[ADXA] Cover the Grave, Amateur Radio is Dead!

[w5zn at w5zn.org]

Well, if you listen to all the dooms day crowd you would think so!

Propagation is bad and we're heading into a Maunder Minimum.
FT8 has killed amateur radio & CW is dead
We have no youth in amateur radio
The ARRL only wants your money and doesn't care about amateur radio
The government is corrupt (OK, maybe that one is correct!)

So, if you believe all of the hogwash above explain something to me. 
I've been listening to CY9C on 20 meter CW for over an hour now. The 
pile up is HUUUGE from Europe and the EU sigs are strong. Heck, its 
11:00 PM to midnight over there. So if prop is dead and CW is dead what 
the hell is going on? Am I dreaming? ABSOLUTELY NOT!

Granted 15, 12 and 10 are dead most of the time however I'll bet if CY9C 
was on 15 I could hear some EU there. Yea I know, I have a decent 
station but according to the dooms day crowd I should not even hear K5UR 
25 miles down the road.

So, here's the "ZN Assessment". The bands are not dead, folks just 
aren't on working DX. I noted a couple of weeks ago during the IARU 
contest that the bands were loaded with DX stations with loud sigs. STOP 
LISTENING TO THE WHINERS. GET ON THE AIR AND WORK SOME DX!!!!

The bands are open and there's DX to be had. When was the last time you 
called "CQ DX" on a band?

73 Joel W5ZN