Newbie question: when can I catch Japan and China?

[KC0BUS]

I am re-entering ham radio from a long absence and was wanting to try and work some Japanese and even Chinese stations from here in the midwest (Missouri specifically), and I was wanting to know what times and bands are best for working these DX stations?

Thank you,
KC0BUS

[BX2ABT]

I'm not from China, but if you can take Taiwan......... around midnight/0100 on 20-15 meters, that's when I work the States. Usually anything further than CO is difficult, especially with my modest station, but it can be done. I've got time this weekend, so look my call up on Skype if you want to get in touch with me.

[K7DOS]

i think you have better chance talking to the chinese and japanese using echolink.

[WB2WIK]

Any time the path is "daylight" from you to them is the time to work them on the higher bands 20-17-15-12-10 meters. Just the opposite on the lower bands like 40 and 80m. Then, it's usually best if the path is "dark" from you to them.

I work Asia all the time from here in California, but I'm 1500 miles closer, which does matter, and I'm on the Pacific Ocean which gives me a "shot" at them pretty easily.

There are more JAs than there are Chinese stations at this point, but China is becoming a lot more active. Taiwan and Hong Kong also have lots of activity. Thailand and South Korea are also quite easy, lots of active hams there.

I think not a day goes by that I don't work all that stuff on HF. Beam much farther north than you'd think. My beam heading for Japan is NW and from you it would be farther north than that I think. China is large and the headings change from NNW to nearly WNW depending where they are.

[N2NL]

There is a lot of activity out of both places these days. You're best bet from Missouri is to listen on 15 or 17m (perhaps 12m also) in your local evenings, before and just after dark. As usual, there is more activity during weekends and a lot during contests. Remember, those of us west of the international dateline are a day ahead of North America - Friday evening for you is Saturday morning here. As a result, you may not hear as much activity when it is Sunday night in MO because we're already heading to work Monday.

73, Dave KH2/N2NL

[N0AZZ]

I live in SW MO. and I work the JA's most mornings between 4-6am central time on 40/80m good signals here using a 3 element 40m beam and a vertical for 10-160m Hy Gain AV-18HT.

[N2ADV]

What mode? I usually can find Japanese stations on digital modes mid-morning (JT-65 on 20 meters around 9-10am Eastern) and then again late afternoon/early evening on CW. I have yet to work a Japanese station using Phone.

[K9ASE]

Japanese don't seem to be a problem in the late afternoon and early evening our time on 20-15-10. I've yet to work Korea China or any Southeast Asia yet. But, you can hear them pop up on the higher bands during those times also.

[AC0FP]

i think you have better chance talking to the chinese and japanese using echolink.Echolink is not real amateur radio! Its a repeater system.

[BH4WPN]

如果你想通联中国20米14.270，40米7050晚上很热闹了。有机会空中见 73

Translate to English in next post
[UA6JD]

[BX2ABT]

如果你想通联中国20米14.270，40米7050晚上很热闹了。有机会空中见 73
For those whose Chinese is a bit rusty: "if you want to get in contact with China then check out 14.270 in the 20 meter band or 7.050 in the 40 meter band (local evenings). Hope to see you on air. 73"

Especially 14.270 +/- 5 kHz is a busy frequency with sometimes Mandarin speaking Korean or Japanese operators checking in. If you hear something Asian there you know you have propagation in your favour.