POTA with one-tenth of a watt? Can it be done? Let's make an attempt!

qrper.com/2023/01/qrpp-activa...
Click the link above to read full details about this activation, including all equipment links, at QRPer.com.
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Thanks for watching!
73,
Thomas
K4SWL
Chapters:
0:00:00 Intro
0:03:40 How I deployed the MM0OPX EFHW
0:09:05 The game plan
0:16:25 Start of activation on 20M CW 0.1 watts!
0:48:35 QSY to 17 meters
0:50:26 KX2 ATU is excellent
0:52:38 17 Meters
1:14:30 QSY to 40 meters
1:43:41 QRT and Summary

[@MentalWhiplash]

Thomas, your videos were my main inspiration to pursue CW this year for POTA. I'm now comfortable hunting but have lived in fear of the activation pile up. I don't know why it didn't register until this video that I can minimize power during my initial activations to give my brain room to breath. Thanks for that and 73.

[@ThomasK4SWL]

I did something similar during my first POTA CW activation (keep in mind, this was in the earlier days of POTA with much less hunters out there). I used a small vertical, with low power, at a park that was very popular (not rare). :) You've got this!!! -Thomas

[@leetrudeau9638]

You'll get a kick out of this one, Thomas. I was beginning an activation on Monday and my CW keyer started the CQ cycle. For an instant, I thought something was wrong - I realized that I have watched so many of your videos that it sounded odd to have my call being sent rather than yours! 73 and thanks for the videos!

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Ha ha! Oh dear! Maybe this will make it easier for you to hear my call when I hunt you!?! :) Ha ha! Thank you for sharing that and CW on!!!! :)

[@paulkinas7926]

Nice job! You beat me, did a successful POTA activation with 350 mw a few weeks ago, and worked a number of the same stations you did... what a rush running QRPp!

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Isn't it, though? So much fun! :)

[@Bill-HRT]

Thanks for sharing! You really are an inspiration to other Hams. You dispel the myth that you need a beam and a million watts to have fun with radio. Watching you and the rest of the content creators here always gives me direction and confidence. Happy New Year! 73 de K0WHW @Bill@HRT

[@ThomasK4SWL]

What a kind comment. Thank you so much and Happy New Year!

[@thogevoll]

To answer your question about your increase in power. A 50 times increase in power from 0.1W to 5W is 16.99 dB and roughly 2.5 to 3 S units. It would surly make a big difference.

[@MM0OPXFieldRadio]

Thank you for the continued field testing Thomas. I just couldn't find the time to do this myself. This is invaluable to me and just more confirmation I've done something right.

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Your antenna works a charm!

[@Johnmfoss]

QRP is 80% of my operating, but 100mW is taking it to another level. Fun video.

[@peterm2618]

This was so much fun! It's way past midnight here but I couldn't stop watching! Many thanks again, Thomas!...and: HAPPY NEW YEAR!

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Happy new year!

[@Derrick6162]

Yay, I got the breakfast special today. Enjoyed the activation, Thanks for sharing on a Sunday. Really low power...Happy New Year Thomas. 👍👍

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Happy new year!!

[@thuff3207]

Thank you for testing such low power. Really 5w into a inefficent antenna is not much different than really low power in a efficent antenna. The video was truely quite fun to watch and expecally how the contacts quicly increased once you went to 5w. Too cool.

[@alanb76]

Fun experiment. I built my K3-100 years ago on a week long camping trip. There was another ham in the group a few campsites away. We tested 0.1 watts and of course had an easy HF QSO. The K3 drops out the 100W amps at about 12 watts and uses the driver, very similar to the KX final. On 0.0w there was nothing, he could not copy anything even that close. For those who want to do this kind of experimenting without CW take a look at WSPR. You can go a very long distance on a few milliwatts with a decent antenna and conditions. It is even more sensitive than even FT8. 73 de w6akb.

[@gliderrider]

Glad I was hear to witness this. Hope to catch you someday.

[@KD9ZHF]

Pico/Micro/NanoQRP - maybe this should be a new branch of QRP videos.

[@binder098]

What a thrill to see and hear my own contact with you, Tom. I can tell you were weak because I re-mentioned my call in my report to you. I like your style, dude! Frank KK7HI

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Thank you for the contact, Max! :)

[@davidtrotter7488]

This was great to watch and very inspiring. Thank You very much. Happy New Year and best wishes for 2023. Regards, David

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Happy New Year, OM! :) Thank you!

