Keep in mind that, with some exceptions due to solar conditions such as a coronal hole letting some solar wind in, that 10m is basically a daytime, not nighttime, band. If you try to listen at night, you're not likely to hear very much unless we're getting something from old Sol...
which brings me to the other point. solar activity is very low lately - so low, in fact, that there's been some talk about us entering an extended low point in the solar cycle called the Maunder Minimum. The last solar cycle was the weakest peak that has been recorded in nearly a century.
Assuming you're in the northern hemisphere, we will be entering spring very soon, and the higher bands will start to pick up with increased solar radiation. Some propagation - using the F and E layers (yes, sometimes E skip happens at 10m.....) may occur in the spring and summer months.
Understanding how HF propagation works is the first step in anticipating whether a band will be open or not. This site (requires the Flash player) is a good place to start...
Propagation Primer - Flash Movie by AE4RV
and it goes without saying that a good 10m antenna and radio are a must. Many portables and cheaper tabletops tend to lose sensitivity up here; as the old saying goes, you can't work 'em if you can't hear 'em
Mike
