with 8 first-place votes) - - - W5TFB: That's easy, 30 K5FO: 40 W5FN: 40 Meters AD4SS/5: 40m (living in Texas) KK5RO: 40 meter W5VBO: 30M as a first choice (followed by 40M). K5ROV: 40 meters K5VP: 40 meters WA5CVM: 30 meters (no contest) K5OI: 40m (It's the mainstay of my qrp operations.) NX5W: 40 meters WA5YFY: 20 meters W6: #1 pick: 40 meters (with 10 first-place votes) - - - N6TZV: My vote is 40M W6EMD: 20 meters WA6PBY: 40M (But, I like 30M and 10M too.) WA6GER: Forty Meters N6VZ: 15 WV6U: 40m WB6LMA: 40 meters W6JHB: My vote is 40 K2VCO/6 (Fresno, CA): 40 meters. NU6U: 20 Meters AC6KW: 40 meters K6LS: 40m K6JI: 40M W7, #1 pick: 40 meters (with 6 first-place votes) - - - W7RFM: (I pick 80 because it has less qrm in my area.) N7KT: 40M N7MR: 40M KA7NOC: 40 METERS KM7W: 20 W9UQB/7 (AZ): 20 meters KG7PV: 40 meters K6AEC (Las Vegas): My vote is for 40 meters. K7TP: thirty meters AB7MY: It's gotta be 40m! W8, #1 pick: 40 meters (with 4 first-place votes) - - - K8DD: 40 N8CQA: 20 Meters K8IQY: 17 Meters AD8K: 30 meters (Tough choice: 40 falls very close behind). W8KC: 40M (is the best single-choice QRP ham band) K8CV: 40 meters N8AYY: 40 meters (not a question in my mind) W9, #1 pick: 40 meters (with 3 first-place votes) - - - N9UXU: 40m NC9O: 40 meters KB9IUA: 40m W0, #1 pick: 40 meters (with 5 first-place votes) - - - N0BS: 20M WB0GAZ: 17M AK0B: 30 meters K0EVZ: 40 (second place would be for 30). W0YOR: the 40 meter band AE0Q (V31RY), Colorado: 20 meters WB0CLD: I would pick 80 meters KR0I: 40 meters KQ0I: 30 meters KE0MC: 40 meters (forever!) K0FRP: 20m KB0VCC: 40m ('least it's open during sunspot low's...) KH7 (HI), #1 pick: 15 meters (with 1 first-place vote) KH7BJ: 15 meters AL7 (AK): no votes received VE, #1 pick: 40 meters (with 3 first-place votes) VE3SP: 40 meters VE3JC: forty m for me! VE5RC: 30 mtrs (I'm torn between 30 & 40...I'll pick 30) VE7CTN: 40 meters (No question and no hesitation) Other DX, #1 pick: 20 meters (with 2 first-place votes) - - - - - - - - 8P9BM: 20m BV3CD: 20m G0DJA: 6M UA0SN: 15m (21MHz) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Soapbox: - - - - - - - - - FYI, last winter I build a 10W PEP SSB transceiver. With a 102' inverted V and ladder line to a balanced L network, I worked 52 countries over a 4 month period. Some Europeans asked me to QRPp and they still heard me with the final disconnected (antenna on driver at 250mW). I'm not a DX guy and typically made these contacts from 5PM to 10PM spending no more than 4 or 5 hours a week at it. Tons of great one hop contacts too (when the 100W guy was S9+20, they heard me just fine at S9+10). -- Ed, W1AAZ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Over a 30-year+ span, the 40 Meter band has been the most productive band I have ever used, and one of the fondest memories I have from my Novice days, as WN2VUO, was working a VK3 on split, me on 7155 kc (seeing that frequencies didn't 'Hertz' then...sorry) and he on 7003 Kc. This QSO was arraigned by my "Elmer", Les, W2OQY, later W2CM and now an SK... Les had a sked every morning, about 0900Z, into VK-land, and told me to listen, and he would have one of his buddies "Down Under" listen for me. It wasn't QRP as defined today, but I doubt if my Johnson Viking Adventurer put out over 15 watts. RX at my end was with a Hallicrafters SX-25 and the antler was a 400-ft end-fed wire, up 50 - 60 ft (sorta draped over the trees in my yard, and two neighbor's yards without their knowledge. (You do thing differently when you are 15, or maybe not...) If the Regulators suddenly said "One band, you pick", it definitely would be 40. --Keith, WB2VUO - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - While it [30 M] dies out here at night, it is less crowded-- great for camping. Second choice is 80. --K4NK - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I can rarely recall a time when I could not make a contact on 40 meters... It is my home base and has been for most of my 35 years as a Ham. Been QRP all my life. :^) When the SPOTS return, then we have a whole new ball-game.. 10,15 & 20 will be a lot different. I might even dig around for something for 6 meters again. Funny, I was just thinking I started out on 6M AM/CW in '62. :^) --K3TKS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - It has got to be 40M. I love QRP contesting and 40M is open night and day. -- Mark, N2VPK - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - My vote would go for 40 metres at this point in the sunspot cycle. A second place would be for 30, which has been open lately most of the day *and* night (though sporadically during darkness). Third place would be 20, which is improving with the longer days here. --Doc, K0EVZ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I'd choose 40m.... it supports CW and SSB to someplace 24 hours a day all year good or bad solar index; a decent antenna is manageable most anyplace (restricted zoning laws, vacation, horz or vert, etc.); other modes like SSTV and RTTY are active on the band; all HF privileged license classes have access to the band; its not such a high frequency that homebrew construction is hard; lots of kits available for the band; you can do DX and local contacts. 