[@joeblow8593]

I watched this all the way to the end (in several sittings). Nice going with the 10th of a watt, that's the power we used in our toy walkie talkies decades ago...we were lucky to get 2 blocks with those.

[@AA0Z]

So this is getting ridiculous. I fully expect to see in the next video a full activation on a dummy load. :) Great stuff on what you can do with .1 watt. Simply amazing Thomas!!!!

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Don't put those kind of thoughts into my mind! :) Glad you liked the video. I'll admit that this was mighty fun!

[@ericbikalesmusic1975]

I LOVE this, Thomas! You're approaching iconic status.

[@barrykery1175]

WOW......That was really impressive. My friend use to do 1/10 watt Q's with his KX3. The lowest i operated at was 1/2 watt. I think I made 35 DX Q's at 1/2 watt? But that was from the primary station using beams. I did not expect you to make any Q's at that power level with a simple antenna. Nice job. Barry G. Kery, KU3X

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Thank you, Barry!

[@TangoIrvine]

Hello Thomas, Happy new year! Good job on your 100mW POTA activation! I am a new Ham callsign KN6WRG, I have been following your POTA video and really enjoy them. They server as good learning material for me.

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Happy new year! I'm so glad you enjoy my videos.

[@r7eagle_]

This is strange. I just made a POTA contact with W1CN on 31 Jan 2023 and I see that your first contact was with W1CN 4 weeks ago. K9FS here. Great video.

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Bob is a proper POTA machine! and a great guy to boot! :)

[@stevekj5t]

Great video! Good to watch while I prepped my new year meal. Happy New Year and hope to get you in the log in 2023. 73 de KJ5T

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Happy New Year!

[@CECS1]

Ive started a cw journey. LICW taking the carousel every day. No where ready for field day but aoon!!

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Fantastic! Persistence is key in CW. Just keep up the good work! You can do this!

[@lycosa2000]

I've built a couple of the RockMite radios. I'm thinking I'd like to take that out to a park. Maybe not for POTA, but just to get out there and try it out.

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Go for it!

[@billcosgrave6232]

This is actually very interesting. I would be curious to see how far you could reach with CW using 1/10th of a watt but with a high efficiency antenna. I would do it myself if I only knew CW. I really wish I knew a lot more about radio physics and wave propagation to better understand what is going on. Great video and 73!

[@ThomasK4SWL]

The MM0OPX is actually designed to be very efficient. I might try this sometime using the same MM0OPX 64:1 and a 20M resonant wire!

[@JonathanKayne]

34:23 to 35:21 glad to have worked you! Hope to work you more in the future!

[@Mottersmotters]

Hi Thomas. Great work with the 0.1W. Happy New year Motters M7TRS 73 👍🏻

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Happy New Year!

[@shawnp6653]

This wasa fun one Thomas... Never thought of 5w as 'blistering'. 73s de ki5gx

[@dougn7bfs]

One milliwatt is 0dbm, so 10 milliwatts is +10dbm, 100 milliwatts is +20dbm, 1 watt is +30dbm, 2 watts is +33dbm, 4 watts is +36dbm and 5 watts is +36.989dbm Double your power-3db increase, power times 10 is 10db increase, the other in between's take a little math ;) So in your case the difference between 100 mw and 5 watts is 16.989db, Who makes your paddle? Thanks for sharing your QRPP fun :) 73 Doug N7BFS

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Hi, Doug, Thanks! Those are CW Morse Pocket paddles. There's a link to them in the field report on QRPer.com (see that link in the video description). Cheers! Thomas

[@KC2BKM]

Beautiful Spot. Fast becoming my favorite KZbin channel. Lot of good stuff has come my way through the Ham Radio Workbench Podcast going all the way back to its origin in the Fo-time Podcast. A lot of "Content" creators are fast and furious 20 minutes 30 max or "Shorts" I personally like long form videos and podcasts. Keep up the Great work. Fo-time still the worst name for a Podcast ever lol.

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Thank you, Patrick! Happy you're here in the community!

