What's A QRP Radio?

Note: I'm writing this as a lead-up to another blog post I'm working on, but it's important that I first lay out my argument that the 'accepted convention' regarding QRP power levels has allowed radio manufacturers to be lazy, and put out sub-par products. 

QRP = low power. I think every ham understands that. It's generally accepted that QRP means 5 watts max output on CW, or 10 watts PEP on SSB, but these are just generally accepted conventions, not hard and fast rules. However, for decades ham radio manufacturers have used this 5 - 10 watt convention to their market advantage. If they are designing a QRP radio they only have to worry about 10 watts, and that's on external batteries. Most only put out 5 watts on internal batteries. This 'accepted convention' has allowed radio manufacturers to get lazy. Why build a small field radio that puts out more than 10 watts? If you go over that number you are not really QRP, are you? 

Bullshit.

This QRP mindset has left us with is a huge ham radio capabilities gap. We have HF rigs that put out 10 watts, and then nothing until we get to the 100 watt output level. Nothing between 10 & 100. There are a few outliers, like the Xeigu G90 with its 20 watt output, but it sits almost alone in the market.

And yet, modern design technologies, manufacturing techniques, improved battery chemistries and battery and thermal management systems can easily deliver a small, high performance HF radio capable of sustained operation at 20 watts of output. It's not that hard. Radio manufacturers like Harris, Barrett and Codan have done it for decades. I guarantee you that when it comes to radio design, Icom, Yaesu and Kenwood are the equal of those three. The only difference is that Harris, Barrett and Codan's biggest customer bases - large government and military organizations - demand 20 watts of output on battery power. 

It's time ham radio puts the message across to manufacturers that we want more transmit power options. Stop half-stepping it with measly 5 & 10 watt rigs. Show some inventiveness and a bit of corporate courage, and deliver well designed and integrated field radios that put out 20 watts.

It's time for us to define what we think QRP means. To me it means 20 watts PEP on SSB.

W8BYH out