Polls
(#221-230 December 2017-October 2018)
#230 - Check all non-ham activities you enjoy.
Date: 9/15/18-10/14/18 --- Voters: 36
Which? Nr %
Listening to Music 26 72%
Computers 22 61%
Reading 21 58%
Walking 18 50%
Pets 14 39%
Fishing 12 33%
Camping 10 28%
Photography 10 28%
Home Repair 10 28%
Astronomy 9 25%
Cooking 8 22%
Meteorology 8 22%
Woodworking 6 17%
Gardening 6 17%
Model Trains 5 14%
Cycling 4 11%
Genealogy 2 6%
Jogging 0 0%
|
Somewhat expected, somewhat surprising. I guess since CW is 'musical', the first choice may be as expected. A little surprising to me anyway as being so high: Reading, so low: Genealogy. Otherwise pretty much as expected. Anyway it was nice to see an increase in the number of voters.
#229 - How many QRP/CW QSOs have you made?
Date: 8/15/18-9/14/18 --- Voters: 28
How Many? Nr %
Over 100,000 0 0%
50,001 to 100,000 2 7%
25,001 to 50,000 2 7%
10,001 to 25,000 1 4%
5,001 to 10,000 1 4%
1,001 to 5,000 4 14%
501 to 1,000 7 25%
100 to 500 4 14%
Fewer than 100 5 18%
None 2 7%
|
I'm surprised there aren't more votes for the higher number of QSOs, especially since the poll is on a site that is devoted to operating QRP. Congrats to the person besides myself who is in the 50,001 to 100,000 bracket. Perhaps some of those in the lower brackets will become more active in QRP after visiting my site, voting, then studying the site to see just what can be done using QRP. Maybe I'll run this poll again in a couple years to see if there are any changes. In this poll, I've sorted the results based on the number of QSOs rather than the number of voters per category.
#228 - Check all the aids you use to help make contacts.
Date: 7/15/18-8/14/18 --- Voters: 29
Which Nr %
Reverse Beacons 11 38%
Spotting 8 28%
DX Bulletins 5 17%
Skimmer 3 10%
None of the above 15 52%
|
It delights me to see that over half the respondents get their QSOs the old fashioned way like I do. We don't need no stinking aids to make QSOs. Just get on the air and listen till you find someone you want to work, and make the contact or tune and find someone else. But then I always like to do it myself in just about everything I do in life. I very seldom ask for help, but enjoy helping others very much if I can.
#227 - How will your operating times change during the upcoming sunspot minimum?
Date: 6/15/18-7/14/18 --- Voters: 38
How Nr %
I will operate about the same 27 71%
I am not sure yet 5 13%
I will operate less 4 11%
I will operate more 2 5%
What is a sunspot minimum 0 0%
|
I'm glad to see it will be business as usual for most during the upcoming sunspot minimum. That's the way it should be. Remember conditions will not be shut down completely, just changed somewhat from how they are at a sunspot maximum. You can still work DX, perhaps not as much especially if you have a minimal QRP station as I do. Actually I've found the lower bands (160 and 80) become better for DX during a minimum. So keep pounding brass all the way through and wait till the next maximum arrives and DX will be there in abundance again and be easy to work all the way up through 10 meters and beyond.
#226 - Which of these do you use most often to get station info?
Date: 5/15/18-6/14/18 --- Voters: 56
Which Nr %
QRZ 55 98%
HamCall 1 2%
WM7D 0 0%
|
A nice increase in the number of voters this month. Thanks. And the winner by a landslide is.....QRZ. Not surprising at all. HamCall (nee Buckmaster) has really slipped over the years. They may have hurt themselves by the name switch as familiarity means a lot. When I mention them, I still find myself referring to them as Buckmaster. Personally I mostly use WM7D for W/VE lookups since they give the basic info I need in a simple form. For DX I use QRZ exclusively except perhaps to check Buck.... I mean HamCall for the rare station that doesn't show up on WM7D or QRZ, and they are very very few and usually don't show up on HamCall either.
#225 - How often do you use QRP CW?
