Thanks for your insight. I feel hams on YT etc over play speech/phone QRP (along with antennas they have never even road tested daily for a few months, making blanket statements to get their video counts up - misleading) ... you are right you need patience and double that especially in weak conditions. If you go on YT you see hams making contacts QRP.. however they may establish with 100W/50W and then drop back the RF out.... "Look, see 10,000 miles on 5 Watts - I am the best ham there is ! "
I suppose they are only trying to attract attention to themselves and to others to the hobby, but boy there is disappointment awaiting for new licensees with their 10Watts after seeing those vids. I am a realist.. not a fantasist. Maybe when the sunspots start waking up QRP will fair better (or just be blotted out by even stronger - massive power stations splattering all over your chosen freq, that is not fun).
Or they are conveniently situated on the beach with the huge natural TX/RX assistance that brings.
QRP yes possible when conditions are great. Overall it is not for me... I don't like getting battered from either side of the chosen freq 2 mins after starting to call CQ DX (even with 50W you get battered either side with bleed from stations who never even knew you were there.... all send no receive, deaf.)
QRP is noble and respectable.. but it is rather mis represented on YT for example. If you have all day (or a month when the sunspots are down) QRP can be great I am sure and when you get through all the better for it.
You see a 5 mins video of people making a transatlantic contact on 5W from a bicycle etc...but you did not see the 5 other days before they were out 12 hours trying for it.
You need luck and patience, too much for me. I have done all the QRP I will be doing
with my stage 1 licence.
The goal here is not KW's but neither is it QRP - eventually "average Joe" radio power will do me.