Solar Cycle 24 is dead to me ... how'd you do?

[Klondike Mike]

As pointed out by a few other OP's on another thread, this Cycle has seen better days. In fact, in my location here north of Montana, it has shut down as of February. Some of you closer to the equator are fortunate to still have some conditions. I heard a couple of OP's on 20m but I am strictly an 11m operator.

I was fortunate to be able to enjoy this cycle from start to finish. All that is left is memories and my DX map (http://tinyurl.com/bsl6rxa). I think I did pretty good for my location (look for the little antenna just north of Calgary on my map) with a vertical antenna effectively running off the gutter. It is going to be a tough wait for this cycle to totally bottom out and start to be usable again on 11m (2020/2021 ??). Many OP's I met on-air will probably not be around when cycle 25 starts to ramp up so memories and the map will be good to look back on. How was your Cycle 24?

 

[Stellasstillarat]

Turned on the sonar (Monday) about 5pm channel 28 and heard 747 Antigua.
Very strong signal.
One shout.and he got right back to me.
My fix for the day was complete.
I was happy, then moved on to a few qso's with a couple of locals.
I guess I'd either get used to it or begin to take serious the fact I need too get my ticket.
Without the tec license I'm never gonna be able to move up to the general class where if I'm following corectly those bands that one can operate with general privileges will be easier to make (skip) contacts during the end of the 11 meter dx downfall.
I definitely will boar quickly with local rag chew and don't know if I'll be around for the next cycle. I'd better get back to subying.

As pointed out by a few other OP's on another thread, this Cycle has seen better days. In fact, in my location here north of Montana, it has shut down as of February. Some of you closer to the equator are fortunate to still have some conditions. I heard a couple of OP's on 20m but I am strictly an 11m operator.

I was fortunate to be able to enjoy this cycle from start to finish. All that is left is memories and my DX map (http://tinyurl.com/bsl6rxa). I think I did pretty good for my location (look for the little antenna just north of Calgary on my map) with a vertical antenna effectively running off the gutter. It is going to be a tough wait for this cycle to totally bottom out and start to be usable again on 11m (2020/2021 ??). Many OP's I met on-air will probably not be around when cycle 25 starts to ramp up so memories and the map will be good to look back on. How was your Cycle 24?

 

[DJboutit]

Seem like in the last few days it has gotten some what better I made a few contacts before mostly dead like 7 to 10 days would go by before I would get good enough conditions to dx with a bearfoot setup

853 Australia
208 Northern California
Florida

 

[222DBFL]

There will be sporadic dx at times but the majority of the dx is gone. This time last year I was making contacts all over the world. And when it cooled down it was the same everyday, started in EU, and moved its way West throughout the day until it would die down at dark with me hearing the west coast of US and west. Like said, those days are now gone and even here 3 miles from the Atlantic Ocean where I live near Daytona Beach, FL the dx has been dead or very sporadic to say the least. I have heard some dx at night and a bit during the day but it's not too enjoyable to sit all day around a radio that all you hear is nothing!!! So unless I keep my radio on 24/7 here I don't catch much dx these days. My coax hasn't been hooked up in days!! Between the weather and work I just don't feel like messing with radio right now as like so many have said the band (11m), is pretty dead. Some of you guys that are just now making contacts like you are consider yourself lucky!!! You caught the door knocking and were able to make contact to another forum member. Good deal, but don't get too excited and be let down when it cools down and the dx still isn't around. Get your ticket. It's what I plan on doing. I listen to a lot of other bands and there is plenty of activity elsewhere if you can get there and transmit. Just gotta get the ticket required to do so. Downloading sample tests soon, just got my old home computer back from my kids LOL, so I will be at some point getting this done!!! Then I can use the radio I have like its meant to be used!!

 

[RatsoW8]

It's not as good as I've seen it but I can still snag DX about any time of the day and night. Stateside QSO's are easy enough through 15 meters. 10m of course is dead every time I've checked but then I wasn't called CQ either.

I heard what I think is a rare station on 17m over the weekend and worked him. ZD7FT on St. Helena Island. I've never worked the island or even knew it existed until now.

 

[M0GVZ]

2009 is when I became a radio amateur.

There will be sporadic dx at times but the majority of the dx is gone. This time last year I was making contacts all over the world.

2009 was when I first became a licensed amateur. My first contact with Australia was in 2009 on a home-brew 20m dipole with just 50W. March 2010 was when I entered my first contest with a home-brew dipole and an Imax 2000. And in the 20hrs I did in that first contest I worked all over the world.

