QRP: Low-Power Communications
BY R. SCOTT ROUGHT,* KA8SMA
5
HJXODUUHDGHUVRIWKLVFROXPQPD\UHDOL]H,GRQRWOLNH
FKDQJH&KDQJHUHTXLUHVDSHUVRQWROHDYHKLVRUKHU
FRPIRUW]RQHDQGIRUPHWKLVFDQOHDGWRIUXVWUDWLRQ
HVSHFLDOO\LI,LPSOHPHQWRQHWKDWWXUQVRXWWREHDPLVWDNH
7KHDGDJH³,ILWDLQ¶WEURNHGRQ¶WIL[LW ́LVRQH,VWULYHWROLYH
E\+RZHYHUWKHZRUOGLVFKDQJLQJDQG,KDYHDFFHSWHGWKDW
,WRRQHHGWRPDNHFKDQJHV,UHFHQWO\PDGHDFKDQJHWKDW
LPSDFWVP\RSHUDWLQJKDELWVLQWKHKDPVKDFNDQGRQWKH
WUDLO«,UHWLUHGP\VHDOHGOHDGDFLGJHOFHOOEDWWHULHVDQG
UHSODFHGWKHPZLWKOLWKLXPLRQEDWWHU\SDFNV7KLVPRQWKZH
ORRNDWWZRUHFKDUJHDEOHEDWWHU\SDFNV,SXUFKDVHGIRUSRZ
HULQJP\453HTXLSPHQWDQGGLVFXVVDQRWKHUXSFRPLQJ
FKDQJHWKDWZLOOLPSDFWKRSHIXOO\IRUWKHEHWWHURSHUDWLRQDW
WKHKRPH47+DQGRQWKHWUDLO
Powering Up With Lithium!
,QHDUO\)HEUXDU\,DWWHQGHGDKDPIHVWLQQRUWKHUQ0LFKLJDQ
DQGZDVGLVFXVVLQJ453RSHUDWLRQZLWKDIHOORZKDPZKR
WROGPHDERXWDQLQH[SHQVLYHYROWPLOOLDPSKRXU
P$KUHFKDUJHDEOHOLWKLXPLRQEDWWHU\SDFNKHZDVXVLQJ
WRSRZHUDQDVVRUWPHQWRI453JHDU+HGHVFULEHGKRZKH
SRZHUHG HYHU\WKLQJ IURP VLPSOH KRPHEUHZ ORZSRZHU
WUDQVPLWWHUVDQGGLUHFWFRQYHUVLRQUHFHLYHUVWRKLV(OHFUDIW
.;$V,OLVWHQHG,EHJDQUHFRQVLGHULQJP\RZQSRZHU
DUUDQJHPHQWV,KDYHKLVWRULFDOO\XVHGYROWDPSKRXU
$KOHDGDFLGJHOFHOOEDWWHULHVWRFDWHUWRP\SLSVTXHDN
453SRZHUQHHGV$OWKRXJKWKHDYHUDJH$KJHOFHOO
ZHLJKVLQDWQHDUO\SRXQGVDQGPHDVXUHVDSSUR[LPDWHO\
LQFKHVORQJLQFKHVZLGHDQGLQFKHVKLJKDZHLJKW
DQGVL]HWKDWPDNHVLWDELWFOXPV\WRWDNHRQDGD\KLNH,
KDGQHYHUWKRXJKWDERXWPDNLQJDFKDQJHXQWLOQRZ$IWHU
DOO³,ILWDLQ¶WEURNHGRQ¶WIL[LW ́
A Talented Battery
0\QHZDFTXDLQWDQFHWROGPHWKHEDWWHU\SDFNKHXVHGZDV
PDQXIDFWXUHGE\7DOHQW&HOO7DOHQW&HOO0DQXIDFWXULQJ&R
/WGDQGWKDWKHKDGSXUFKDVHGLWRQWKHLQWHUQHWYLD$PD]RQ
$VVRRQDV,UHWXUQHGKRPHIURPWKHKDPIHVW,ILUHGXSP\
ODSWRSDQGZHQWWR$PD]RQZKHUH,GLVFRYHUHGDYDULHW\RI
OLWKLXPLRQEDWWHU\SDFNVRIIHUHGE\7DOHQW&HOO$IWHUUHDGLQJ
VHYHUDOIDYRUDEOHUHYLHZVDQGUHVHDUFKLQJ7DOHQW&HOO¶VZHE
VLWHZZZWDOHQWFHOOFRP!,ZKLWWOHGP\VHDUFKGRZQWRWZR
RIWKHFRPSDQ\¶VOLWKLXPLRQEDWWHU\SDFNV$YROW
P$KSDFN0RGHO1R<%DQGDYROW
P$K YHUVLRQ 0RGHO 1R <% , ZDV GHEDWLQJ
Turning Over a New Leaf...
Updating My QRP Power Needs
NDVPD#FTDPDWHXUUDGLRFRP!
3KRWR$7DOHQW&HOO¶VYROWP$KOHIWDQGYROWP$KULJKWEDWWHU\SDFNVZLWKDVVRFLDWHGFDEOHVDQG
FKDUJHUV
&4$XJXVW 9LVLW2XU:HE6LWH