20m was a *REAL* close second choice... but its propagation stability is not as good/nice as 40m is. -- Scott, KB1NW - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - You mean there are other bands besides 40 meters???? That's the only one open night and day, and besides, its where all my rag-chewing buddies are. And, its a QRP'ers dream. -- Jim, K5rov - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - My choice would be the 40 meter band. Propagation conditions are better overall even with the rtty and foreign broadcasters. I would like the frequency to be changed to say, 7050 KHz to avoid some of these problems. -- Kenneth, W0YOR - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I would pick 80 meters - It was the band I started with as a novice back in 1970. It's prone to qrn, seasonal noise, etc., but it's a good year-in-year-out band, regardless of solar activity. Although it's not a real "dx" band, you can make contacts day or night (your distance may vary!). -- 72/73, Bill, wb0cld - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I have to cast my vote for 40 meters. It's a tough call when you can only select a single band. Guess it was all those years when I had more time at night than during the day. Now that I'm retired, I may have reason to change my mind but so far I still spend more time on 40 than any other band. During the higher sunspot times, I would have a tough choice between 10 and 40. Waiting to hear how the survey turns out. -- 72/73 de Mac, KR0I - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - This survey has been done several times in the past and I must agree with the general thought that 40M is the best single-choice QRP ham band. -- 73, Paul, w8kc - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I would vote for 40 meters overall. Thanks for your survey. -- John, k2jhu - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 40M for the reason that it tends to be open somewhere more than any other band and regardless of the sunspot cycle or time of day. On the other hand, 15M is a favorite during most of the sunspot cycle, but not at the present. -- 72, Frank, WB6LMA - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 20m (Living in Barbados on the sunspot upswing, no other choice!) -- Alan, 8P9BM - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Since you said we have to consider sunspot cycles, etc. - I supposed I'd have to pick 40 meters. Its open day and night to somewhere no matter what the sun is doing. It may be short hop just in your own state during the summer daytime, but at least its open. I like some of the other bands (30 especially so), but at 2 or 3 am local time, its a lonely place to call CQ!!! My vote is 40. -- Jim, W6JHB - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - OK...I vote for 30 meters...less crowded, open a good part of the day, and good skip. You can also get by with a smaller antenna than 40, so it's not difficult to set up. -- 72/73, Mark, KQ0I - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I would have to say 17 meters has been my favorite band for operating QRP while on vacation. -- 73, Bill, W4STX - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - You also need to consider how YOU are going to operate. If your primary operating is in the daytime, 20 meters would be the band, IMHO,offering worldwide DX over a good part of the day and sunspot cycle, combined with plenty of activity. If, however, you run around with the family all day doing vacation things, and operate mostly at night, 40 meters might be a better choice because much of the time, 20 will be deader than a doornail. 30 meters might be a good all-around compromise, but that assumes that you want to operate only CW. I also suspect that there will be more opportunity for contacts on 20 or 40 meters, just because 30 is less used. OTOH, there would be a bit less QRM most of the time, so again, it depends on what you want to do. 72/73 -- Ed, KA1CV - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - As it was stated, it was clear that all of the factors mentioned [above] should be considered by the participants in the survey. I still go for 40 Meters, even allowing for Mode, operating time, etc. In fact, I still go for 40 Meters BECAUSE of all of the above. 6 Meters may be the "Magic Band" in some circles, but 40 Meters is the 'Supernatural band' because anything can & will happen there... :-) Good points, but much simpler as first stated IMHO. -- 72/73, Keith, WB2VUO - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - My one band would be... 30 meters. Reason, best compromise between twenty and forty and I like cw especially at qrp levels. 