QRP, initially a Q code meaning either “reduce power” or “should I reduce power?” has come to mean low-powered (1-5 watts, generally, but sometimes up to 10 watts), and more specifically, mobile, low-powered radio operation. As someone who carries a laptop and a mobile phone, and who loves to travel with lightweight gear in general, this appealed to me as soon as I learned about it.
While doing further research into QRP operation, many people strongly advocated that new amateur radio hobbyists don’t start with QRP because the lack of transmission power can be frustrating to people unable to make regular contacts. It seems that ‘good QRP’ requires a firm understanding of how to optimize for signal strength under a variety of conditions, and a new hobbyist knows the least amount in this regard.
For me, it’s not just the desire to be mobile that is driving my interest in QRP. I go back and forth between two homes each week (Portland, Oregon, and Oceanside, Oregon, on the Pacific Coast) and I need to be able to take my radio gear with me in an already loaded vehicle full of musical instruments, food, and supplies each trip. There is no shack, only a backpack. QRP is the right choice for my circumstances, even if it comes with the frustration of making limited contacts. Making this even more difficult is that fact that when I am Oceanside, half of my horizon is the Pacific Ocean for thousand of miles and on the other side is 1,400′ elevation. I guess I’ll be learning a lot about Skywave and NVIS.
After initially setting my sights on a Yaesu FT-817ND, I decided to go with the Elecraft KX3 in September 2017 instead. While considerably more expensive than the Yaesu FT-817ND, the KX3 is newer technology with SDR capabilities (another primary radio interest of mine), and is fairly modular (and, of course, a higher quality transceiver, but that’s actually not what drove my purchase). Elecraft has designed a 100 watt amplifier for the KX3 that could be a future purchase of mine, turning my QRP setup into a stronger transmitter. The amplifier won’t be making the trip between homes due to its heft, so it’ll likely remain in just one of the houses, whichever one I find myself having more free time for radio.
In May 2025, I purchased a Xiegu X6200, which I’m hoping to use as my primary transceiver. This checks most of the boxes for me in what I want from a QRP radio. The Elecraft will likely get boxed up for sale soon. It’s a great radio, but it feels more like an analog device than a portable computer. Xiegu make a 100 watt amplifier for the X6200, which is likely a future purchase. Although, HamGeek makes a line of amplifiers that might be a better fit.