Playing on 10M SSB.

[hxpx]

7 minutes ago, TNFrank said:

Made some more POTA Contacts and got MT EFHW set up. I must have cut the wire the right length because I got a 5/9 into Milwaukee, WI. So now I've got 2 antennas to play with. The QT80 seems to be working well to once I got it set up. Today looks like it's going to be a good day. 73 

From AZ? Nice! How high up is your EFHW?

I still can't hit the southwest. Saw some UT, AZ, and CO stations yesterday but couldn't get any of them on 20m, so I think I need to get my antenna up in a tree.

[TNFrank]

1 minute ago, hxpx said:

From AZ? Nice! How high up is your EFHW?

I still can't hit the southwest. Saw some UT, AZ, and CO stations yesterday but couldn't get any of them on 20m, so I think I need to get my antenna up in a tree.

The Balun is about 8' hanging from the porch then the wire is probably 12'-13' on an angle to the tripod fully extended to 15+ feet. I really hope the extra power and the antenna will help me get a QSO to Japan.

[Northcutt114]

OK, let me ask the HF guys a question. It rained here all day, cloudly and overcast but the rain blew through about 1600. I went out to my local park, even though the band conditions for 10m were listed as "poor" on hamradiofornontechies little chart thingie. 

In an hour and a half. I worked five stations, one of which was a POTA activator in Idaho. Two guys in Brasil. One in Argentina, and another in Mexico. 10m was absolutely on fire at the upper end of Tech Voice range. From 28.400 to 28.500 on my waterfall, it was a sea of yellow and red. Big booming signals from all over South and Central America.

So, the general question is, if the bands were "poor" how does one explain that?

[Northcutt114]

Second question. I heard a station in California that was absolutely crystal clear. Almost full dead quiet. He was calling CQ DX but with a modifier of some sort? He would do the usually "call sign calling CQ DX" but would add "and I'm beaming South America, beaming South America, QRZ."

I've never heard anything like that before. Does that mean he's using a Yagi? That's what I assume. But if that's the case and he does have it aimed at South America from CA, how can I hear him? I called out to him twice but he didn't respond...and so now I'm wondering if A) he didn't hear me or B ) he did, but didn't respond because my voice makes it clear that I am not from South America.

Thoughts?

 

[SteveShannon]

5 minutes ago, Northcutt114 said:

So, the general question is, if the bands were "poor" how does one explain that?

It’s all magically specific and it can change on a dime. A guy a few blocks away from you might have different results. 

[TNFrank]

Good question. The guys I heard from Central/South America were getting pile ups big time. I tried a few times to make a QSO but got nowhere. I did make a QSO with the Club guy in Milwaukee, WI. though which I thought was pretty cool. Talked to a guy in Kentucky and one in Tennessee too. HF is Sooooo much more fun than VHF/UHF. It actually  makes getting a HAM license worth it.

[SteveShannon]

1 minute ago, Northcutt114 said:

Second question. I heard a station in California that was absolutely crystal clear. Almost full dead quiet. He was calling CQ DX but with a modifier of some sort? He would do the usually "call sign calling CQ DX" but would add "and I'm beaming South America, beaming South America, QRZ."

I've never heard anything like that before. Does that mean he's using a Yagi? That's what I assume. But if that's the case and he does have it aimed at South America from CA, how can I hear him? I called out to him twice but he didn't respond...and so now I'm wondering if A) he didn't hear me or B ) he did, but didn't respond because my voice makes it clear that I am not from South America.

Thoughts?

 

If he’s calling DX and indicating that he’s beaming South America, he’s really trying to contact South America. A strong signal on the same frequency that is neither DX nor South America wouldn’t exactly be desirable. It makes it difficult for him to hear South America if someone does respond and could make it harder for them in South America to hear him. 
Yes, beaming means using a beam antenna, which is basically a big Yagi. 

[TNFrank]

4 hours ago, hxpx said:

From AZ? Nice! How high up is your EFHW?

I still can't hit the southwest. Saw some UT, AZ, and CO stations yesterday but couldn't get any of them on 20m, so I think I need to get my antenna up in a tree.

8' at the Balun end and maybe 14' at the end of the wire from my best guess.

[Northcutt114]

5 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

It’s all magically specific and it can change on a dime. A guy a few blocks away from you might have different results. 

So, is it fair to say that if I want to pack up and head to a park and play radio, I shouldn't be bothered about what the band forecast says? Because I went in expecting to hear nothing and not talk to anyone and the experience was directly opposite of that.