0 - 5 watts. otoh... years earlier it would have been twenty for a few years it would have been 15 and if I had the room I think 160 would be fun BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THIRTY METERS :-) God Bless -- Joel, WA5CVM - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I've always maintained that, if I had to pick one band to operate from now until the big switch is thrown it would be 40-meters. The WARC bands, especially 30-meters has made me wonder about that choice, but I think I'll stick with 40-meters. You can almost always rustle up someone to talk to there. -- Frank, W4HFU - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - When the sunspots are high, it would have to be 15m. Without sunspots, 30m. So overall, come sunspots or not, make my vote for 30m. -- 72 de Steve, AA1BK - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Hard choice. I would have to pick 40M. Good early AM and Late PM leaving middle of the day for family things and vacation time. Good DX band in late PM when Kids are asleep. Lots of QRPer's on this band. -- 73 de Jeff, AC6KW - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 30 meters: * No Contests; * Ants. of manageable dimensions for highth & gain; * Not highly populated; * Good DX much of the day. -- "Seab," AA1MY - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - A difficult question indeed. After due consideration, thirty meters wins my vote. -- Grover, K7TP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - My vote is for 30 meters. I seem to have more fun on the WARC bands than on any other frequencies. 30 seems to be a good compromise between the low frequency bands 160-40 and the HF 20-10. Good DX results without running much power. I also agree with all the positive comments everyone else has said about 30M! -- Jim, K4GT - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I would choose 40 meters, It's always been the best for ragchewing and I can still catch some DX if I want. But 30 meters is a very close second. -- Skip, NC9O - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I would have to say 17 meters has been my favorite band for operating QRP while on vacation. -- 73, Bill, W4STX - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I think I have to pick 40 meters. Actually, 15 meters is my favorite band, but I wouldn't get any operating in the low parts of the solar cycle or late at night. So, there it is! -- Dennis, NX5W - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 20m, best stateside and dx. Good size for antenna. -- AL, K0FRP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 40 meters... plenty of activity, various propagation modes available. -- Michael, ka2pqy - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - My vote for best qrp band is 30 meters, very little interference, low power band , cw/rtty only, under used so not crowded. Very fun band. -- 73, Barry, wb1edi - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Hi, I choose 40 M CW as the worlds greatest QRP band. -- 72/73, Jim, W1FMR - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I would still vote for 40m at this time, despite its problems. Second would now be 30m. -- Regards, Kevin, KB9IUA BTW: I read the QRP-L by digest. Depending upon when sent, messages can be almost 36 hours old when I read them in the morning. Just a consideration. I apparently did not see your first post, but caught your "last call" Tuesday AM in the Sunday night, Monday day digest. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - KB1GW: I posted my first "survey" message Friday (after work) on 21 MAR. My "last call" went out on Tuesday AM 24 MAR. The results were posted at lunchtime on 25 MAR. That gave folks roughly 3 1/2 days to respond--digest readers a bit less. As the votes had declined to a trickle, it was time to end the survey. My sincere apologies if your vote is not reflected herein. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Note: To keep it simple: If you're a "W7," but happen to live in "W1 land," for example, but did * not * indicate that with a "/1," then I stuck you under the W7's, (or whatever) because it was easier that way. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Summary: Number of votes received--by call sign area: W1=14; W2=8; W3=5; W4=16; W5=12; W6=13; W7=10; W8=7; W9=3; W0=12; VE=4; KH7=1; Other DX=4 (8P, BV, G, UA). Looks like there are QRP-L hotbeds of activity (judging by the number of votes received from this survey, anyway). US breakdown: #1: W4 (16 voters) #2: W1 (14 voters) #3: W6 (13 voters) #4: Tie: W5 and W0 (12 voters each) #5: W7 (10 voters) #6: W2 (8 voters) #7: W8 (7 voters) #8: W3 (5 voters) #9: W9 (3 voters) Honorable mention: VE3 (2 voters) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Well, 40's the QRP (or "low power") band to be on, it looks like. Although the other bands are certainly well represented. It's a personal decision in any event--based on many different needs and feelings, as represented in the "soapbox" section above. Bottom line: Amateur Radio is special, on that we can all agree! Hope you enjoyed reading this survey as much as I did putting this together. Thanks to the sponsors of QRP-L for the bandwidth, and to my YL, Lynn, for tolerating my passion with Amateur Radio. The log above has not been dupe-checked. ;-) Sincere 73, Glenn Swanson, KB1GW Avon, Connecticut kb1gw-home@juno.com -- eof --