The worst I hear are 3.910 and 14.275, other than that I don't see a lot 
generally but have been off for 2 months or so.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Dresser" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, October 24, 2011 11:34 AM
Subject: Re: once in a lifetime?


> 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.
>>