Part of our Getting On The Air guide.
Running QRP in a contest sounds like a self-imposed handicap, and in a sense it is, but most major contests reward that handicap with scoring multipliers that make QRP a genuinely competitive, satisfying category rather than just a novelty.
Why the Multiplier Matters
Most contests that offer a QRP category apply a scoring multiplier, often 5x or more, that lets a low-power score compete meaningfully against full-power entries when adjusted. This means a well-run QRP effort is not just a personal challenge but a legitimate path to a strong contest score relative to the category, since the multiplier accounts for the real disadvantage low power creates.
Antenna Matters More Than Ever
At QRP power levels, every dB of antenna performance matters far more than it would running a full-power station. A resonant, well-matched antenna with real height above ground can be the difference between a workable signal and one that never breaks through the noise. This is not the contest to run a compromise antenna if you can avoid it.
Strategy for QRP Contesting
- Focus on calling CQ during your best band openings rather than constantly hunting, since a strong, patient signal calling CQ often outperforms chasing weak stations with your own weak signal.
- Digital modes like FT8 are genuinely excellent for QRP contesting, since the mode’s weak-signal decoding gives low power a real fighting chance that voice modes cannot match.
- Pick your operating times around when propagation favors your target areas, since QRP signals need every advantage band conditions can offer.
- Log carefully. A missed or garbled exchange costs you more when every contact takes real effort to make.
Why Try It
QRP contesting teaches you more about propagation, antenna performance, and operating discipline than running full power ever will, precisely because every mistake and every advantage shows up more clearly at low power. It is also just genuinely fun to watch a five watt signal reach across a continent during a good opening.