magic_lantern
Member
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2013
- Messages
- 112
Are the bands really as dead as they seem? I have never heard it so quiet.. are we stuck in some kind of sun activity that is killing HF.
It's not solar activity... 160M has been showing normal seasonal activity increases. 15M has been open often (unlike earlier this year). And killing what... SSB? CW? RTTY? (YES to all three.) FT8? Absolutely NOT. FT8 is where all the QSOs have gone. Don't shoot the messenger... these facts are supported by PSKReporter.info for data modes, and ARRL's Logbook of the World for all others. As a further check, this coming weekend is the ARRL Phone Sweepstakes. I expect it will be propagation / activity as normal for other contests.... and fall right back to mostly FT8 after the weekend.
Are the bands really as dead as they seem? I have never heard it so quiet.. are we stuck in some kind of sun activity that is killing HF.
Most definitely not "dead." I've been on 40m and 20m for the past three weeks and have made a lot of contacts.The bands are dead? No. Everybody has moved to FT8? No.
Was plenty of activity in the recent contest! You got to make LONG CQs on the bands, so other hams can pick you up on their scopes!!
Yep! The bands may not be where they were at the peak, but there is still quite a bit of activity going on! One can see it by checking the website www.DXmaps.cpm daily.Boy howdy, you are sure right there! Both 40m and 20m were the busiest I've ever seen over the past 15 years or so. I could barely get a edge in wordwise... :lol: