I have been on 10m myself lately, having just upgraded. I find it nearly
worthless for anything over fifteen miles. Without skip, you need an
elevated antenna, high ERP or both. 75 miles is inside the skip zone; that
is, if 10 were going to skip, it is still overhead at 75 miles and is going
to come down farther away.

Sure, investigate NVIS, but I think it needs a particular anntenna at *both*
ends.

If you're not committed to 10m, I would recommend 2m, since at least one end
can have a high gain antenna. I use a 13-element yagi for 2m at Field Day
and I routinely work dozens of stations 75 miles away (or more). We are in
southern San Diego County and I work Los Angeles all day and night on 35w
with the yagi at 20 feet. 2m is almost noise-free, too, both with respect
to QRM and to receiver noise in FM mode.

73

I have always been amazed with the 10m band. I usually have a look see
there before I go to any other band. Lately, I have had no luck. I
recall that a long time ago I worked an Italian station on 10 who was
on a holiday at the beach. He was using a quarter wave whip stuck in
the sand on the beach and 10 watts. He sounded like a local to me in
Ohio.

Sometimes an opening comes and goes like a summer breeze...
Sometimes the band is open and nobody knows until someone calls CQ!

John Ferrell W8CCW
"Life is easier if you learn to
plow around the stumps"