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Kickin' Ass and Takin' Names · June 29th 10, 02:51 AM posted to rec.radio.amateur.moderated

On Sun, 27 Jun 2010 18:37:20 EDT, wrote:

I operated Field Day from opening until around midnight EDST Saturday.
Did not operate at all Sunday due to family obligations.

Now, a few minutes before the end of FD, I tuned around 80, 40, 20,
15, and 10 -- NOTHING. One CW station on the low end of 40 and
possibly a couple of South Americans on 20 SSB.

Are the bands that dead?

I operated 1B-Battery using a solar panel to charge the battery.
Equipment was a 1-watt QRP rig for 40, antenna was a dipole that I
lashed together and hung up about 15 feet off the ground. Operated in
the shade sitting in front of my garden shed-workshop.

Operated only 40, everything manual -- straight key, paper log and
dupe sheet, all by myself. Temp was in the 90's so, in keeping with
the battery-solar theme, I kept myself cool with an old muffin fan
running off the battery.

Made 250 contacts between start of FD and midnight Saturday when I
shut down. All my contacts were east of the Mississippi, probably due
to my QRP and dinky antenna -- it was FUN -- every contact was an
adventure.

Had family obligations so did not get back on until a couple of hours
before the end Sunday and found 40 dead as a doornail here in Eastern
Virginia.

[email protected] · July 9th 10, 04:43 AM posted to rec.radio.amateur.moderated

wrote:
Now, a few minutes before the end of FD, I tuned around 80, 40, 20,
15, and 10 -- NOTHING. One CW station on the low end of 40 and
possibly a couple of South Americans on 20 SSB.

Are the bands that dead?

I would suggest the last three hours of Field Day -- 1800-2100z Sunday afternoon -- are probably the worst possible time to find HF activity...

Stations can only operate during those last three hours if they didn't begin setup until 1800z Saturday. Since many stations choose to begin setup
earlier, many FD operations have to cease operation at 1800 Sunday -- and as a result, there are fewer stations on the air after 1800 to work -- and
as a result, fewer operations choose to not setup until 1800 Saturday -- because there are fewer additional QSOs to be made during those three hours
-- so there are fewer operations to work -- so there's less reason to stay on -- etc., etc., etc...

So there's little FD operation 1800-2100. And, most active hams have operated with a FD group somewhere -- so they aren't in their home stations to
get on the air -- and they're *bushed* & not likely to be getting on the air when they get home.

Now, most DX stations have FD at some other weekend. So you'd think it would be a good time to work some DX without much competition. Except that
1800-2100z, especially just about at the summer solstice, is just about the worst time of day for intercontinental propagation.

================================

I've heard better propagation for FD, but I've also heard a LOT worse.

--

Doug Smith W9WI
Pleasant View, TN EM66

John Davis · July 9th 10, 02:36 PM posted to rec.radio.amateur.moderated

On 7/8/2010 11:43 PM, wrote:
wrote:
Now, a few minutes before the end of FD, I tuned around 80, 40, 20,
15, and 10 -- NOTHING. One CW station on the low end of 40 and
possibly a couple of South Americans on 20 SSB.

Are the bands that dead?

I would suggest the last three hours of Field Day -- 1800-2100z Sunday
afternoon -- are probably the worst possible time to find HF activity...

Stations can only operate during those last three hours if they didn't
begin setup until 1800z Saturday.

Not entierly true.. You are allowed 24 hours if you set up early

Most folks that's 1800-1800 but if you do not key down till 1900, you
can go to 1900

I only worked 1700-1800 with my 1-D station. Plenty busy.

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