K3WWP's Polls # 111-120

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#120 - In what situation(s) would you use QRO over QRP?
Date: 7/15/09-8/14/09 - Voters: 113

Situation	Nr	Pct
I normally use both for all my operating	36	32%
To grab rare DX, new state, new zone, etc.	31	27%
For Field Day	9	8%
For a Special Event operation	17	15%
In an emergency situation	58	51%
During contests	15	13%
To finish a QSO started with QRP	7	6%
When someone QRM's my QRP signal	9	8%
To answer a repeated QRL?	11	10%
In traffic nets	12	11%
I only operate QRP - period	19	17%
Other - email me with your reason	1	1%

Another good poll suggested by Mike KC2EGL. Fantastic - the one "Other" actually emailed me. Jack PA1W says, "I use solar energy to operate my QRP equipment. I own a K2, K3 and lots of homemade gear.... To keep my rechargeable batteries in a proper condition they must be uncharged time by time. Then I use QRO over QRP in a (non QRP) contest." Thanks Jack. That's interesting. Otherwise, I'm amazed (shocked?) that only about half of the voters would use QRO in an emergency. With my complete dedication to QRP operation, if it meant saving someone's life or property, I'd immediately go QRO. If I answer C to a QRL?, and it continues, I'd up the power to send C again, and have done so a couple times. Most of the answers fit into the expected range.

#119 - If you operated CW outside ham radio, how?
Date: 6/15/09-7/14/09 - Voters: 94

How	Nr	Pct
Aboard ship	8	9%
Coastal station	4	4%
Armed Services	22	23%
Railroad	0	0%
Western Union	0	0%
PTP Commercial station	0	0%
Aircraft or Airport	7	7%
Only in ham radio	54	57%
Other	13	14%

Hey, some folks actually emailed me what their 'Other' vote stood for. I'm amazed! Here's a short synopsis of what they said. I wish I had space to tell their whole stories which were extremely interesting, but I've got to watch my bandwidth.
Bruce WY7N - Listening to airport beacons.
Bob WA6GFR - Using a buzzer box with a neighbor as a kid.
Larry W2LJ - Boy Scouts and other educational uses.
Dave W0CH - Microwave and radio tech on Ohio Turnpike.
Bill N2CF - Boy Scouts.
Tim AC5SH - Blowing truck horn in CW at cars looking like belonging to hams.
Thanks to the above for sharing. Otherwise I find it interesting to see no votes for Railroad, Western Union, or PTP stations. I guess those uses for Morse code expired long enough ago now that very few who did operate that way are gone now.

#118 - Which of the following HF antennas do you use currently?
Date: 5/15/09-6/14/09 - Voters: 164

Antenna	Nr	Pct
Stacked Beams	1	1%
Yagi or LP	13	8%
Quad	0	0%
Phased verticals	3	2%
Horizontal Loop	11	7%
Vertical Loop	7	4%
Vertical	62	38%
Inverted L	12	7%
Dipole	70	4%
Inverted V	29	18%
Mini-loop	2	1%
Whip	10	6%
G5RV	25	15%
EF Long or Random wire	33	20%

I would say of all the polls I've run, this one came out the closest to what I expected as the results pretty much track with the antennas of folks I work on the air.

#117 - What source did you use to come to my web site just now?
Date: 4/15/09-5/14/09 - Votes: 122

Source	Nr	Pct
Favorites or Bookmarks	44	36%
The home page on your computer	4	3%
FISTS web site or Keynote	5	4%
ARRL web site or QST	2	2%
QRZ.com	0	0%
Buckmaster web site	1	1%
Windows Live, MSN or other search engine	10	8%
AC6V web site	13	11%
NAQCC web site	25	20%
RAC web site	1	1%
W2LJ blog	2	2%
An email	2	2%
Link on some other web site	8	7%
Other	5	4%

Thanks for the info. It is useful to me in determining what steps need to be taken in the wake of the Alltel/Windstream changeover.

#116 - Tell us about your logging habits - what you keep in your log.
Date: 3/15/09-4/14/09 - Votes: 105

Habit	Nr	Pct
I log every one of my QSO's and any on-air testing	28	27%
I log every one of my QSO's, but no on-air testing	61	59%
I do not log any of my QSO's	7	7%
Rag chew QSO's	15	15%
Contest and/or Sprint QSO's	14	14%
DX QSO's	18	17%
CW QSO's	15	15%
Especially interesting QSO's	13	13%
QSO's I plan to QSL	12	12%
Net check-in QSO's	8	8%
QSO's in which I handle traffic	3	3%
QSO's which I need to claim an award	12	12%
Completed QSO's	9	9%

Again some folks did not read or understand the instructions. Some of those who voted for one of the first three choices also voted for one or more of the last ten choices. None of the last ten choices should have had more than 9 votes since 94 of the 103 voters cast their vote for one of the first three choices. Anyway it was an interesting poll and encouraging that so many folks (85%) still keep complete logs of at least all their QSO's. Only a handful have dumbed down their logging after the FCC stupidly eliminated keeping a complete log from the Amateur Radio Rules and Regulations. I remember how back in the 60's when I was first licensed, you had to log EVERYTHING that you transmitted, be it making a QSO, calling CQ, testing your rig, and any other situation you sent out a bit of RF. It's a shame that is still not in effect, but like everything in society, it seems things have to be dumbed down to serve an increasingly lazy population.

