Beginner ham antenna questions

[binrat]

I know its open...I'm thinking ahead. I'll have the fan dipole up in a couple of days, and I'll have my general in a couple of week...but will it do me any good regarding 20 meters? Does much voice go on there? Because right now it looks like its mostly cw from dxmaps...but dxmaps focuses on dx and cw, right?

Bottom line...is there much fone on 20...or 40 for that matrter? (It looks like there's not much traffic of any kind on 80...).

Go to 20 and you listen. Its a little different for every location.

 

[vkrules]

Yes mate it's a big "fone " band . You need to learn what is the best times in your area for the bands you want to work. 80 meters for example is good for a few hundred km during the day and thousands of km at night.

 

[BJ radionut]

I know its open...I'm thinking ahead. I'll have the fan dipole up in a couple of days, and I'll have my general in a couple of week...but will it do me any good regarding 20 meters? Does much voice go on there? Because right now it looks like its mostly cw from dxmaps...but dxmaps focuses on dx and cw, right?

Bottom line...is there much fone on 20...or 40 for that matrter? (It looks like there's not much traffic of any kind on 80...).

band: 160m,80m,60m,40m,30m,20m,17m,15m,12m,10m / mode: phone dx spots - dxwatch - dx cluster

Try here click the filter HF/SSB
All the Best
Gary

https://ssl.qrzcq.com/

Also here great DX cluster...sort-able by band and mode

Here's one more search

ON4KST chat pages

 

[bhayles]

Is there a power limit on 20 meter?

 

[milkman21218]

Is there a power limit on 20 meter?

Legal Limit 1,500 watts.

 

[n8fgb]

Once you get your general you be allowed up 1500 watts

 

[n8fgb]

§ 97.313 Transmitter power standards.​

(a) An amateur station must use the​

minimum transmitter power necessary​

to carry out the desired communications.​

(b) No station may transmit with a​

transmitter power exceeding 1.5 kW​

PEP.​

Just do not forget (a)
Rich

 

[binrat]

But remember, the most important part of the system is the antenna. You could have legal limited with a crappy antenna and not get out as well as a 100 watts into an awesome antenna.

 

[bhayles]

But remember, the most important part of the system is the antenna. You could have legal limited with a crappy antenna and not get out as well as a 100 watts into an awesome antenna.

I know. I'm not interested in running big power...I like my 100w TS130s...LOL. I was just wondering because I thought 1500w was the legal limit, and I was listening to a guy in CA on 20 meters a while ago who was bragging about the homemade 3000w amp he was talking on, asking how it sounded, and 30 seconds later was trash talking the "illegal" and "unruly"11 meter crowd...

 

[n8fgb]

The difference between a ham and a "illegal" and "unruly"11 meter crowd running a 3000 watt amp,is the ham is only running up to 1500 watts, the rest is headroom. A lot of homebrewers use tubes that were pulled from commercial use with a lot of life left. So if you get a tube capable of 3000 watts for pocket change, you use it and just run at 1000-1500 watts, and it lasts forever.
Rich

 

[vkrules]

You guys are lucky we can only run 450 PEP.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

You guys are lucky we can only run 450 PEP.

We can run 2250 pep here in Canada. 750 watts of carrier on AM mode too.

 

[Road Squawker]

Once you get your general you be allowed up 1500 watts

actually, any class U.S. licensee (TECH's included) can run 1500 watts, unless the class has specific power limits based on the frequency.

certain classes are limited to as little as 5 watts PEP on certain bands.

 

[n8fgb]

yes techs are 1500 from 50mhz and up, same as general and extra. Novices are limited to 25 on 220 and 5 on 1.2.
rich

 

[bhayles]

Sunspots are way up, but contacts were a lot better yuesterday. 5 yesterday, including Brazil, and on;ly one to Wisc today.

I guess I'll eventually learn how to read space weather better...