QRP Fox Hunts

by

Andy Zwirko – K1RA

http://www.k1ra.us/

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

Homebrew QRP Rigs

QRP Centric Organizations

• International QRP groups– American QRP Club (AmQRP)

• http://www.amqrp.org/ – QRP Amateur Radio Club International

• http://www.qrparci.org – Flying Pigs QRP Club International

• http://www.fpqrp.com/

• Local VA QRP groups– Northern VA QRP Club

• http://www.novaqrp.org/ – Virginia QRP Society

• http://www.qsl.net/vqs/

QRP Fox Hunt Organization• http://www.qrpfoxhunt.org • http://groups.yahoo.com/group/qfox/ • 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 – 0200-0329 GMT (-1hr if during DST)• Dates – 80m Tues & 40m Thurs nights (winter)• Months – 1st week in Nov. -> 3rd week in Mar. (winter)• Dates – 20m Tues nights (summer)• Months – 1st week in Jul. -> 1st week in Sept. (summer)• Op +/- 10Khz of 3.560 MHz & 7.040 MHz & 14.060 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 StatsBest DX Miles Fox Call Hound Contacted

2425 K4KSR AB7R

2407 NG7Z KC1FB

2395 W2LJ AB7R

2217 AA4LR AB7R

2177 N4DD AB7R

1954 KV2X AC7A

1946 K2ZN AC7A

1931 K1RA W9CF

1930 K4BAI VA6RF

1777 K9CW AB7R

1662 W8RU W9CF

1645 K0FRP KC1FB

1631 KT5E N1VWD

1623 WC7S KC1FB

1608 KI0II W2SH

1602 KR0U W2EEW

1591 VE1ZAC N9WS

1431 N0AR VE1ZAC

1409 N0UR NG7Z

1408 KI0G W4PM

1203 NR5A N4DD

Fox CallsTotal Hounds

ContactedIndividual Week

Scores

N4DD 167 +79+88

K9CW 158 +73+85

N0UR 149 +72+77

K1RA 143 +66+77

K4BAI 136 +61+75

N0AR 130 +55+75

W8RU 129 +64+65

AA4LR 123 +61+62

K2ZN 107 +51+56

WC7S 105 +54+51

K0FRP 101 +44+57

KT5E 99 +74+25

KV2X 98 +40+58

KI0II 84 +38+46

KR0U 78 +56+22

K4KSR 74 +35+39

VE1ZAC 61 +30+31

W2LJ 59 +59

NG7Z 41 +41

KI0G 40 +19+21

NR5A 13 +13+0

Foxes Worked Hound Calls

40  

39 K9CW

38  

37 KK5LD N4DD N4SAM

36 K9IS

35 K4PIC

34 K1RA N9NE WA9TZE

33  

32 N0AR W9XU

31 K4KSR WC7S

30 KR0U KZ5J

29 KB2FEL W5AJD WB9HFK

28 AC7A KI0II N0SM NU4I WA0ITP

27 K0LOA K9XE KG4YLZ

26 N0UR W0IIT W9JOP

25 K3PH K4AXF K5JHP N8WS N9AW NO2D W2EEW W2SH W9CF W9LR

24 KF8K

23 AB3CV AB9CA K3ESE NK9G W9QS

22 AA5CK K4BAI W9HC

21 K5OI K8KFJ N4KV

20 KC1FB N1VWD

19 AE4Y K4QS K5DI N3VF N5DGK W9OD

18 K2ZN KV2X

17 K0EVZ VE1ZAC WA8BXN

16 K5AEM KT5E NU8S WA9ETW

15 AB7R 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– http://4sqrp.com/resource/qrp_clubs.htm – http://home.windstream.net/johnshan/links_ss_qrpc.html – http://www.ac6v.com/qrp.htm

• QRP Kits– http://www.qrpkits.com/ – http://www.nikkemedia.fi/juma/ – http://emtech.steadynet.com/ – http://www.tentec.com/?s=kits#trx – http://www.dxzone.com/catalog/Manufacturers/QRP_Kits/ – http://www.qrparci.org/component/option,com_weblinks/

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