Interesting 40M Propoagaton This Evening

[AJ1G]

While working 40 CW on the drive home tonight on I95, tuned across a W1 station at 60 over 9 that I initially assumed was very local.  He was working an OE station that was over S9 as well.  Worked them both,  Turned out the W1 was in Holliston, MA, abut 80 miles north of here!   He was running 200W to a simple dipole.  Gave my mobile a 599+ report back.

First time in a while I've heard any short skip from within New England on 40 in a while at that time of night (about 1930 local).  Also heard many W3s, usually the closest statesides are 8s and 4s of late.

Wonder what F layer propagation is supporting the short skip that was present tonight?

[k4kyv]

Was he on AM or slopbucket?

I worked a new AM'er on 7160 to-night, from a university station in Gainesville FL.  He heard me testing and called me on AM.  Condx crapped out after about 10 minutes, but it was about time for the jammer to come on, anyway.

[AJ1G]

These guys were on CW.

[N3DRB The Derb]

10 meters was open last night around 7. 15 was hopping with dx.

[k4kyv]

I never tried to operate mobile CW.  I have hard enough time chewing gum and walking at the same time, let alone trying to drive a car while sending CW.

Seems like the 40m CW portion from 7000-7060 has cleared up a little, since the band was expanded to 7200 in most areas of the world.  I  hear less SSB and RTTY interference down in the low section.

Of course, our subband restrictions, that exist in the US and only in the US, make 7075-7125 pretty much a wasteland for US amateurs.  Maybe there is a need to have subbands here in the US to keep a few arrogant slopbucketeers from going all the way down to 7000, but US amateurs should be able to go down to 7075, or at least down to 7100.  Interestingly, US hams in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and US controlled overseas territories, are allowed to use phone on the segment between 7075 and 7100.

[KX5JT]

10 meters was open last night around 7. 15 was hopping with dx.

But was any of it Amplitude Modulated?

[W1GFH]

I never tried to operate mobile CW.  I have hard enough time chewing gum and walking at the same time, let alone trying to drive a car while sending CW.

Saw a sign on the CT and NY interstates this weekend: "Driver use of hand held telephones prohibited" and it made me think of all the articles I used to read in the ham mags encouraging mobile CW operation.

[WA1GFZ]

CW on 95 sounds like a death wish. Be careful those idiots on cell phones need to be monitored

[WB2EMS]

I've done CW mobile occasionally. Not something I would try in a congested area, but whilst droning along the lonely interstate I've given it a whirl when there's no AM to be listened to on the HF mobile.

Usually I just tune around and listen to see if I can find someone in my speed range and try to listen in. If that's going well, then I might be tempted to do a follow on QSO by calling one of the participants when they finish their Q. Usually I'm down around 10 wpm, and my eyes are on the road and the traffic. (if any) Most CW QSOs are pretty formulaic, so it's not like a lot of brain cells are being diverted coming up with content. 

I wouldn't try it on 95, but Route 88 between BGM and ALB is a lonely place most of the time except for a little traffic around Oneonta. I've made a half dozen CW QSO's through the years on various parts of that. The deer are probably more of a threat there than any traffic.

Speaking of automotive animal encounters - I hit a *BEAR* last Thursday night coming home from my mechanic's. 

[k4kyv]

Most CW QSOs are pretty formulaic, so it's not like a lot of brain cells are being diverted coming up with content. 

That's the primary reason why only 3-5% of my QSO's are on CW.  I enjoy operating the mode if I can copy the other station without a lot of strain and pain, and we can find something interesting to talk about.  I particularly enjoy it when I run into some old timer who was active in the 20's or 30's, but they are becoming more and more rare these days.  Many, if not most, CW QSO's are like working QRMtests; the formulaic exchanges and then nothing much to converse about.  The other op hasn't a clue what I am talking about when I describe my homebrew transmitter running a pair of triode tubes in class-C, and a separate Collins receiver, and then he rattles off a long string of numbers and letters to describe his appliance by model number.  There are probably about as few homebrew rigs on CW these days as on SSB, except for maybe some of the PW QRP enthusiasts who built one of those little rigs in a cat-food tin.  Once in a great while I run into a CW op with a homebrew or vintage setup, and the QSO usually turns out to be interesting and we have a lot in common to chat about, or else I will contact someone who can hold an interesting conversation about some non-radio related topic in our life experiences.

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Shorter propagation is quite common earlier in the evening. I've heard or worked many stations within 100-150 miles. It seems to go away around 9PM local.

While working 40 CW on the drive home tonight on I95, tuned across a W1 station at 60 over 9 that I initially assumed was very local.  He was working an OE station that was over S9 as well.  Worked them both,  Turned out the W1 was in Holliston, MA, abut 80 miles north of here!   He was running 200W to a simple dipole.  Gave my mobile a 599+ report back.

First time in a while I've heard any short skip from within New England on 40 in a while at that time of night (about 1930 local).  Also heard many W3s, usually the closest statesides are 8s and 4s of late.

Wonder what F layer propagation is supporting the short skip that was present tonight?