Date: 4/15/18-5/14/18 --- Voters: 25
How often Nr %
4 to 6 times a week 6 24%
2 to 3 times a week 5 20%
Every day 4 16%
A few times a year 4 16%
Once a week 2 8%
16 or more times a month 1 4%
Once in a great while 1 4%
Once a month 0 0%
2 to 15 times a month 0 0%
Once a year 0 0%
Never 2 8%
|
Quite a variety of answers. At least 92% of those voting do use QRP at some time. Nicer to know that 68% of voters use QRP every week. Of course I'm in the Every day group of responders.
#224 - Check all places you have operated HF CW QRP.
Date: 3/15/18-4/14/18 --- Voters: 35
Selection Nr %
At a park 28 80%
Outside on your property 21 60%
In a car or truck or van 19 54%
Other besides home 10 29%
On a summit 5 14%
At a big contest station 5 14%
On a boat or ship 3 9%
From a foreign country 2 6%
As a pedestrian 1 3%
From an IOTA island 1 3%
In an aircraft 0 0%
On a bicycle 0 0%
None of the above 4 11%
|
Nothing really to comment about except that I hope you find the results as interesting and informative as I have. I've operated from a park, on my property, at a church picnic, at a contest station (although not in a contest), on a ship (the Requin submarine), and I guess that covers it for me.
#223 - Are you participating in the 2018 ARRL Grid Square Event?
Date: 2/15/18-3/14/18 --- Voters: 27
Answer Nr %
No I have no interest in grid squares 19 70%
Yes it is a very interesting challenge 4 15%
I am not aware of the event 4 15%
What is a grid square anyway 0 0%
|
Shocking results. Or maybe my approach to ham radio doesn't jive with the majority of hams. I absolutely love challenges whether it be working for DXCC, WAS, counties, parks, and now grid squares. Besides the challenge, it appeals to my love of statistics and record keeping. I think it's great the ARRL is coming up with these year long activities to give us new things to work for, like W1AW/# WAS, NPOTA, POTA, and now Grid Squares. Maybe not so surprising on second thought. A lot of hams don't even bother keeping complete logs these days and don't bother with anything that might take even more effort. But to each his own, I guess.
#222 - How many DX QSOs (excluding your own country) did you make in 2017?
Date: 1/15/18-2/14/18 --- Voters: 26
How Many Nr %
more than 999 3 12%
800 to 999 0 0%
600 to 799 2 8%
400 to 599 0 0%
300 to 399 0 0%
200 to 299 1 4%
100 to 199 1 4%
50 to 99 1 4%
30 to 49 1 4%
10 to 29 2 8%
1 to 9 10 38%
none 5 19%
|
Surprising in many ways. First such a low number of votes after getting 68 votes for the last poll. Second how few DX QSOs folks made in 2017. Of course it was not a peak sunspot year, but still.... I slipped a bit myself last year, but still was in the 600-799 range. I could have had more but when I would get my one DX streak QSO, many times I would not chase any more DX that day. Congrats to the 3 folks at more than 999.
#221 - What make is your main xcvr or xmtr?
Date: 12/15/17-1/14/18 --- Voters: 68
Make Nr %
Elecraft 29 43%
ICOM 11 16%
Yaesu 10 15%
Kenwood 8 12%
HeathKit 2 3%
Ten Tec 2 3%
Small Wonder 1 1%
Drake 0 0%
Emtech 0 0%
Hallicrafters 0 0%
Hammarlund 0 0%
Hendricks 0 0%
MFJ 0 0%
Oak Hills 0 0%
QRPme 0 0%
Ramsey 0 0%
SGC 0 0%
Wilderness 0 0%
Homebrew 0 0%
Other 5 7%
|
The winner is (naturally) Elecraft. This company seems to have taken over the equipment market, and rightfully so with the excellence of its gear and being an American company. The next three choices are also no surprise. It is surprising that the boat anchor and dedicated QRP equipment companies got pretty much shut out. Nice to see so many votes for this poll, almost twice the average of the past several polls. I wonder what the 5 'Other' votes were for.
