Posted: 8/26/2007 7:42:22 PM EDT
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I'm pretty new to HF, and I've made some contacts both national and international. I'm still doing a lot more listening than talking trying to get a feel for things, and I have a few questions: How many contacts do you typically make in a session at the radio? What bands do you prefer and why? How long do your sessions usually run? I guess it is antenna dependent, but it seems a lot of stations sound pretty faint. Every once in while as you scan you pick up someone stronger. Probably 3 out of 4 times it is someone running a serious linear amplifier to really get out there. Is this pretty normal to experience? About the only time I seem to hear the 100w guys like me is during contest times. Is this because of the low sunspot cycle right now? |
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Depends on the band and time of day. When the sun is up, the higher frequencies are open(20m 15m 10m) At night the lower bands open up (40m 80m 160m) It is actually dependant on many variables, but the most important is the solar flux level. High solar flux (during day) will absorb lower freqs while allowing higher freqs to propagate (skip). The reverse happens at night. This is a VERY basic explanation. I have made as few as 1 contact in a session and many(countless) in others. The lower bands usually require a BIG signal to get a response, some hams just don't like to struggle with a QSO and will not respond to weak signals. When the sunspot activity increases in a few years, 10 meters IS the band IMO. I have awakened in the morning and worked Europe, and in the evening, worked Japan and Asia on just a few watts.  See this useful link useful link A wealth of info. |