Posted by
ROBERT CARROLL-4 on
Jan 11, 2006; 9:58pm
URL: http://elecraft.85.s1.nabble.com/QRP-viability-during-solar-cycle-min-tp385539p385557.html
I use the beacons as a propagation tool. Recently there have been many days
when I can hear very few and no strong beacon signals on any band. On days
like these you will be hard pressed to work dx on any band at any power.
However from time to time at QRO you can make some surprising contacts. One
I was pleased with lately was Singapore on 80m at sunset. That contact
could not have been made at QRP. Interestingly enough the view of 10 years
ago that when the HF bands are at their worst due to an inactive sun,
160m-40m will be at their best. This certainly seemed to be true a number
of cycles back, but not in the last two cycles.
During good propagation conditions it is possible to work good DX on 160m
with 100W or somewhat less, but if you look at the leaders on the band they
are nearly all QRO.
I tend to park my QRP gear when the cycle goes sour and to use it a lot in
better parts of a decent cycle. Nothing like the thrill of a long haul DX
contact with QRP, but you may want to haul out a bigger rig or amp on many
days till the sun starts being more active.
Bob W2WG
-----Original Message-----
From:
[hidden email]
[mailto:
[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Geoffrey
Mackenzie-Kennedy
Sent: Wednesday, January 11, 2006 4:07 PM
To: Darwin, Keith
Cc: Elecraft Discussion List
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] QRP viability during solar cycle min?
Keith,
If you want to hear how strong signals from a 100, 10 , 1 or 0.1 watt
transmitter can be in real time, take a listen to the International Beacon
Project stations on 20m through 10m. These beacons are located across the
world, and transmit in sequence on each band. When it is a particular
beacon's turn to transmit, it sends its call in CW followed by four long
dashes - one at 100w followed by one at 10w, one at 1w and lastly one at
0.1mW. Then the next beacon does the same. Each beacon is given 10 seconds
transmission time. The transmitters operate 24 hours a day, seven days a
week, and somewhere I have the details of their antennas which I think are
all omnidirectional verticals. Their frequencies are 14100, 18110, 21150,
24930 and 28200 kHz , and these beacons are a very useful 'tool' for
catching band openings especially on 12m and 10m at this point in the solar
cycle. It is surprising how often 10m is open even now but no ham signals
are heard because everybody is listening, or is elsewhere.
It is my belief that in working DX a very important thing is a good calling
technique. A continental friend of mine runs 100mW, works DX on 40m, and it
is a treat to hear him drop in his call whilst the mob catches its breath.
73,
Geoff
GM4ESD
Keith, KD1E, wrote on Wednesday, January 11, 2006 5:19 PM
K1 or K2. Hmmm, the debate continues. But wait, we're approaching a
sunspot min. My antennas are pretty limited. I have a 28 foot vertical
(fed with a tuner near the base) for 40 thru 15 and a dipole at 25 feet
but that is about it. No towers, no high wires, no yagis.
How limiting will 5 or 10 watts (even with that Elecraft Mojo) be under
current conditions? Are we entering into conditions where QRP with
simple antennas will become rather frustrating? Is it K2/100 time?
- Keith KD1E -
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