Power gain and mast height gain....

[wavrider]

Most QRP stations I have worked have put a lot of effort into there antenna systems.
95% of the station is antenna , the rest is in the shack,
I usually try with 100 watts and the yagi but if I don't bust the pile up the amp gets turned on.
Then again I do use a pair of 4x1 on 75 meters to cut through the noise.

 

[binrat]

Most QRP stations I have worked have put a lot of effort into there antenna systems.
95% of the station is antenna , the rest is in the shack,

My main HF radio is a KX2, a big 12 watts. As of late I have been using an amp for a big total of 45 watts. Still making contacts with a simple resonant dipole but my height is where it counts. Generally speaking I'm anywhere from 350 to 700 metres above surrounding terrain, on a mountain top. That sure helps as I have tried using the same setup back on level ground with far less results.

 

[Shadetree Mechanic]

I have talked to California from Delaware on a bone stock Cobra 29. If I expected to do that all the time, I would be waiting a long time. "Life is too short for QRP" so I usually run 100w and sometimes up to 600w. And that much power is needed to talk local when skip is running too. I thought about getting a bigger amp, but I am going to wait and see what my Sirio 27-4 does when I put it up.