Ya Just nerver Know

[W1QWT]

Well as usual me and my local buddies met today on at 4 PM (Sundays) on 29.039 MHz AM.
However today there was a treat!
Ya can never tell when the band will open.
Today a French station, FG5FC cheked in.
What a treat@!

Q

[WA3VJB]

Hey Q, thanks for the heads-up.
Looks like it's getting time to hoist the 10m dipple up there again.
 

[KL7OF]

FG5FC is John in Guadalupe....He is also very active on 14.286 AM ..

[K1JJ]

Yep, on 10-20M, the South American area  is probably the most active DX we will hear at the trough of the cycle. Even at night, sometimes you can tune across the 20M band and hear Spanish stations in there.

Though, there are select openings whirl-why sometimes if ya know the specific propagation habits up there. There's a few guys like Chuck who can tell you the exact time, freq and time of year you will likely hear a certain area of the whirl. I hope to learn that later on. I guess the propagation software can help too. 

Can't wait to hear the bands pick up again in a few years.  It's probably a good thing that they cycle or else we'd all grow tired of the novelty.

T

[KL7OF]

There are a lot of Mexico, and Central and South American Stations on 10 15 and 20 Meters AM... If you don't speak Spanish or Portugese go to the Internet translator and learn the Radio Exchange phrases and how to wish a man and his family best wishes ...Learn how to say that you" speak radio exchange spanish/Portugese ONLY" 
and you will have a lot of contacts and a lot of fun.. I run into Spanish speaking stations that are doing the same thing and we practice our broken english/ spanish back and forth and some very cool QSOs happen. AM is a happening thing in the southern hemisphere...I have been hearing/ working FG6FC on a regular basis this winter on 20 AM ...He is an English speaking regular on 14.286 and works W8VYZ Bill and other midwest stations on a regular basis as well as the east coast

[K1JJ]

I run into Spanish speaking stations that are doing the same thing and we practice our broken english/ spanish back and forth and some very cool QSOs happen.

That sounds like fun.

Back in the 70's I knew a group of hard core Puerto Rican CBers. I would sometimes drop in at their club house in Hartford.  These guys were crazy.

They taught me some of the common buzz phrases that I still use today whenever I run into any Spanish stations.  (Excuse the spelling)  One is, " Oh, Copa Muchacho"!  Which means, O'boy, I copy great!

Or Sinco Neuve, grande!   (5X9 BIG!)

Me uma Tomas' y me liva  casa blanco.  Me seniortitta  muchas grande titas bonito and peqinyo chocho.  (This means my name is Thomas, I live in a white house and my girlfriend is beautiful)

Then I say, "RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRoger"!.  Twirling the tongue shows them you are real fluent in spanish, like me...   

T

[K1JJ]

Yeah, I know Phil...

Was just trying to get a laugh or two here at my expense... 

T

[k4kyv]

.He is an English speaking regular on 14.286 and works W8VYZ Bill and other midwest stations on a regular basis as well as the east coast

When the band was open regularly I used to chat with Jean in French.  We both enjoyed it.  There are many dialects of Spanish varying from country to country.  Some terms that are perfectly acceptable in one country may have obscene meanings in others.  It even happens in English.  For example, many Americans literally have a misplaced conception about the meaning of the word "fanny" (as in human anatomy).

But I suspect Tom is being facetious, (or else some of his Spanish-speaking friends have successfully pulled his leg).

Speaking of Ashtabula Bill, a few weeks ago there was a rumour floating that he had gone SK.  I hadn't heard him on in a while, so I wondered if it was true.  Last week I heard him alive and kicking on 75m.

I think he turned 80 on his recent birthday.  I do notice that his voice has become kinda shaky in recent months, compared to what I have always been used to hearing.