Following the ARRL CW DX contest, my propagation comparison report is vastly 
improved from a year ago at this same time.  10 was propagating from 
Colorado into parts of South  and Central America, and west to KH6 and north 
to KL7.  When I heard that KL7 on 10 meters, I thought, Oh, goody.  The band 
is going to open clear over to Japan but as many times as I tuned for J A 
signals, I never heard one from here with my wire and vertical antennas. 
I've seen these 10 meter conditions at the beginning of every sunspot rise 
and it is always a definite precursor to better things to come.  15 meters 
was on the edge of busting wide open worldwide it seemed to me at times and 
compared to last year at this time, many times improved.  20 meters was its 
old self and didn't seem much more improved other than there was a lot less 
fade on signals.  40 was the most impressive.  I didn't look at 80 meters 
because, although I can copy DX on 80 meters, I have a 10 over S9 line noise 
I have to fight with.  Anyhow, 40 meters sounded like 20 meters to me and 
I'm only using a vertical on the roof and the G5RV at 35 feet.  IR1Y at 
times was so loud, he sounded like he was on 20 meters with a pair of 6 over 
6 element stacked yaggies on a 50 foot boom.  He was, by far, the loudest 
European I copied on 40 from Colorado both nights.  OM3L was right up there 
close to that, too, and many other European DX contest stations.  I copied 
far more Europeans with my humble little station and antennas on 40 this 
weekend than I heard back during the first CQ WW contest and from a year 
ago, there is no comparison to how much better 40 meters was this year.  It 
really made me miss my 2 element 40 meter beam when I tuned the 40 meter 
band this weekend.  I started in the late sixties with sunspot cycles and 
have several to compare but this upward swing and north to south 
propagation, especially on 10 meters, is typical of promised increase in 
perpetual better band conditions.  In short, now is the time to buy that 
amp, antenna, better rig, logging program, contest program and the like 
because next winter will be much better.  Of course, unless the sun dies, 
goes into nova, or something weird like that, haw.  It sure felt good to see 
the improved band conditions to winter compared to last.

Phil.
K0NX