View Full Version : What's Wrong With HF?
ae2ny
04-03-2005, 05:33 PM
For the last hour, I've been calling CQ on both 20M *AND* 40M with no success. No answer at all to any CQ. So I turned around and started tuning around the band, and didn't hear a single CQ or QSO anywhere on either band.
Is this band condx or is it my receive finals? If it's my receive finals, I'm gonna be one PO'd Ham because this 706 MKIIG is brand new.
ANyone else experiencing the same issues with 20 and 40M? Both bands are completely dead here in East Central Florida.
Anthony - W8ANT
KC0LFV
04-03-2005, 05:45 PM
Maybe they just don't want to talk to you.
Just a thought. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif
af2cw
04-03-2005, 05:46 PM
I'm hearing a number of stations for the QCWA contest
on 40. 17m is pretty active at this moment, you might
want to give that a try.
ae2ny
04-03-2005, 05:47 PM
And just what would I be getting fairly famous for? I'm not being mean, or overly condescending. In truth, I'm not sure how to take that. *scratches his head*
Let me think on that and I'll get back to you.
Anthony - W8ANT
KC0LFV
04-03-2005, 05:50 PM
Quote[/b] (W8ANT @ April 02 2005,11:47)]And just what would I be getting fairly famous for? I'm not being mean, or overly condescending. In truth, I'm not sure how to take that. *scratches his head*
Let me think on that and I'll get back to you.
Anthony - W8ANT
Actually, I wasn't sure what I meant by that either. That's why I removed it from my post, hopefully before you saw it. Sorry http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif Just a quick comment that didn't make any sense, didn't mean anything by it, I enjoy chatting with ya/reading your comments.
W3MIV
04-03-2005, 06:08 PM
Quote[/b] (W8ANT @ April 03 2005,13:33)]Is this band condx or is it my receive finals?
http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif
Anthony,
In casual listening, I hear plenty of stations, I suspect that there is no real problem, but just a temporary lull in conditions.
What you want to do is: Listen to certain frequencies on twenty meters such as the SSTV group on 14.230. Chances are if you hear SSTV on .230, then the band is open.
Another good thing is WWV on 5,10,15, and 20Mhz. If you cannot hear WWV, then the bands are dead for sure. Also listen for WWVH on the same frequencies, but with a female voice. WWV and WWVH are times such that the female voice comes on before the male voice.
In real crummy condx, the AM broadcast band can also give indications for local conditions.
73 and CUL
de Gary WG7X
I have never had a problem with my"receive finals" I have blown the transistor in my receiver "front end".
"Finals", refer to the output (last) device/es (tube or transistor) in the transmitter stage. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
73,
Terry, K7FE
Quote[/b] (W8ANT @ April 03 2005,05:33)]For the last hour, I've been calling CQ on both 20M *AND* 40M with no success. #No answer at all to any CQ. #So I turned around and started tuning around the band, and didn't hear a single CQ or QSO anywhere on either band.
One thing to check is your antenna. #Make sure it is not grounded or a break in the coax possibly near the connector. #Also make sure there is no short in the connector itself. # Do you have a different antenna to try. #If you have a short pice of coax you can plug it in and should be able to hear someting.
When you were transmitting how was the VSWR? #Were you able to tune up with no problem?
n5tjd
04-03-2005, 07:17 PM
The band isn't at its best that is for sure, but it is still open. I knew today was gonna be bad when the people running 600+ watts are only S3. Just call CQ some time later and you may get a call. If you want, I'll listen for you. Not making any promises you'ld hear me though. QRZed skeds seem jinxed.
Oh yeah, and part of it may be because it is Sunday. Everyone may be out playing with their antennas. I was until just a few moments ago.
k6bbc
04-03-2005, 07:28 PM
Be grateful you didn’t get an answer. You avoided another mind-numbing ham radio conversation. Best to spend your time here, not on the air.
K6BBC
W5HTW
04-03-2005, 08:24 PM
I, too, listened on 40 and 20 earlier and heard only a scattered few signals. Sounded like Old SOL was in the "let's kill amateur radio" mood again.
Switched antennas and heard quite a bit more, but not as much as I expected to. Maybe there's -- Oh, My God, could it be? Really? M-M-Maybe there's no contest on? No, I dare not say it.
Then I took a look at the 210 foot dipole. Whoops. One half is missing. Well, it stayed up longer this time than in the past. Usually the wind gets them within two or three weeks, but this one took close to two months. I'm redesigning all my wire antennas so they will be made of concrete. We had 60 plus MPH winds for two days, until yesterday, so half of the dipole is on the ground.
Automatically-Modified Dipole. Into Mono-Pole. Yep, another end fed antenna. So what the heck? I tried loading it and it worked just fine. Still didn't hear much signals on it, though. The ones I did hear were all just half there!! All AM was suddenly SSB. Gotta get the other half of the antenna back up.
(But the SWR is 1.6:1, on 75 meters, so maybe I'll give it a try.)
