When HF is Quiet

Generally speaking, when there's not much happening on the ham bands in terms of dx l tend to go shortwave listening with a nice big cup of coffee and the receive on my radio to keep me company, I have spent countless contented hours over the years just enjoying my radio in it's other capacities.

Might I also add that seeing as shortwave is getting less and less occupied by commercial and other users we should maybe enjoy what is left on there while we still can, I for one will be very very sad when it's gone.

73 de m3vpi

God bless you all.

 

Aside from the name calling, I agree with you and your logic. I got my license in 1992 and was and still am a hardcore HF SSB Phone and CW fan. Totally frowning on the digital modes. After being off the air for nearly 10 years, recently retiring and downsizing I moved in to a Townhome in an HOA controlled community. It wasn't until after that the Ham bug bit and I returned to the Ham radio hobby. But due to HOA restrictions I am working with SEVERELY compromised attic antennas in a 20'x20' garage. So the digital low power modes suddenly caught my interest if I could make some contacts. Guess what? I am now active on the digital modes when having no luck on the HF bands calling CQ. I actually enjoy being able to see my low power digital 20 watt signal hit around the world. I now, like you, see the digital modes as still yet another tool in HAM radio giving operators MANY options. So now I enjoy the SSB phone and CW contacts I do make as well as FT-8, RTTY, PSK31 etc.

 

I appologize for writing that and being a bit harsh .. But I'm very tired of so many arguing that FT8 is the end of hamradio, end of the hobby and just plain telling that us finding some joy in it are as best 2'nd class hams. I'll try to avoid that kind of writing in the future. Tnx for pointing it out to me.

So glad to hear from you and your experience! That's the schoolbook example on why FT8 is a mode well worth using. Welcome back to the hobby!

I as you I guess, will probably be back on CW and SSB when propagation becomes better and we could hope for some success with modes we love since long. Until then, let's use the FT8 tool to motivate us to stay QRV and in the hobby instead of leaving and maybe not coming back.

 

FT8 REALLY? GO TO A BORING MODE ? cw,psk,olivia,contestia,rtty,spark much better and exciting.

 

another tip is to think of a rare dx call sign, start up a qso, per tend that you are in a qso with this person, exchange rst, qth, qsl information and sign off after a few minutes. #2 use you call sign back wards and you would be the dx station and then you call cq and you may get a pile up. As in Vermont ( it used to be true ) when I'd sign on cw many moons ago " KA1BSZ/VT " it's like adding another kw to your signal and then you'd have a pile up. Or #3 get an amplifier that will over kill 1500 plus watts. lotta people do and get away with it!

 

the bands ARE open to some where. local or dx. The only time when they are really dead is when your not on the radio.

 

Don't know why you are SHOUTING at us here at the Zeed? Boring is your opinion and you are of course allowed to have it. Very much OK to me, but Please don't shout at me and others. Each to his own and your shouting and telling others that what they do is just crap is just really bad hamspirit and behavior.

 

I agree with others before... when times get tough, time for us to get going and stir something up! Look for new nets, hit the local vhf/uhf nets, learn or polish the original digital CW, get on the rig and start calling CQ. I think often the best thing is to ignore all of the panadapters and just go for it. Hams are a resourceful bunch. And a tough bunch!

 

who said I was shouting? I hit the cap locks. so what? if you don't like what I post, then ignore it, don't post a rude comment. I see rude and stupid comments everywhere, But I don't go around and post a reply of everyone of them and if I did, I'd never have any time for the radio.

 

SE3X interesting callsign.....sorta like call signs in the us ending with DUI,FCC,SSB,PSK,FM,F0OLS.

 

Since I am approaching the 77 yr mark in my existence the picture of this comments section kinda jogged a memory or two. I was born into a family of distant relatives who were hams that i was able to visit in my youth. I totally was mesmerized by the big receivers and transmitters and the heat and glow of the vacuum tubes (the late 1940's). It created a desire in me that has never waned (well , not much) it was like something in me was turned on by association. I still get that craving when i'm away from my home shack. Just wish i had kept my old GT-550 and its glowing tubes. All my junk is digital now, but i still miss the glow and the heat while CQ'ing away on cold winter nights. Still love it even with solid state gear. I reckon that the nostalgia of my early days in the hobby kinda keeps me interested. Ham radio aint dead yet ya'll.

 

When HF is quit, somebody has stolen your antenna ... i guess. Here in EU HF is never quit. Yes, many Hams do listen more than call CQ DX, maybe thats why a stolen antenna is not recognized immediately

Serious now: HF is like fishing, 4 hours nothing and when u start packing your rod starts moving.

 

better start checking your rod. perhaps it is broken in another place. I have a home station and mobile station and they are both quite.it may be different over where you are.

 

no it ain up here in vawmont. ayuh......signals are quite weak, so might as well go digital and cw.

 

When i am home i monitor 28.400 USB the whole day, and .200 CW for the beacons. Between 08.00 AM and 20.00 UTC i hear DX for at least an hour. So it looks quit but it is still alive Of course a QTH needs to be in the right spot of the RF jump (weird word but do not know another). Maybe thats my luck. Because i am just a low power battery operated station i also have to wait for better conditions to make 2way contact with the other side of the pool. 10 is fun, i can't hear Belgium, ... Italy every day US stations will pop up in a second meanly in the early and late hours. Horizontal works better than Vertical, lower noise floor and less man made noise. You're right about the antennas, ... renewing/checking ones in a while is a must. Because of the hight of my QTH i do that very often, my set up gets direct hits during south/west storms (150+ km/u) which we have very often. Soon i will post photos of my humble setup and shack.