OK...first off...please "ham radio" or "amateur radio" not "HAM"....do you wanna cause a riot on QRZ? Otherwise, even at the bottom of the Solar cycle, there can be activity on 10-meters. Solar activity is low now, though we haven't yet bottomed out (that will happen late next year), but, nevertheless, I worked Europe, South America, and the Caribbean on 10 with 100 watts during the ARRL SSB contest a couple of weeks ago. What should you do? Don't just assume. Listen to 10, and even if you hear nothing, throw out a CQ. Ya never know.
And let me add...HLC's advice...to upgrade to General ASAP, is very good advice. That buys you the 40-meter band, which is probably the best place to be day and night in the years of the quiet Sun.
make up a list of beacons across the country, put them into memory and scan those memorys....... & a dipole is just fine, a beam is just a dipole with refelectors and directors......there is no gooder antenna...& tons of not as good antennas....
Good info....since returning to ham radio I've learned the hot spots for 40m/20m because I've had luck there. 10m has been such a wasteland I never know where to listen.
Beacons are ALWAYS transmitting - between 28.200 and 28.300 There are a great many of them. Globally! If you can copy Morse, you can see where the band is open by searching the call you hear. But even if you cannot copy Morse, simply just listen: the more CW signals you hear, the more likely the band is open. You don't need to understand what is being sent - just count. If you only hear one or two, the band is very likely local only. If you count 5 or 10, consider calling CQ at 28.400. And if the CW signals are wall to wall, get on 28.400 and all CQ with a vengeance If you just hang around waiting for a SSB CQ, you'll have a long wait unless you initiate it. Dave W7UUU
