Tom,
Is your vertical ground mounted? How high, and what direction, is your wire
pointing? Is it broadside north and south or broadside east and west, in
other words.
From Colorado 10 meter conditions at this time of a sunspot building period
the upward swing of the cycle, it is a lot of north south propagation. Most
of what I copied out of South America, for example, was extreme southern
Argentina although I think I heard weak Caribbean stations a couple of
times. I was listening around 10 to 11 AM and about 3 PM in the afternoon.
When the band really opens, Europeans will be in all morning from 8 AM and
into the afternoons till about 3 PM. African and South American will be
more mid day hours. Japan and the Pacific stations will start, on 10
meters, about 2 PM in the afternoon and run until the band shuts down. Some
cycles, it will be as late as 10 PM before 10 meters shuts down. When the
band is stable, Japan will come in from mid afternoon until the band closes
and they will be like U S signals. I've worked hundreds of Japanese 10 watt
sideband signals running 10 and 20 over S9. 10 meters is Japan's novice
band and they have to run 10 watts as a novice on 10 meters. If they have
the highest license, they can run a KW.
40 meters is a great DX band. I was tuning as early as sunset and hearing
Europe and South America. The Europeans, even if you are running a 40 meter
beam, drop down after a couple of hours beyond sunset our time and then peak
up again around 9:30 to 10 PM our time. Russians also will come in during
those two different time segments. Africa likewise, since most of Africa
runs 9 and 10 hours ahead of us, will come in on 40 during those two time
periods. Japan, with the big power stations, will come in as early as 9 PM
but normally not until after midnight. Their real peak for big signals is
an hour before our sunrise. I has worked Japan as early as 9 PM during
contests and as late as 2:30 PM beaming over South America, which is long
path at the time, but normally the J A signals don't start coming in until
after midnight along with KH6, Vk and ZL signals. When I had my 2 element
40 meter beam, I worked Europe as early as 2:30 in our afternoon and during
mid sunspot peak years, long path on 40 to northern and central Europe comes
in with the Japanese just before sunrise. This is beaming, just before
sunrise, to the southwest instead at Europe. this same long path phenomenon
will be every mourning from sunup till about 10 AM on 20 meters with signals
from Europe so loud, you'll think you're on the wrong band. One of these
days, we'll try 145.145 Colorado Repeater Association and you'll have no
trouble hitting it since it is on Squaw mountain. We'll talk about band
propagation on the various bands to give you a better idea of when to be
looking for long hall stuff on whatever band you want to discuss.
Phil.
----- Original Message -----
From: "tom behler" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, February 21, 2010 6:22 PM
Subject: Re: Band condition Comparison
> 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
>
|