Ed
ad5qb
04-03-2005, 08:54 PM
Just heard an S9 CW signal on 14.039 from Lake Wales, FL here in San Antonio, and lots of SSB activity on 20 meters. Band seems in good shape here.
n5tjd
04-03-2005, 09:00 PM
Just got back in again. Things sound a little better. When the bands aren't that great, it is a good time to work on your antennas!
Right now I am letting the paint dry on a radial plate I'm making for my next vertical antenna.
I found a lincore speed-feed barrel lid that "just" happened to fall out of someones truck *cough* litterbug *cough.* So I carried it home, drilled and punched out the inner circle, and a 4"x4" hole in the middle for the mounting post and made a circle of 32 holes to hold screws to attach the radials.
I sanded it down and have about 3 light coats front and back on it so far. It is drying right now. It needs more coats, but for now, I want to see how well the paint sticks. The metal is a bit flimsy, so I plan to reinforce it a bit. I am also putting together a tilt-over system for the vertical.
KF0RT
04-03-2005, 09:04 PM
Quote[/b] (k6bbc @ April 03 2005,12:28)]Be grateful you didn’t get an answer. #You avoided another mind-numbing ham radio conversation. #Best to spend your time here, not on the air.
K6BBC
Bustin a gut... Just read the "Little Print Shop" thing on your bio, BBC. I had 27 states confirmed with LPS cards back in the 70's and was going for 50. At that time, I think the ARRL would "endorse" a WAS for anything. Now, LPS is gone and the ARRL seems to have "rules" about endorsements. Likewise, I got first notice of my callsign via The Little Print Shop. Austin, TX wasn't it?
How is it possible that LPS closed up shop with all the business they had? I'd love to know the story on that!
73, Rob
20meters was for sure a bit "different" than normal yesterday during the daylight hours here in Alaska...The normal conditions we usually have for the Spokane-Fairbanks CW circuit were poor early in the day, picking up to near normal late in the afternoon. Earlier the skip was "long" and my normal QSO with K6KPH was better later in the day than normal, and beyond that, I worked a station in Savoy, Texas, N5PHT on 14050 with signals S3 to S5 both ways, good steady copy, which is most unusual from here....
AL7N
ae2ny
04-04-2005, 12:51 AM
Well in just the last 2 hours or so, 20M has REALLY opened up. I worked stations in Virginia, Connecticut, Illinois, and Puerto Rico. THAT'S the 20M I'm used to hearing.
Anthony - W8ANT
n5tjd
04-04-2005, 01:11 AM
Yup, when I leave the shack and go walking, all the bands go crazy (in a good way). http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
k6bbc
04-04-2005, 01:17 AM
Quote[/b] (W8ANT @ April 03 2005,17:51)]Well in just the last 2 hours or so, 20M has REALLY opened up. #I worked stations in Virginia, Connecticut, Illinois, and Puerto Rico. #THAT'S the 20M I'm used to hearing.
Anthony - W8ANT
You call that "open." Open means the Middle East and India are coming in. Stateside is there all the time.
Just wait for the next peak!
K6BBC
ae2ny
04-04-2005, 02:58 AM
*Bows to BBC*
My apologies for being such a newbie. What I meant to say was...
Earlier there wasn't one single QSO or CQ for hours. Then a couple hours ago, I heard several stations, of which I worked 4. I know that isn't open, but at least it was far more open than it had been previously.
My apologies for not being as direct as I should have been.
Anthony - W8ANT
kb2vxa
04-04-2005, 04:36 AM
Hi ANT and chucklers,
Receive finals? When you learn the difference between those RF amps you'll figure out why you're not recieving anything. Have you tried plugging your key into the little round hole in the bottom left of the face? You know the one, just to the left of the channel selector. Oh, the funny looking one on the back is where you connect the dial-up connection for the Internet and the one under the faceplate is where you plug in the telephone.
Quote[/b] (k6bbc @ April 03 2005,20:17)]Quote[/b] (W8ANT @ April 03 2005,17:51)]Well in just the last 2 hours or so, 20M has REALLY opened up. #I worked stations in Virginia, Connecticut, Illinois, and Puerto Rico. #THAT'S the 20M I'm used to hearing.
Anthony - W8ANT
You call that "open." #Open means the Middle East and India are coming in. #Stateside is there all the time.
I agree. I don't consider a band open just because I hear stateside stations. I can hear them anytime on 40m and 80m. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif
Quote[/b] (W8ANT @ April 03 2005,21:58)]*Bows to BBC*
My apologies for being such a newbie.
TURN HIM INTO A NEWT!!
http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif
kf6rdn
04-04-2005, 02:12 PM
Quote[/b] (W8ANT @ April 03 2005,10:33)]For the last hour, I've been calling CQ on both 20M *AND* 40M with no success. #No answer at all to any CQ. #So I turned around and started tuning around the band, and didn't hear a single CQ or QSO anywhere on either band.
Is this band condx or is it my receive finals? #If it's my receive finals, I'm gonna be one PO'd Ham because this 706 MKIIG is brand new.
ANyone else experiencing the same issues with 20 and 40M? #Both bands are completely dead here in East Central Florida.
Anthony - W8ANT
You DID turn the radio on, right?
Sorry had to ask...