[W2LJ] Ionosphere? What ionosphere?
 

W2LJ's Blog - QRP - Do More With Less.

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Ionosphere? What ionosphere?

Posted: 28 Aug 2015 01:18 PM PDT
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I went out to the car at lunchtime to try and get some QRP in.

No dice.

There were no signals on any of the bands that I was able to hear. And this
wasn't just a problem this afternoon, as this has been going on for a
while. Last night, I turned on the radio in order to get ready for the 20
Meter QRP Fox hunt. With 10 minutes to go before the hunt started, I
twiddled the dial between 14.050 and 14.070 MHz. I was not able to hear a
single, solitary CW signal. No QRPers, no FISTS, no SKCCers - no one. I
consider it a minor miracle that an hour into the hunt, I was able to
discern NK6A's signal coming out of California and work him to earn a pelt.

It seems that right after the Skeeter Hunt, we have spiraled into a period
of solar activity that's been wiping out the HF bands. Periods of favorable
conditions have been sporadic and far and few between. I sure hope that
with the coming of the Autumnal Equinox that conditions will improve.


13 Colonies Update - I got the Connecticut QSL card two days ago. I'm
waiting on the last card to complete the set - of course, it's New Jersey.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!