The AM Forum

10 meters AM - I'm hearing W5ZMF in QSO with K1JJ 11/11/11 12:30 PM Eastern.

I hear you Tom, but weakly, very good for about 175 miles between us.  I am off the side of your beam.

Thanks for the report, Tom!

10M cornditions seemed pretty good today for USA.  Only the second time on since last solar cycle years ago.

The west coast was coming in as well as SW stations.


Stations worked:

KE7AOM   Wash  59+10

WB0AGU   Missouri -    Faded out after few minutes

W5ZML    OK   Richard  59 +20

KA6KOI    San Diego    59 +10

W5JO      OK     59+20


This weekend oughta be very active.  Want to try Europe.


Have you been on lately - what have you worked?

T

Tom,
I heard you today with W5JO. You sounded excellent as usual.

Yes, 10m was hot today.  I worked Europe SSB up above 28.500 in the morning. Stations were like they were in the back yard. I had a blast then had a unexplained feed line failure.

Japan is coming in good right  now,  1100Z, it won't last.

I have been around for a long time and have never heard the amount of DX stations on the air we have now.  I have been on 10, 12 and 15 SSB and worked some exotic stations in the past couple of days.  Tonight I managed the RF blast into the Galapagos Islands along with Tenerife, Bulgaria, Namibia and Moorea Is plus several more. 

I don't think this cycle is as good as previous ones yet.  Time will tell, but signals don't stay much before or past sunrise and sunset.  In previous cycles I have heard stations several hours before sunrise and after sunset.  I really am enjoying the contacts I make on AM and there are a lot.

If you don't have an antenna, put up a dipole.  I have worked several stations using them.

By the way Tom K1JJ,

I looked at a map with regards to your QTH, Oklahoma, and my QTH and I am almost in line with your beam heading for that QSO.


Listening later this afternoon I heard mostly Oregon, Colorado, and New Mexico stations.  Never heard a single California station nor anyone in QSO with them; what are they doing out there?

It's still early. This chart shows this cycle isn't much different from the last in the early stages.

http://hfradio.org/images/cycle23vs24_progress-lg.jpg

Tom,

Yes, you are SW of me.   I had the three Yagis staggered  NW, W and SW to cover the USA better. When they are all lined up the beamwidth is too narrow to cover everything, being a 5el pattern.

I got on later and worked two more CA stations, so they ARE out there.  I could also hear them on the 75M or 160 M dipoles, (but down 20db) so it was nothing special.

One of the guys said Chuck was on too, so no wonder they thought there was a lot of east coast mawls on.... :-)

The next project is a 10M monobander amplifier. Right now I'm using about 40W carrier (200w pep) with the FT-1000D. I need some more jazz to pee with the big dogs!

Funny moment was when an anonymous voice broke in calling for the "Undertaker!"   I was about to have some fun with a CBer until it turned out to be a ham playing around with the guy in my QSO who was a REAL undertaker...

I'll be on 10M AM tmw thruout the day. Should be mobbed.

T

     "Undertaker"

    Must be Mike... AGU  ;D