Don't let the low sunspot numbers scare you away from HF

I hadn't reassembled my HF station since Field Day, and balefully examined the sunspot numbers, solar flux, etc. from time to time for months. Then I said "What the heck." and "Contest season is coming soon." I got the old Tentec Argosy (my best rig!) back on the table, found the misplaced bags and boxes of accessories, and got things hooked up. I turned on the rig that Saturday afternoon and, to my surprise, found 10m open to CA and 15m presenting EU signals! Enthused, I made a couple of contacts, K6PWP, SY, in CA, and then dropped to 15m and worked EA6ZY, Stan. I was stoked! Since then, though I tend to start on 20m or 30m and work my way down, I have made a practice of doing at least a short scan of 15m, and a jump to 10m if 15m is healthy, whenever I'm able.

The lesson is: just because the sunspot numbers are low does NOT mean that anything above 17m is a lost cause - try it! If there's nobody there, call CQ a few times, as it's always possible some there is listening, and waiting for you!

Good reception & 73 de kt8k - Tim

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Submitted by kt8k on Wed, 10/27/2004 - 18:36. categories [ ] login or register to post comments
CQWWDX Phone Contest Proves It! upper HF is alive!
Submitted by kt8k on Mon, 11/01/2004 - 19:35.

I made 130 QSOs in about 9 hours this past weekend in the CQWWDX SSB contest, using my 5 watts and low antennas. Less than 20 were made on 20 meters, and zero on 40 or 80 meters. The rest were all made on 10 and 15 meters, and the total on 10 was almost equal to the total on 15!! Who says 10 meters is dead? I worked stations from the Galapagos to Morocco, and from Hawaii to Northern Europe, no sweat, on bands many people have been avoiding, thinking they are "dead" because of the low solar flux and sunspot counts. Think again, people. Then turn the band switch, listen around, and give a CQ or two on those upper bands. Conditions during the contest were unremarkable, so you could be pleasantly surprised.
C U on the bands (including 10 and 15m). 73 de kt8k - Tim

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Low Solar Activity is NO PROBLEM!!
Submitted by kt8k on Thu, 10/28/2004 - 13:23.

Last night I went home and turned on the rig at about 0930Z (5:30P EDT). 10 through 20 meters sounded mushy and weak, but I could make out signals a few thousand miles away on 10m. 15m was a bit better, with a bit of dx slipping in, but not very busy overall. 20m was relatively busy, with stations in Europe, the Carribbean, and South America showing up. 30 meters was the bonanza, however.

On 30 meters alone, within a 5 kHz section of the band, I heard 3B8MM (working a pileup of Europeans, Russians, Japanese, and a few US stations), as well as stations in SM0, DK9, S51 (worked one), OK1, IK2, PY2, CO8 (Cuba, pretty close really), ON4, UA0, UT4, plenty of US and Canada and others I can't remember. And this was ALL WITHIN 5 kHz!!! Now THAT is a DX bonanza. If I had a better antenna and more power (currently ground mounted vertical and 5 watts) I would have worked most of them, I think.

So ... I am no longer concerned about the solar minimum. If anything it means lower D-layer absorption and quiet conditions, letting the DX signals roll in nicely on all bands, with 30 meters establishing itself as "at least as good as 40m, but without the QRM".

Get on the air, especially on 15 thru 40 meters. You will have a lot of fun and hear (work?) a lot of DX, especially on 30 meters. (You will have to brush up on your CW for 30m, though, if you're not already comfortable with it.)

C U on the bands & 73 de kt8k - Tim

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