Phil:

Thanks for the great report, and here's hoping that you are right on with 
your analysis.

I have a couple of questions, which are relevant to my situation because we 
are so close geographically:

1.  Regarding ten meters, when during the days did you work on that band?  I 
tried around mid afternoon yesterday, and late morning today, but really 
didn't hear much of anything.  I suspect it's because of my
Alpha Delta DXCC antenna, and perhaps the way it's oriented.

2.  Regarding 40 meters, this is the first time I have worked a DX contest 
from out here in Colorado.  I first tried 40 between 6 and 8 p.m. our time 
yesterday, and made a few contacts.  But I suspected that I was perhaps a 
bit too early.  Then, later, around 10 p.m. or so, I tried again, and still 
didn't hear a whole lot of activity.  My DXCC does very well on 40 meters 
stateside, but again, perhaps my lack of hearing good DX signals are due to 
the antenna and the way it's oriented.  I'm curious as to when you got your 
best results on 40 meters?

73 from Tom Behler: KB8TYJ
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Phil Scovell" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, February 21, 2010 5:48 PM
Subject: Band condition Comparison


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