[k4kyv]

To-night I worked Gary, K4XK in Ohio, but the band crapped out about 10 minutes later.  I decided to try my hand at CW, so I fired up on 7060 and called CQ.  A station in Smyrna TN came back, about 80 miles from here, 589 and we carried on for about 30 minutes.

[K9ACT]

I spent about an hour off and on running my CQ robot tonite on 7160.

I worked a bucket in Boston just above my noise level and had two AM stations come back but could not copy enough  audio to even get call signs.

Finding this a bit boring, I did some DXing on GlobalTuners.  I tried stations in Europe, Australia and all over the US and the only place I could hear myself was the Mojave Desert station and that was armchair copy.  It was good enough to do some diddling with my EQ settings.  The 7 second delay is an unintended consequence that is a great advantage for this sort of testing.

After setting the receivers to 7160 USB I would key my transmitter at 71605 to see first if I could hear the carrier and I heard nothing anywhere else.

I am not sure how much this actually proves because few if any of the stations have what we would consider proper antennas but it is interesting anyway.

Last night the band was wall to wall and tonite almost nothing.

js

[KX5JT]

I spent about an hour off and on running my CQ robot tonite on 7160.

I worked a bucket in Boston just above my noise level and had two AM stations come back but could not copy enough  audio to even get call signs.

Finding this a bit boring, I did some DXing on GlobalTuners.  I tried stations in Europe, Australia and all over the US and the only place I could hear myself was the Mojave Desert station and that was armchair copy.  It was good enough to do some diddling with my EQ settings.  The 7 second delay is an unintended consequence that is a great advantage for this sort of testing.

After setting the receivers to 7160 USB I would key my transmitter at 71605 to see first if I could hear the carrier and I heard nothing anywhere else.

I am not sure how much this actually proves because few if any of the stations have what we would consider proper antennas but it is interesting anyway.

Last night the band was wall to wall and tonite almost nothing.

js

Hi Jack, I was one of those stations trying to return your robot.  No joy.  I did however work EI6S in Ireland on sideband with 100 watts pep and 59 both ways.  I guess the band is long tonight.  I'm still hanging out on 7160 through the early morning and I will call everyonce in a while.  *shrug*  I don't give up easily.

[AJ1G]

CW on 95 sounds like a death wish. Be careful those idiots on cell phones need to be monitored

I95 in the east end of CT traffic is usually pretty light.  I find that running CW mobile in light traffic helps keep me more alert, especially late at night, like tonight driving back from Diane's Mom's place up in RI.
I don't do it in heavy traffic. 

Don - I agree that most CW QSOs (especially on 20 meters and up , and most DX QSOs) are horribly devoid of content.  Everyone does QSOs like they are in a contest or on a DXpedition.  Lots of good rag chewers on 40 CW though- have had many enjoyable QSOs there over the last few years, including many DX stations.  Same thing on 80 CW although I don't operate there much mobile.

[K9ACT]

I am beginning to think that I have a brain problem with CW.  To me, the best part of a QSO is when the other guy says 73's and I can declare I did it.

I spent 4 years in the Coast Guard as a Radio Operator, earned a Speed Key Certificate and got my Extra in 1980 when men were men.

I have spent the past two years falling asleep at nap time listening to W1AW and still can not copy more than the first few letters in my head.  Even when it's very slow, I forget the first few letters by the time I get to the end and don't know what the whole word was.

It seems like sending prepared text and copying on a mill did something to my brain to prevent me from learning to copy in my head.  I probably would not have an Extra if the examiners had not allowed me to use a mill for the test.

I find it amusing to read all the advice of staying a word behind as the best approach and all the stories of guys carrying on conversations with people in the room while copying in their heads over the air.

To me it's like a foreign language that I do not want to lose but it is such a painful experience when I get on the air that I wonder, why bother?

I went to a lot of trouble to make my 810 rig CW capable and get great satisfaction over describing it but even that I have a cheat sheet so I don't have to pull it out of my head.  BTW, sending long words out of my head is no easier than receiving them.

Sure would be nice if this could be fun.

js

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Is this a "normal" schedule for you? What hours are you tuning/calling. I'm sometime roaming 40 meters at night and in the mornings on weekends, so maybe I can give you a call.

EI6S is one of the biggest signals out of Europe on 80 and 40. He's running a multi-element Yagi on a very tall tower, so he's always 20-30-over-9 at my location.

I spent about an hour off and on running my CQ robot tonite on 7160.

I worked a bucket in Boston just above my noise level and had two AM stations come back but could not copy enough  audio to even get call signs.

Finding this a bit boring, I did some DXing on GlobalTuners.  I tried stations in Europe, Australia and all over the US and the only place I could hear myself was the Mojave Desert station and that was armchair copy.  It was good enough to do some diddling with my EQ settings.  The 7 second delay is an unintended consequence that is a great advantage for this sort of testing.

After setting the receivers to 7160 USB I would key my transmitter at 71605 to see first if I could hear the carrier and I heard nothing anywhere else.

I am not sure how much this actually proves because few if any of the stations have what we would consider proper antennas but it is interesting anyway.

