Gone Fishing

[k7uq]

http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif #Just had a thought about hf radio operation, while trying to make a psk contact on 40 meters. #The band was dead, absolutley Zilch. I kept calling cq and eventually worked a guy down in Texas. #The point I am trying to make, is in this world of instant gratification, we do need to work and have patience to make good hf contacts. #I guess that is something I will never be able to convey to some of my Tech friends. #If you want instant communications, go on Echo Link where you can see the guys standing bye to talk. #On hf, we take our chances and sometimes never get a bite. but sometimes we hook a big one and the time and satisfaction is time very well spent. #Most of the two meter repeater contacts are with folks we know. #That is great for keeping up with local events, but gee it is neat to get out of the neighborhood once in awhile.
Cheers:
Harvey K7UQ

[K9STH]

Years ago, during the CW World Wide DX CW contest, 20 meters was completely dead. Another local and I just happened on an Outer Mongolia station and we both worked the station with good reports. Then, the band went dead again. All of the locals (at that time there were a lot of contesters in the Richardson Wireless Klub) said that we had worked "Slim" (a bogus station). Well, we both sent off our QSL cards to the station's eastern European QSL manager. We both got our confirming QSL cards the same day which happened to be the same as the RWK meeting.

Although we hadn't talked to each other, we both had the same idea. We put the Outer Mongolian QSL card in our shirt pocket and went to the meeting. You should have seen the looks on the faces of the other Klub members! We didn't say a thing but they were certainly eating "crow"!

Glen, K9STH

[nz3m]

Harvey,
Your right. I remember my first Japan contact. Japan is tough here on the east coast. It was about 2300z and I was checking the bands for activity. 10m seemed to have no signals, so I worked my way down the bands looking for DX.

I'll I found was state qso's, so I checked the cluster and found some Russian stations on 20m. Then, out of curiosity, I checked the MUF. It was about 27mhz.

So, then I went back to 10m and was tuning slowly through the band. I heard a faint signal calling CQ. With a slight tune of the notch filter, there he was, JH7FNM. He heard me on the first call.

I proceeded to make a couple other Japan contacts that evening and there were no pileups because everyone was on the lower bands.

That is the fun of HF.

Lately, I've been getting DX contacts using CW, and that's even more fun.

Dave

[N8YV]

The current decline in the solar cycle could not have come along at a better time. With all the concerns of late over the codeless HF operators "ruining" ham radio, the scarcity of DX will be a fine "filter" against those who seek instant gratification on HF.

The next few years should provide ample opportunity for any non-dedicated ham newcomers to cool their heels, and when it starts to pick up again in about 5-6 years, only the strong shall remain!

Note: This is not an attempt to flame anyone, nor to phase-shift this into a code/no code thread. I merely wish to point out a benefit some may not have considered.

73

[w8amd]

Sure it's sometimes tough and unpredictable. That's what makes it so grand!

[WA2ZDY]

This is what makes HF fun. Repeaters are good for communication, but HF is good for just plain random fun.

[n0ov]

Absolutely

For the computer folks out there -- as much fun as it is to make an overseas contact using instant messanger you haven't lived until you made the same contact over the air using $20 worth of wire on a dipole!
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