Band Conditions on Field Day

[wu3u]

Well, it's almost time for Field Day.

I've been wondering...has there ever been a year when all the bands from 80 to 10 meters have been decent QSO producing bands?

To be honest, I've never been on a Field Day yet when 10 meters was good in 21 years of hamming.

Most years, the same goes for 15 meters, although in 2002, #15 meters was really good as that band goes.

Some years, I've been in a Field Day camp with 6 meter capability and the most Qs I can remember from that band on a given year was 20 or so, all on SSB.

This year, I plan to do the mobile thing again and will be active on all bands 80 through 440 SSB and CW. #

I've heard that 6 meters has been having some really good openings lately and may give that band a look this year...although not holding my breath waiting for Qs!

The last two Field Days saw high levels of absorbtion but with the decline of solar cycle, that may not be the case this year.

What do you think? # How will condx be this year?

73,

TP

[W4CGP]

At my club's field day site in Snellville, GA, 2002 saw a lot of 10 meter contacts. During the day I think 10, 15, and 20 we all open. Last year it was pretty much 20 meters for us, although 40 and 75 started doing better as night came.

Tuned into the the W1AW bulletin this evening and much to my surprise I was able to copy the bulletin very nicely on every band from 20m on up. I hope conditions stay like that throught Field Day.

[wu3u]

I operated mobile from a great location in 2002....heard very little on 10 meters.

Last year, I was the CW operator at a 2A camp and 10 was MIA again. LOL.

One thing that I think has not been much of a success was the inclusion of South American and other areas, heard very little of them in 2002 or 2003.

TP

There has been a VERY good opening the past few days.

Expected conditions for FD are expected to be as they should be based on the current downswing in 'Ol Sol's spots.

80/40 should be quite good and open as they usually do. The fact that FD tends to bring out MORE folks than you might normally hear/work means that the 80/40/20M bands will be active and busy. 15M should be good to - 2004 was a good one for K3FT/3.

10M was 'fair' but only for short periods.

The main reason is due to the fact that people will tend to congregate on the bands which are active. That means that 40/20M with 15M and 40/80 at night.

I'd love to see 10M open up.. it's a good band and it can be QUITE enjoyable to be into a 10M pileup.

but for the East Coast.. 80/40/20 and then 15 will be the bands.

you midwest guys.. you should have LOTS of fun on all the bands being 'first hop' from just about everywhere in the USA on 80/40.. Sigh.. just like SS.. the best place ot be is in TX or IN/IL..

73
K3FT

20M will be good, overall

[K7FE]

About five years ago, 10M SSB contacts were about equal to 20M SSB for our club Field Day. #I use a 6 el 10 meter M2 Yagi on a 40 ft motor driven tubular tower on my RV. #I hear quite a few stations.

My FD station (http://www.vcars.org/fieldaypics/2002/full/DSCN0739.JPG)

73,
Terry, K7FE

[wu3u]

Wow Terry, that sure is FB Field Day site!

Ok on ten happening for you a few years ago...I've never been so lucky for some reason.

It sure would be nice to see 6 meter E skip this year.

73 to all,

Tim

[K9STH]

Well, back in the early to mid 1970s K5RWK/5 (Richardson Wireless Klub) was usually in the 3A or 2A (either won or at least placed in the top 3 most of the time) 80 through 6 meters all produced a lot of contacts. Had "spotters" sitting at the various positions to watch for openings. If a band opened up, we changed and started "running" stations on that band until the contacts started "drying up". Then moved to another band where the contact rate was high.

Also worked the satellites and "natural" power. Had an "organization" within the organization called the KKK (Klub Kluge Korps) that took care of this type of operation.

Glen, K9STH

[wu3u]

FB STH.

The thing about Field Day is that it happens in June.

It seems to me that in years of higher sunspot activity, June can be a very tough month with all the solar storms and generally unsettled conditions.

So at least for Field Day, I sometimes wonder if more moderate flux indices are actually better for overall conditions.

73,

TP

[WA5KRP]

Sure would love to have the same conditions we had during last years CQ World Wide contest. #At first it looked like a cornal mass ejection was going to take out HF, but in fact the bands were sizzling HOT. #

However, there was an astonishing sudden ionospheric distrubance (SID) that Sunday around 18:00Z - the bands shut down so fast I thought the front end of my receiver died. #Scared the hell out of me. #After thirty minutes I stumbled across a VE2 and he said a couple of their ops thought they had fried their rigs too. #TOO FUNNY - and WHEW! #If you were operating you'd remember it. #It was like somebody through a switch and HF went DEAD.

I'm FD chairman for the Alamo Area Radio Organization this year. #I'm lucky to have a lot of folks willing to throw in. #Still, it's somewhat like herding cats. #We're all radio amateurs, you know.

Hey FE - very cool setup! #What's the location (roughly)?


73

WA5KRP
Texas

[K0RGR]

Yes, I remember a Field Day back in the 60's where our 6 meter station was jumping the whole contest, but we couldn't work ourselves on HF. It was about the same point of the solar cycle as we have right now, so I would not be surprised if we got the same thing this year.

I was extremely disappointed in 80 meters last year. On the West Coast, you could get on 80 in the daytime and make dozens, if not hundreds of QSO's. I didn't hear a soul on 80 before evening, and with the thunderstorm static, it was pretty much useless. I was running the GOTA station for the club, and once our kilowatts moved from 20 to 40 we were pretty much done until morning when 15 opened up briefly and we had 20 meters to ourselves.

We made the 100 QSO's for the GOTA station bonus, and then some, but it was tough.

I hope conditions are better this time around.

[K7FE]

KRP - My Club's Field Day site is the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library located in the County about two miles outside of Thousand Oaks, CA. #Ventura County Amateur Radio Society, VCARS, call sign for this event is N6R, "Nancy Six Ron". #The Presidential Library has been kind enough to sponser our event each year. #I have been the Field Day Co-Chair the last two years. #

You will be able to see a number of Field Day photos taken at the Presidential Library for the last three years here:

VCARS (http://www.vcars.org/)

This year The Conejo Valley Amateur Radio Club, CVARC, will join us on the Site, also using N6R, so we will have a very large number of stations. #In some past years, CVARS has had over 20 FD stations by themselves.

73,
Terry, K7FE