QRP DX Contacts

I'm a new member of the ARCI club, so this was a treat to catch last night. Kevin (K6JSS/0) was transmitting from Iowa. He even mentioned me on "QRP Spots" since it was such a difficult contact for both of us.

Another QRP contact last night was a station in Kentville, Nova Scotia. (VE1QY). This was my fist contact with Barry but I work another station in Kingston Nova Scotia (VE1BA) quite regularly. (are these technically DX?)

Yesterday, my friend Dick (N2UGB) asked me about working DX QRP stations. It took me a few minutes to think about it. What I call a "true" QRP DX station is one using 5 watts or less, with a (most important) "simple wire antenna". Those are the ones which are truly amazing to me. To date, there's only been three. EA8/OK1DMP/QRP, and UR5FA/MM/QRP (twice). I've also worked a French station (F6DCD/ QRP) but he was using a Yagi antenna.

The EA8 station was using a long wire from the balcony of a resort in the Canary Islands, and the "marine mobile" station was using a windom antenna, near the coast of Brazil in South America.

Which brings me to my point.

What are my most exciting contacts?

Despite the joy of working DX stations at nearly 5,000 miles, (all the glory is in the receiver, amps,  and antennas of those monster stations) I still get the ultimate thrill when I work another  QRP station which is using a "simple wire antenna".

Of all my contacts (1,043) now, the 240 which are "QRP" are always my prized possessions. I do little "contests" because of the filters in my 703 (don't have any). But even if I did, the QRP contacts are always the best.

I continue to listen to the 20 meter QRP frequency (14.060) with the hopes of working more QRP stations. My immediate goal is to work 100 DX stations, (I'm at 84 now) but every time I hear a CQ on this frequency, I look forward to another 5 watt contact above all others.