KH8/M1KTA sounded like this

So what does a QRP station sound like working EU from the other side of the globe?

These are not mine but

IK0OZD
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS3k7zXz5sg

SV9COL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ra6CY-Nx_xY

AE5X
http://www.ae5x.com/blog/2012/10/10/m1ktakh8-qrp-with-kx3/

So I ask is a qro station is really essential for those DXpeditions, if so why ?

I do think some things are needed though...

1. Mains power not essential but makes life a lot easier all around.
2. Very well guyed antennas, if I had one major weakness it was this. WX was reported at Force 7 so winds gusting >35mph and I had two antenna supports snap in the winds.
3. Everyone said take a PA, not 100% sure needed after listening to many contacts, a PA would not have helped me hear the pile up stations any better and there were not many places I couldn't work... A PA might help me sound louder... not convinced of value except added other to the pile up. I took a pa (Homebrew ARRL design but it didn't last long, one FET blew as the bias resistor had popped and the PA current went high, zapped the car battery I had obtained for the North East shore site (no mains).
4. Do not believe the doomsayers or propagation predictions most are pure rubbish and I worked lots of stations when everything says I should not have... Why? Because the propagation predictions are just that predictions. The most time the low predictions is often due to the fact there just are not 1,000's of stations from that DXCC, I think I was it for KH8 when I was there, so if someone listened somewhere where I wasn't they have said no propagation... that said posting op freqs and sticking to them and then being asked for schedules and reverse beacon and dx cluster meant most just set alarms on the call appearing... I've done a bit of cross reference log to dx spots and there is a direct correlation.
5. More time? I went for the time I did as that was what was available never planned to set records etc, happy to work plenty of qrp stations from KH8.