Which Band?

[GnG8d]

Which HF band is your favorite to operate on? I know certain conditions favor different bands, but if only had one to choose from, which band would it be? And most importantly, why?

 

[Beetle]

Which HF band is your favorite to operate on? I know certain conditions favor different bands, but if only had one to choose from, which band would it be? And most importantly, why?

40 meters is open pretty much around the clock regardless of propagation conditions on higher bands. 40 CW for me if forced to make the choice.

 

[binrat]

Oh boy, That is a tough one. For me it's between 80 and 10 metres, I'll go 80.

 

[w9cll]

17 or 40

 

[Justme]

Wintertime 160 meters, just for the fun of it and why take an easy way if there is a challenge to do it the hard way
Summertime anywhere from 160 -6 meters where ever conditions are good.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

20m is a hard band to beat. Antenna size and height are quite manageable and the band is open most times. Propagation tends to be good to all areas of the world at one time or another. It has some really good longpath openings to areas that are hard to get via shortpath.

 

[wile2u]

I'm with you captian, 20m is my favorite, especially for PSK31

 

[wavrider]

Mostly 17 meters, not to crowded usually. And 40 meters after dark for rag chews and DX.

 

[Moleculo]

When I operate portable (camping for example), I tend to like 40 because it can often be operated day or night.

If I'm home, I like 20 at night if there's some interesting DX to be found.

 

[Mudfoot]

40 and 20.

6 meters gets honorable mention.

 

[sp5it]

80m because chasing DX on 80 is fun.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

80m because chasing DX on 80 is fun.

Unless you are mobile and then it is an exercise in frustration however when you do make a DX contact that one contact is worth 100 DX contacts on 20m.

I remember first working Bill, ZS6CCY in Vaalwater South Africa on 80m using just 100 watts and a poorly installed inverted L. It was already two hours past his local sunrise which made things even sweeter to have made the contact.

 

[vkrules]

6 or 10 when open 20 or 40 when it isn't .

 

[KD2GOE]

I dont have my general just yet but i do like 20 and 40metters for listening.
I once overheard two people talking on 20 meters one from Germany and one from Seattle Washington. They where pushing 800~1k watt but their signals are so strong I'm sure it would have been able to break it with my 100 watts..