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Foundations of Amateur Radio - episode 59

Discussion in 'Amateur Radio News' started by VK6FLAB, Jul 23, 2016.

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  1. VK6FLAB

    VK6FLAB Ham Member QRZ Page

    The bands are dead, nothing to do, amateur radio is dying. This and other myths are shared among amateurs when they go on air and find no stations to talk to.

    This week in "Foundations of Amateur Radio", I poke some holes in that belief and show you that the problem lies much closer to home.

    http://podcasts.itmaze.com.au/foundations/

    This weekly podcast can also be found on iTunes by searching for VK6FLAB where you'll also find interviews with the VK0EK team, the FT5ZM team and 206 episodes of "What use is an F-call?"

    73 de Onno VK6FLAB from Perth in VK6
     
  2. KA0KA

    KA0KA Ham Member QRZ Page

    Being active only on HF and in my mid-thirties now, a friend of mine and I do wounder sometimes how the bands will be in 2045 when we are 65 years old, we predict a dramatic decrease in activity and believe HF to be in the final golden season of its life.
     
  3. VK6FLAB

    VK6FLAB Ham Member QRZ Page

    Fortunately I don't think that this is true.

    Here is a chart I made showing on air activity over the last 15 years in VK.

    It clearly shows that we're increasing activity.
     

    Attached Files:

    PP8DA likes this.
  4. KM4TOI

    KM4TOI Ham Member QRZ Page

    I hear this about everything. I'm a land surveyor. All I hear is the younger generation is not come into our profession. Same story different subject.
     
  5. VU2DSI

    VU2DSI Ham Member QRZ Page

    I am VU2 DSI & I am FAN of 10 meters. I found when propagation predicts POOR activity on 10, I still give CQ call on & there are PILE-UPS many a times in the past. You can see lokups on my info (most of them are for 10 M qsos) on qrz & my 80% qsls out of 32,000 total are for qso on 10 & many a times prediction was "POOR". SO make NOISE on 10 meters ,many are scanning to listen to you & then your CQ will be a great pile-up-- who knows?!
    DATTA
    VU2DSI
     
  6. KC7C

    KC7C Ham Member QRZ Page

    I hope your correct about the bands coming back. I am also very active on 10 meters, however it seems like all I hear are beacons talking to each other and not one person on the band to be heard. I call cq until I'm blue in the face, then I put the station on auto pilot and let the computer do the talking for me and I hear no returns. I know the band is open, but no one is home. I run 4, 5, or 6 elements the last 20 years for 10 meters and since I moved to the Spokane Valley area of Washington this last October, I often listen and watch on the panadapter for hours every day with the antenna pointed threw the heart of the 500,000 people in the area and see and hear nothing for months at a time, for local chatter. It was no different in the Pacific coast of Washington near Seattle. My radio friends and I wold stay up till the AM hours of the morning watching beacons on the screen wondering where everybody is. I think people in the states have just given up on 10 because they can no longer get away with the coat hanger antenna and a tuner like in cycles past.

    I have also read nearly every prediction on the interweb about the solar cycles and as far as I can tell the majority of predictions are not good. It seem that for me in my mid 40's, if the predictions are correct I will never see, even an average sun spot cycle for the rest of my life. It looks like the next cycle is only predicted to be a speed bump and no better then it is right now at its peak. I hope they are wrong, because I'm not ready to give up on 10 meters yet, but it seems like a waist of antenna space for a large beam that doesn't get much use anymore.
     
  7. KB3WGE

    KB3WGE Ham Member QRZ Page

    The cycle isn't as good as fall of'11 & all of'12 & early 13 when i was up & running fixed station.I haven't been on HF in a little while but as long as I have my Icom IC-V80 & my Yaesu VX-3R HT's OH! & the Echolink App in my LG "smartphn" I'll still be representing.Long Live Amateur Radio.Respectfully submitted KB3WGE a.k.a. Jimi. ps 73's ALL !!!
     

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