Tell me about it. I always felt that if I heard a station, it could hear me. Lately, not always the case. Sometimes when I hear a lot of stations, and key up "CQ-DX", NO ONE comes back to me. Very humbling to say the least.
- 399 J. J.
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11 meter is very quiet?
- Thread starter Tweetybird
- Start date
- 399 J. J.
With favorable atmospheric conditions, and with SIMILAR RF power, contact can most likely be made. BUT, if your running a lower transmit power and the other guy is pushing power that dims the lights when keyed up, you will hear him, but, not the opposite....
It's the way propagation works. Just to use Thailand tonight as my example..... I heard the station calling right at the tail end of today's conditions. He was all alone on the frequency. 20 minutes after I heard him, conditions had totally died. He however, was hearing dozens of stations all up and down the West coasts of North and South America all trying to call him at the same time. The lucky station with the best skip path is usually the winner, and in this case it was another Canadian station that made the contact, rather than I. Power doesn't have a lot to do with it, it's much more about luck and being in the right place at the right time.
In theory, if you can hear them you should be able to work them, but QRM and QRN make it so it doesn't quite work that way..........
So in a nutshell, just because the band is quiet where you are, doesn't mean it's quiet at the other end of the skip path !
Calling CQDX endlessly with no comeback can be depressing for sure, but when somebody does finally come back from some exotic location it makes it all worthwhile. And for what it's worth, I actually don't call very often at all, unless I'm trying for a specific station in a division I haven't worked before.
I usually just monitor a frequency and answer other calls when I hear them.
In theory, if you can hear them you should be able to work them, but QRM and QRN make it so it doesn't quite work that way..........
So in a nutshell, just because the band is quiet where you are, doesn't mean it's quiet at the other end of the skip path !
Calling CQDX endlessly with no comeback can be depressing for sure, but when somebody does finally come back from some exotic location it makes it all worthwhile. And for what it's worth, I actually don't call very often at all, unless I'm trying for a specific station in a division I haven't worked before.
I usually just monitor a frequency and answer other calls when I hear them.
""Power doesn't have a lot to do with it, it's much more about luck and being in the right place at the right time.""
The last portion of your comment is more true than the first. Power has a LOT "to do with it" and with the reception of a far away signal there is no way to be certain of the transmit power - without asking. I don't believe too many people will publicly say over the air that they are running 500 to 1KW of power....
ESPECIALLY on the CB band....
If the receiving station has a radio full of QRM, power is needed when mother nature says it's your turn. A beam antenna doesn't hurt either.
The vast majority of the DX stations I talk to are running well under 500 watts. I would say 100 to 200 watts PEP for most of them. Ridiculous over-wattage seems to be a thing on AM and on the regular 40, but not so much on the freeband frequencies.
I've worked all over the world with under 200 watts, so big power isn't really needed when you have conditions. As I said above, it's more about being in the right place at the right time.
I will agree that a directional antenna is a big big advantage !
I don't know how many HAMS actually go by the least amount of power to make the trip, but that's what they teach.
I know we're not all HAMS, but personally I try to use what ever the power of the radio I'm using has, my 148GTL, or 2950, or what ever. Then if I get a response of "I hear someone trying to get beck", or the like, I put my amp on the lowest setting and start from there. Generally I don't go over 100 watts, and most of the time 35-50 gets me there. Unless I'm on the 2970.
I feel I don't need to splatter the air waves trying to make a contact and shut down others with lower power trying to get out that I don't hear. To be honest I think most of the contacts I've made were on stock CB's/10 meter cb radios.
But that's just me, and to me that's also part of the magic. It was getting out to the world with my 79-892 and a 1/2 wave ground plane that got me started in the SSB world to begin with.
I know we're not all HAMS, but personally I try to use what ever the power of the radio I'm using has, my 148GTL, or 2950, or what ever. Then if I get a response of "I hear someone trying to get beck", or the like, I put my amp on the lowest setting and start from there. Generally I don't go over 100 watts, and most of the time 35-50 gets me there. Unless I'm on the 2970.
I feel I don't need to splatter the air waves trying to make a contact and shut down others with lower power trying to get out that I don't hear. To be honest I think most of the contacts I've made were on stock CB's/10 meter cb radios.
But that's just me, and to me that's also part of the magic. It was getting out to the world with my 79-892 and a 1/2 wave ground plane that got me started in the SSB world to begin with.
Great conditions to Europe from the West Coast this morning. Worked a number of stations in Ireland, UK and France.........
Propagation seems to be getting better and better lately !
Propagation seems to be getting better and better lately !
Talked to forum member 357 in Vancouver, British Columbia at about 8 pm last night. The band was quiet, but I called CQ-DX. Totally shocked when I got a comeback from 357. 9+ S-units on my meter and absolutely perfect audio. We talked for about 15 minutes with no fading or interruptions. Unbelievably incredible QSO for that time of night. Sometimes Mother Nature smiles at me.
- J.J. 399
- J.J. 399
I heard 357's side of that as I was driving home last night after work. Not much, just the very tail end of the conversation. Tried calling out, but conditions weren't in my favor to be heard by either of you. Did have a short QSO with "Ridgerunner" in the Thousand Islands, so that was nice.
Conditions are so weird ! I was on the radio at that time and it was all Alaska (Hi Chris!), Australia, Indonesia and Philipines. Not a trace of South America.
Vancouver is only 160 kms from here ! It just shows how different conditions can be over a small area. I have a good friend 20 km west of me and he hears totally different stations than I do, at the same time..........I think he's ghost talking, but he'll have someone in at S 9 that I can't even hear. And vice-versa. I hear Australia at S9+20dB every afternoon. He's never ever heard them and he's been on the radio for years. It just shows that propagation is VERY variable, even over short distances!
TM
When I signed off with 357, I heard a station calling him, and it was probably you. I couldn't make out your call sign so I didn;t try to get back to you (or whoever it was). Next time, I'll crank it up and give it a shot.
- 399 J.J.
TM86 -
When I signed off with 357, I heard a station calling him, and it was probably you. I couldn't make out your call sign so I didn;t try to get back to you (or whoever it was). Next time, I'll crank it up and give it a shot.
- 399 J.J.
No worries, it is what it be. If you do hear me, it will probably be as "WDX-86". Gotta promote the site.