Having started as a ham at the bottom of a solar cycle and having worked plenty of DX when I did because I didn't know or care about where we were in the solar cycle I'm not remotely bothered about the coming dip. I'll continue to work plenty of DX.

The DX is going to be there, the difference is that it'll be a challenge to work it. Personally I prefer that. I bought a HF linear a couple of years ago and after making a handful of contacts with it I sold it because it took all the challenge away. It wasn't even a case of shooting fish in a barrel easy, it was more like throwing a hand grenade into a barrel of fish easy. I find that as boring as hell. Whilst it was nice to do things like get DXCC on 4 bands and work over 100 countries on all continents in 16hrs on 10m, the achievement was tainted by how easy it was with just 100W and a simple 2 element beam antenna. I even started doing QRP to try and get a challenge.

 

[Blackcat630]

It's a shame the days of working Japan from the 25w mobile are gone for a while...at least on 11m. Just 2-4 yrs ago I was working all over Europe 10 & 11m...not anymore. Been through 2 cycles now and really had a blast until bout the last 6mo to a year ago. Oh well time to focus on the lower bands....and maybe some 2m ssb...

 

[space cowboy]

I managed a few overseas contacts, but most of it this time was confined to US stations.

 

[DXman]

Of course this cycle not as good as the last one, but, I think I still did fairly good for just being 11 meters!

I was able to make 26 new DXCC's this time (was really hoping for 50) but maybe better luck next cycle.

Also received 108 QSL cards from outside N. America for the last 4 yrs.

 

[M0GVZ]

It's a shame the days of working Japan from the 25w mobile are gone for a while...at least on 11m. Just 2-4 yrs ago I was working all over Europe 10 & 11m...not anymore. Been through 2 cycles now and really had a blast until bout the last 6mo to a year ago. Oh well time to focus on the lower bands....and maybe some 2m ssb...

Something is going on then because I had fantastic DX on 10m for the last couple of years. Even worked China long path, 18000 miles with a Moxon at just 22ft running 100W.

Here's me doing UK to India, 4155 miles, with 21W from a President Lincoln last year.

 

[Robb]

Of course this cycle not as good as the last one, but, I think I still did fairly good for just being 11 meters!

I was able to make 26 new DXCC's this time (was really hoping for 50) but maybe better luck next cycle.

Also received 108 QSL cards from outside N. America for the last 4 yrs.

Knew ya would!
Good on ya, mate.

This cycle was the first time I had a four element beam to use. Man, it was fuuuun! Think the most satisfying was gettin Moscow, RUSSIA with 80w on 10m from here on the West Coast and getting him in the RED each time/same guy/3 different times!
(. . . pun intended)

 

[vkrules]

106 countries without contests on 28 mhz alone.
Grid square award, worked all continents , and 46 US States all on 28mhz.
Of course a 5 el beam helps

 

[Stellasstillarat]

Friday Sept 11. Contacted 860 (Barry) in Trinidad. Nice qso. Very strong signal sent and recived (excellent conditions).
Also a few other contacts 87 in Granaida.
All on 27.555 usb.
Got my fix.
I'm still hoping conditions get better as fall rolls in.
A ticket is becoming a reality I can't ignore anymore.
I was taking the practice tests a few months ago, and was doing well but stopped as I was anticipating the great dx'ing I enjoyed last November /December, when I discovered ssb for the first time in my life.
I'm doubtful those conditions will be anywhere near where they were in 2014.
I'm gonna get to studying amd if conditions do happen to return, I will not stop studying as I'm positive I will eventually need to operate on amature bands if I want to continue to enjoy dx'ing.

 

[Robb]

Heard my friend Giancarlo/1SD227 from Italy here on the West Coast today on 38LSB; but he did not hear me.

Europe will be kicking in here again IF the sfu's get any higher.
That will be some fun . . .

 

[Stellasstillarat]

I'm not familiar with the way skip works.
I'm in nj and I don't know if Italy makes it to the west coast, garrenttyes Geancarlo's signal will pass through nj on it's way west.
Giancarlo was my first and only European contact on AM.
It was on channel 28 in February.
I normally use the sonar fs2340 exclusively for local AM rag chew, and the madison for my ssb dx'ing.
I've since installed a two position Dawia in order to switch between the madison/phantom and sonar fs2340/Palomar 300a.
Now that it's not a hassle to keep switching the jumper in order to switch between stations, I will deffinetly use the sonar to shoot skip on AM. That's if the conditions allow. 73.

Heard my friend Giancarlo/1SD227 from Italy here on the West Coast today on 38LSB; but he did not hear me. Europe will be kicking in here again IF the sfu's get any higher. That will be some fun . . .