What do you think? Do you think 20m is dead during this sunspot low? Many do! I see if this is the case using a compromised set up.
How about just a sentence or two of what your theory is so we can decide if we even want to watch the video? Just a thought - might bring more viewers if they had an idea what you're on about Dave W7UUU
Here's my outing this morning. Two Australia - USA contacts on 14 MHz while QRP with a wire antenna. With thanks to the stations with the big antennas and low noise floors who can hear our tiny signals.
Hello i am IU5ITU have to confirm our QSO but I do not have the data can you give me back? Frequency and time? Thank you
I don't think it's dead. At one time, I did the big station, tower, multi-element beam and the whole 9 yards. I've moved on to portable ops and the creativity it takes when the bands are sub-par. Enjoyed your video. 73s.
In my limited experience: 1) Much depends on your expectations. If someone expects to work the Antipodes on 20 meters at 11 pm local with a low G5RV and barefoot SSB, they're going to be rather disappointed. If they try the same setup at 11 AM local, and consider a few thousand miles to be "DX!!" they may be pleasantly surprised. 2) If nobody actually transmits, things like sunspot numbers don't matter, because "the bands will be dead". Call CQ - you may be surprised. 3) DXpeditions and contests show what the bands are REALLY like. Use them! 4) Everyone is dealing with compromises. It's just a matter of the type and magnitude of the compromises. 5) 40 and 80 have been AMAZING this winter. 6) CW and digital modes will often get through when SSB won't. 7) The optimist says the glass is half full. The pessimist says the glass is half empty. The engineer says the glass is twice the size it needs to be. 73 de Jim, N2EY
Everyone knows we're in a sunspot minimum like never before and I agree the upper HF bands are in poor condition, but I'm working DX everyday on 20 and 40. 40 meters has actually been fabulous, both long path and short path. With very little D layer daytime absorption, it's open up to 1,500 miles daily from my location in the center of the United States, which provides me with Coast to Coast Communications during daylight hours just like 20 used to do. For short-range daytime we shift to 60 meter. 73s KOUO rhombic and Vee beam antenna Farm https://www.k0uo.com
I've got 3 stations in Brasil, one in S. Africa, the South pole, Iceland, two on Canary Island, Spain, and a whole slew of stations in Europe showing me on 40m WSPR the last 40 minutes ... Feeding basically a FW vertical loop 16'V x 40'H with a 4:1 BALUN.
Last week I made multiple contacts on 20m during the drive to work on an Icom 706mk2 and a hustler 20m mobile antenna. Most were in eastern Europe, I was driving from Tennessee to North Carolina. Some of the contacts were Italy, Slovenia, Germany... Etc. To me it seems like 20m is more open during the day at this time.
people who claim they cannot make contacts due to conditions needs to reevluate their station, antenna, etc. . . I'm NOT a SSB guy - but even I have 450 SSB QSOs on 20m over past 24 months...