 

[Northcutt114]

3 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

If he’s calling DX and indicating that he’s beaming South America, he’s really trying to contact South America. A strong signal on the same frequency that is neither DX nor South America wouldn’t exactly be desirable. It makes it difficult for him to hear South America if someone does respond and could make it harder for them in South America to hear him. 
Yes, beaming means using a beam antenna, which is basically a big Yagi. 

Good copy. So what you're saying is that I - potentially - was jamming him up, calling back and I should have cleared the frequency?

 

[SteveShannon]

2 minutes ago, Northcutt114 said:

So, is it fair to say that if I want to pack up and head to a park and play radio, I shouldn't be bothered about what the band forecast says? Because I went in expecting to hear nothing and not talk to anyone and the experience was directly opposite of that.

 

The forecast is usually helpful, but just like the weather forecast it is sometimes wrong. I’ve heard traffic when the bands are supposedly closed and the converse. 

[SteveShannon]

1 minute ago, Northcutt114 said:

Good copy. So what you're saying is that I - potentially - was jamming him up, calling back and I should have cleared the frequency?

 

Yeah, but we’ve all done it.

[TNFrank]

1 minute ago, Northcutt114 said:

Good copy. So what you're saying is that I - potentially - was jamming him up, calling back and I should have cleared the frequency?

 

One of the questions on the General Test is who can answer someone in the U.S. lower 48 calling CQ DX. If you're  in the lower 48 you're not suppose to answer. 

I hear South America calling CQ DX but I've not been lucky enough to make a QSO yet.

[Northcutt114]

2 minutes ago, TNFrank said:

One of the questions on the General Test is who can answer someone in the U.S. lower 48 calling CQ DX. If you're  in the lower 48 you're not suppose to answer. 

I hear South America calling CQ DX but I've not been lucky enough to make a QSO yet.

Interesting. I didn't know that about not answering CQ DX if you're in the country.

As to South America. Man, that's about all I hear down here in GA. I've had 3 QSOs in Brasil, one in Venezula (the night of the Maduro cuff and stuff, to boot!), Chile, Argentina, PR, and Mexico. I heard a station tonight from El Salvador but he was answering the same CQ I was, so we didn't talk. I've been working this G90 for only a few weeks and already have 9 countries. Bonkers.

 

[TNFrank]

There's no reason I can't give you a QSO in Georgia if you're doing a POTA Activation, I've worked stations in Georgia before.  We'll have to make an effort to make it happen. 

[WRYS709]

Tune into 28.074 and 28.078 and if you hear alternating squeals of digital transmissions, then the band is open for at least FT8 and FT4 and probably SSB too. 

[WRQC527]

5 hours ago, TNFrank said:

I still can't hit the southwest.

I often see a lot of POTA activations in Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico, as well as a lot here in California, but I can't hit them because my signal skips over them and comes down two or three states away and all over the midwest and east coast. 

[SteveShannon]

1 hour ago, WRQC527 said:

I often see a lot of POTA activations in Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico, as well as a lot here in California, but I can't hit them because my signal skips over them and comes down two or three states away and all over the midwest and east coast. 

Use a low horizontal wire in the NVIS configuration and you may get the nearby stations.

[WRYS709]

Tonight I am “playing on 80 Meters SSB” with my Radioddity HF-008 and triple mag-mount that I purchased on Black Friday ($99 bundle) for my upcoming inaugural POTA  

It’s out front with an additional 50’ of coax (its 47 degrees here tonight!), while I operate off 12v DC inside!

I made a QSO with a VA7 in British Columbia, but for him to hear me above the noise, I had to switch to my rooftop vertical 

[WRQC527]

6 hours ago, SteveShannon said:

Use a low horizontal wire in the NVIS configuration and you may get the nearby stations.

Yep, I've been meaning to try NVIS on 40 meters. I'd try it on 10 or 20 meters but my signal would probably end up in outer space.

[WRYS709]

1 hour ago, WRQC527 said:

Yep, I've been meaning to try NVIS on 40 meters. I'd try it on 10 or 20 meters but my signal would probably end up in outer space.

I hear CBS is starting a new crime procedural: NVIS Outer Space!

[WRQC527]

5 hours ago, WRYS709 said:

I hear CBS is starting a new crime procedural: NVIS Outer Space!

"In the amateur radio justice system, RF-based offenses are considered especially heinous. In the United States, the dedicated agents who investigate these vicious infractions are members of an elite squad known as the FCC. These are their stories."

Oh... Wait... Wrong show.

[WRYS709]

Ding Ding!!