I have absolutely no idea what point you're trying to make nor what your confusion is, but your sarcasm makes it apparent you're not much of one to seek clarification in a discussion so good luck my friend.
QRP during a rock-bottom solar minimum reminds me of teenage headbanging. And to think this will last another 30 to 40 years...
I can't remember where I read it, although what's left of my grey cells seems to think it was from the 1st edition of Rich Arland's K7SZ, "Low Power Communication. The Art and Science of QRP". In it, he does a wonderful job explaining what propagation is and what to expect band by band. And, he essentially says it doesn't matter where we are in the sunspot cycle. Just get on the air and don't sweat it. Your signal will get out somewhere. I don't wring my hands about whether I can or can't hear a signal coming from a gnat's wazoo on a rock in the south pacific. But that's just me. I understand how important it can be to some. I'll admit, though. It's more fun when the sun indeed cooperates. 73
I only got licensed about two years ago. I haven't know anything but bad solar conditions, which is great because if things get good it will just seem magical. As it is, I am into SOTA and easily make contacts all around the country plus a regular contact in France (He seems to be watching closely for SOTA spots). You'll find in SOTA that once you spot yourself you will quickly be in a mini pile-up. And that always makes me wonder, if QRP is so do-able for a SOTA contact why aren't there just more hams on the bands trying all the time? Are people just bored and don't fire up the radio unless they are collecting points of some kind?
No more so than a regular weather report does, I suppose, for most of us. If you have sensitive electronics orbiting the earth you might be more attentive, not to mention terrestrial communications and power grids in the event of a really big flare.
Tells me not to spend all day on 15 and 20 looking for DX in next weekend's contest. (I'm sure that will make my wife happy.) It's like getting a weather report, at least we know what's coming. Anyway, she does a great job teaching about what the sun is doing, Kenan.
Today's dogs named "spot" will be infinitely more numerous than real sunspots over the next three or four decades. BTW, my next dog will be named "spot." I will do this to pay homage to the great solar cycles of the past.
Get down to 14.020 and you will find a few more. Or go to 14.074 and start filling up your log at 30 Q's per hour if 20m is your proffered band. Otherwise 40 and 80 are pretty much alive. 73, Matt - AF2F
There is nothing to be excited about... As soon as SFI and sun spots go up, she will get excited, believe me. 73, Matt - AF2F
You made a funny. Go see Cal Worthington! "Here's Cal Worthington and his dog Spot!"—though "Spot" was never a dog. Often, Spot was a tiger, a seal, an elephant, a chimpanzee, or a bear. In one ad, "Spot" was a hippopotamus, which Worthington rode in the commercial. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cal_Worthington
