John Beckman - W4BTX HAM RADIO "A PAST TIME FOR A LIFETIME"
A dead band is not always dead. I know we are all disappointed with the current state of the sun spot cycle. It has been zero on most days and that is discouraging.. For those of us who quite likely are going through our last sun spot cycle, it is particularly depressing. But, I repeat, a dead band is not always dead.
I don't operate as much any more, but I still check out the 20 meter band fairly often . . It is probably because of habit. I spent many happy years working RTTY on that band and so I naturally gravitate to it. And 20, during daylight hours, has been noticeably dead this summer during weekdays. I am retired so I don't normally work on the air on weekends, I leave that to those who have to work for a living five days a week - so I can't speak of band conditions on Saturday or Sunday or late at night.
The point of all this is: The sum spot number is irrelevant, really If you tune a band and don't hear anything listen a bit and then call "CQ" a few times. There may be others listening but not transmitting. A good example of this came to me some years back. I was trying out a new rig on 10 meters and their was not a signal to be heard. But I tuned down to the "outlaws" operating on our old 11 meter band and the Good Buddies were coming in loud and clear. It was puzzling - if 11 meters was open, surely 10 should be so why did it sound dead to me?
I returned to 10 meters and called "CQ" and a station came back to me immediately. As we discussed the lack of activity on the band others must have heard us because in a few minutes QSOs were going hot and heavy across the band. So don't give up if you don't hear anything when you first tune your radio to your favorite frequency, because a dead band is not always dead. Give a shout-out and see what happens.
Thank you for dropping by...Send comments HERE. Until next week 73 and Straight Ahead ->