Last night the band was wall to wall and tonite almost nothing.

js

Hi Jack, I was one of those stations trying to return your robot.  No joy.  I did however work EI6S in Ireland on sideband with 100 watts pep and 59 both ways.  I guess the band is long tonight.  I'm still hanging out on 7160 through the early morning and I will call everyonce in a while.  *shrug*  I don't give up easily.

[k4kyv]

I have spent the past two years falling asleep at nap time listening to W1AW and still can not copy more than the first few letters in my head...
I find it amusing to read all the advice of staying a word behind as the best approach and all the stories of guys carrying on conversations with people in the room while copying in their heads over the air...

I tend to copy in my head and jot down a few notes as I go, if the person sends good code.  Some code I simply can't copy in my head and have to write down letter at a time, because the sending is so poor (choppy rhythm and/or improper spacing) that I miss entire words.  If I am tired or drowsy, even well-sent code sometimes puts me to sleep, kind of like the sound of rain on a metal roof.  But I have never been able to "copy behind".  I guess that's too much like walking and chewing gum at the same time  for  me.

[W3SLK]

Jack said:

Even when it's very slow, I forget the first few letters by the time I get to the end and don't know what the whole word was.

I seem to suffer from the same thing. I have a Morse trainer on my PC and I usually am pretty good with it. But when I'm on the air, it seems all that practice goes for naught. I was at 25wpm prior to getting my general ticket because I spent a good amount of time on CW especially on 15M. I also have to agree with Don, the CW operators don't seem to have their keyers weighed properly. What makes it especially hard is that they will have everything running together. I used to think I had a distinctive "fist".

[K9ACT]

Is this a "normal" schedule for you? What hours are you tuning/calling

If "you" is me, the answer is yes, more or less.

I make a point of getting out to the shack after the "reading hour" , about 0315Z
and if 7160 is clear I run the robot or engage in QSO till about 0400Z.  Been doing this for a year or so but moved to 7160 when available or find some hole somewhere.

js

[K1JJ]

Yes, CW is like another language - it begins to be heard just like the spoken word after a while.

I learned CW at an early age - as a boy scout as a First Class requirement, then later as a merit badge. The signaling merit badge required us to send and receive CW at 5wpm using a flashlight, a code oscillator and as wig-wag. Wig-Wag swings a single flag left for a dit and right for a dah.   In addition we had to learn semaphore, the two flag system used in the US Navy on ships. Became troop signalman... nice shoulder patch... :-)

There was a time when we demonstrated our flag signaling to the public. As people arrived to an event we axed them for a short message to send to the other scout about 100 yards away at the entrance. As they walked the path we sent it - and the other scout wud tell them what they said when they arrived.

It's funny, cuz my dad was the signaling merit badge counselor - he had been signalman on a US Navy warship during the war. He did both the flags and light comm for the ship. He was a hard taskmaster on me and made me learn CW while staring at a flashing 60w bulb connected to a microswitch... :-)

The early age helped, cuz afterwards I qualified for the 35wpm W1AW certificate as a Novice and eventually could copy about 45-50wpm. Today I can send and receive about 40wpm still. It never goes away even when not on CW for a year or two.

I hear CW in words and syllables, not individual charactors. This helps speed immensley.  I never learned to copy and type as  Jack does. That seems to be a very difficult thing to learn.


We've had some Amer CW nights in the past. It's always a scream to hear guys you've talked wid for years get on CW and hear their fists....

T

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Roger on your sked. Good to hear you tonight despite the static. Was also interested in KX5JT's early morning sked.

Gary K4XK was on freq earlier with a pretty good signal. Here's how I was hearing Tim, WA1HLR.

Is this a "normal" schedule for you? What hours are you tuning/calling

If "you" is me, the answer is yes, more or less.

I make a point of getting out to the shack after the "reading hour" , about 0315Z
and if 7160 is clear I run the robot or engage in QSO till about 0400Z.  Been doing this for a year or so but moved to 7160 when available or find some hole somewhere.

js

[KX5JT]

Oh hey Steve.  Early morning sked depends on whether I'm working or not.  I'm NOT working thursday and friday morning.  You might already be in bed by now and not get this but I am up on my nights off, since I work nights.  I'll be checking out the 80 meter AM window during the wee hours but I'll make a point to be on 7.160 at the top and :30 minute mark but it could change.  Shoot me a private message if you wake up and want a sked before dawn sometime on 7.160.  Or we could put one in stone for Friday morning...... and I can be sure to be tuned in.

I heard you and Timmy this evening on 7.160 but man the static crashes were harsh!  I didn't even bother to try although later on before 4:00 utc I had a brief QSO with Don, K4KYV as he was signing with Ralph GL and Jack ACT.  I don't hear the jammers here now at 4:39 UTC but I wonder if it's just wacky propagation.

Anyway... I'm off over night and overnight thursday/fri morning so if you want to sked early morning, that would be awesome.  The band is way more quiet pre-dawn than post-dusk.  Any one else of course would be welcome as well.

John KX5JT

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

This weekend, if you are around John.

[KX5JT]

I start working again Friday night and each night on this weekend.  Won't be home till after 7am (8am eastern).  I work every other, so next weekend I'm off.