#115 - If you have ever spontaneously dropped out of a CW QSO, what were the reasons?
Date: 2/15/09-3/14/09 - Votes: 137

Why	Nr	Pct
The other op was too fast, and refused to QRS.	36	26%
I accidently knocked the rig off frequency, losing the QSO.	28	20%
My radio or key malfunctioned.	28	20%
My shack lost power.	15	11%
I lost the other station in QRM-QRN-QSB.	87	64%
I received an emergency phone call.	12	9%
I became ill.	0	0%
My wife or husband insisted.	6	4%
Nature called.	7	5%
The content of the QSO became objectionable to me.	6	4%
The other op's CW was too sloppy to copy anything.	25	18%
I never did so.	9	7%

Reading the results should give everyone something to think about. Especially it is very important to QRS when someone requests you do so. Also if your CW is too sloppy, you will have trouble making and holding QSO's. I'm glad that objectionable material got such a low number of votes. I believe that would have been much higher if this had been a poll dealing with SSB. The vast overwhelming majority of CW operators are very gentlemanly or gentlewomanly. On CW there are virtually none of the objectionable things that are heard often on SSB. All of the other reasons listed and voted on are things that are accidental over which we have no control.

#114 - When were you first licensed and how old were you then?
Date: 1/15/09-2/14/09 - Votes: 322

When/how old	Nr	Pct
2000-present - under 20	4	1%
2000-present - 20-29	5	2%
2000-present - 30-50	26	8%
2000-present - over 50	29	9%
1980-1999 - under 20	12	4%
1980-1999 - 20-29	19	6%
1980-1999 - 30-50	51	16%
1980-1999 - over 50	7	2%
1960-1979 - under 20	77	24%
1960-1979 - 20-29	23	7%
1960-1979 - 30-50	16	5%
1960-1979 - over 50	11	3%
Before 1960 - under 20	24	7%
Before 1960 - 20-29	3	1%
Before 1960 - 30-50	2	1%
Before 1960 - over 50	13	4%

I believe it is very obvious there is something wrong with the last choice in the poll. I don't think 13 hams 99 years of age or older actually voted. There may not even be that many hams 99 years of age or older in the entire World. Even with the clear wording of the question and the answers, I guess some still managed to misunderstand or were just screwing around. Otherwise I thought it turned out to be one of my most fascinating of all the 114 polls I've done. It shows very clearly a couple of things. First the ham population (at least those who understand and use CW and are most likely to be visiting my site in the first place) is a very old population. Second there are virtually no teenagers becoming hams lately. We've all known that, but this poll tends to confirm it, even though there are obviously not enough votes to be an accurate representation of the ham population as a whole, even the CW ham population.

#113 - On which bands have you made a QRP/CW QSO since 12-31-2004?
Date: 12/15/08-1/14/09 - Votes: 111

Which	Nr	Pct
160	20	18%
80	58	52%
40	88	79%
30	43	39%
20	60	54%
17	23	21%
15	24	22%
12	10	9%
10	21	19%
6	10	9%
2	14	13%
Other VHF/UHF Band	5	5%

Not many surprises here except that 2 meters beat out 6 meters. I have no explanation for that. Do you? Not surprising, but discouraging is the poor showing of the WARC bands. Perhaps because of contesting not being allowed on these bands?

#112 - Which of the following have you built from a kit?
Date: 11/15/08-12/14/08 - Votes: 187

Which	Nr	Pct
Transceiver	115	61%
Transmitter	69	37%
Receiver	75	40%
Keyer	72	39%
Antenna Tuner	55	29%
Voltmeter	55	29%
Oscilloscope	21	11%
Code Practice Oscillator	88	47%
None of the above	13	7%

This new poll provider gives a more accurate representation of percentages than my old provider did. Instead of adding up all the individual vote totals for a grand total, it gives the grand total of how many people voted in the poll no matter if they only chose 1 answer or 10 answers. So it is easy to tell now what percentage of those who voted built a transceiver, for example. As far as actual results go, probably no surprises. I am pleased that so many folks have built CPO's since that shows a real desire to learn CW.

#111 - When operating mobile, do you:
Date: 10/15/08-11/14/08 - Votes: 275

What	Nr	Pct
Use a straight key	29	11%
Use a bug	6	2%
Use a keyer	37	13%
Operate in motion	19	7%
Use QRP	42	15%
Use break-in	28	10%
Operate in contests	10	4%
Use headphones	29	11%
Use a manual transmission	14	5%
I never operate mobile CW	61	22%

Since I don't operate mobile in any shape or form, I can't really comment on the results of this poll, but I'm sure it proved interesting for those who do operate mobile CW. Thanks to Chuck W8LQ for suggesting it.

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