Martin,

I'm hearing more and more CB-like activity on the ham bands these days, 
especially on 75 meters where skip is short enough for the local wackos to 
congregate.  I also hear some of that stuff on 20 as well.  I've heard the 
arguments that it's all due to the no-code license, the dumbing down of the 
tests, etc., but many of the worst troublemakers hold extras, so that's 
obviously not the problem.  I chalk it all up to a general lack of 
individual responsibility on the part of hams, which just reflects the same 
trend in the larger society.  Before anyone starts firing up their Bunsen 
burners, I'm not saying that all hams are irresponsible, just that those who 
are seem to be making more noise.

Steve

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Martin McCormick" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, October 24, 2011 07:24
Subject: Re: once in a lifetime?


> I first got licensed in 1969 but have had a good
> receiver since 1966 and it is wonderful to hear all that F2
> propagation coming back. When the Solar Flux gets higher, we
> will hear shorter skip on ten meters during the Winter as well
> as the Winter Sporadic E season which is not effected so much by
> Solar activity so it will be a fun mix of shorter and longer
> skip.
>
> Yesterday, which was Sunday as I write this, I tuned
> through the CB frequencies to listen to an example of a huge
> number of transmitters concentrated on a relatively small number
> of frequencies and it is just beginning to sound like the older
> days of the late sixties and seventies when those frequencies
> were useless due to countless strong signals even from the 5-watt
> stations. We're not there yet, but it's getting closer.
>
> The Solar Flux yesterday was 164 and it probably needs
> to be over 200 to really get the old days back but it could
> still happen.
>
> As for the CB frequencies, I have this theory that 27
> MHZ might be a natural resonance frequency for the neurons in
> the human brain and repeated transmission, especially with high
> power, causes those neurons to shatter creating a sort of
> electronic lobotomy.
>
> I am just joking, but one hears some crazy stuff on
> those frequencies. Half of me is simply appalled at what I hear
> plus amused at the sheer stupidity of it all. Another fraction
> of me says that it is good that these wackos have somewhere to
> go that isn't part of a ham band and the rest of me says that a
> lot of this activity simply doesn't do any good at all and is
> potentially a security risk, just perfect for dope dealers and
> terrorists. I am sure glad they aren't on ten that much, but
> even that happens sometimes.
>
> Anyway, it is a good propagation indicator for now.
>
> With a little more Solar Flux, the F2 layer will be
> forced a bit lower and this will change the reflection angles so
> that we will start getting those West-Coast signals thundering
> in again. That will create more QRM, but it will also bring in
> even more JA's, ZL's and VK's so it's not really a bad thing.
>
> Howard Kaufman writes:
>> I have been a ham since 1966.  I have absolutely never seen the 
>> conditions
>> we are experiencing this week.
>> 30 meters has been full of Europeans for the last two hours.  late 
>> morning
>> there, darkest night here.  Grey line some where over the mid Atlantic.
>> for two late afternoons, 10 meters has been filled with JA's, and no west
>> coast signals to clobber them.  12 meters is filled with Europeans in the
>> mid mornings, with similar conditions but not quite as good on ten.
>> Signals from south America, Australia and Africa as well.
>> I looked for Terry for an hour yesterday with no luck.  Hope others are
>> enjoying as well.
>