[@ferdinandfrozenstein]

Hello! So far, I made 11 QSOs from a park (40m CW), using 300mW and randomwire. In Europe, we need 44 QSOs for park (Fauna-Flora) activation, so 11 was not enough... For POTA program, it would make a valid activation! It wasn't on purpose, I set my rig to QRPP for measuring something and forgot to bump the power back... I felt like "hmm, the conds aren't that great today", but it worked somehow and I didn't notice, finally wrapping up due to too low temperature around... A fun, indeed, I'll try it again soon!

[@ThomasK4SWL]

I love it! Accidental QRPp! :)

[@patring620]

Your glee is contagious. I was happy for your .1watt activation. How well do you think you would have done had you not spotted yourself?

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Spotting is really essential for POTA (or SOTA) success. Otherwise, I'd have to wait on someone to randomly hear my call. Being the DX makes all the difference when operating very low power like this.

[@Bryant_KM6PKQ_]

Sir I use your videos to listen to and try to copy what I hear. I don’t look at the screen. I remember when I couldn’t keep up with the speed that you were sending or receiving. I see progress where I’m able to copy down maybe 2 or 3 characters of the call sign. Some progress is better than none. I can pick out the signal reports and getting better at copying the states. I want to operate CW somewhat confidently when I try. And these videos are definitely helping me prepare.

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Most excellent! Your brain is starting to really pick up CW! Great job!

[@dovetomarc]

Thomas, QUESTION: I noticed the Weaver Throw Weight was on the picnic table. Once you haul the wire up to the tree how do you secure the other end of the throw line? Tent stake? Some other way? Just curious. Happy New Year and thanks for these great videos!

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Great question. Most of the time, my antenna wires are so light, I don't really need to secure the other end of the line. In this case, I wanted it in a bit of an inverted (partial) vee shape, so I think I simply attached the far end of the throw line to a heavy stick on the ground.

[@makskk6spm275]

0.1 watt and SWR more than 1. impressive!

[@phildurall7466]

Thomas is SMOOKKK'NNN! Outrageous my friend! 73 - KF6IF

[@MrDn2akj]

Tnx Fer sharing sorry I messed up my new key was out of adjustment since then it has been adjusted and I've slowed down too 19wpm as I realized 22 is two fast for me to copy our next qso should be smooth sailing 73's De n2akj dit dit

[@ThomasK4SWL]

No worries at all, OM! :) Thank YOU!

[@andrewwiggins9934]

This is madness. Insanity.

[@KU9L]

Hey Thomas, Thanks for sharing! I am a QRPp addict and continue to build my Two Tinned Tunas QRPp gear, LOL. I have no decent camera and this weekend it was cold, rainy, and windy so I got out my soldering iron to have a little QRPp dummy load fun, but couldn't manage many photos from the dinette of our RV, LOL. Here is my primitive attempt at documenting my fun kit building with a 2-minute video and I will certainly try again. Keep up the good work! kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYLWhHSvip54qLc Cheers es 72, Dave - KU9L

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Very nice, Dave! Those Tuna Tin products are so cool!

[@Carterofmars]

This is your favorite rig right?

[@ThomasK4SWL]

I do love the KX2. In my world, it is the benchmark field portable.

[@KAKCSDAD]

I'm curious....why do you do send 72s instead of 73s at the end of ur contacts

[@ThomasK4SWL]

I made a post about that: qrper.com/2022/07/why-i-send-72-instead-of-73/

[@qrplife]

One contact with 0.1 watts? CW? No problem.

[@edwardmclean9051]

Surely 0.1 watts constitutes a “71” sign off.

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Ha ha! Agreed!

[@mikemiles3068]

Fun video nice to accomplish more than your expectations 👍❗️73 KV5P

[@deanbianco4982]

Thomas, I truly enjoy your POTA activation adventures. When it comes to QRP operation, how low can you go? Now we know! 🫠

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Thank you so much, Dean. I'm glad you enjoy this. :)

[@Neil_Morris]

Life's too short not to do QRP 🙂73 & HNY de G0TVJ

[@ThomasK4SWL]

100% AGREE!

[@ellisc.foleyjr9778]

Well this was another one I missed you on Tom. but I doubt I would have heard you at that power level I usually have trouble at higher powers (5w) etc. but still looking to catch you on cw worked you on ssb little while back great video as always. Thanks for sharing. and we'll CUDTL OM! de Ellis WA1RKS

[@ThomasK4SWL]

I'm telling you, I suspect we'll work each other many times in 2023!