"Dave Heil" wrote

I piddled with a 1E operation from here in West Virginia. I made 420 QSOs
at the 100 watt level including a goodly number (100 or so) on 10m CW and
SSB. A ZL station responded to one of my 15m CQs. I didn't find it too
tough to work the West Coast on 80m CW on Saturday night.

I say things are looking up.

Oftentimes at/toward the end of contests the bands do seem to "die."
Normally of late I've heard no activity on 15 or 10, but once Field Day
started on Saturday afternoon here in ENY, I sure did hear plenty of signals
on 15, and a few weak ones on 10. Contests are pretty good at activating
otherwise "dead" bands. Later in the day I went out to the club's FD site
and listened to a member operating on 20 in a very crowded band. I'm at a
loss understanding what some the other posters never heard.

Howard N7SO