[ADXA] Good contact on 3.5 for the J28MD Joel

Mon Oct 31 09:19:31 EDT 2022

Joel is so correct.
  I have looked at the DX Summit  VOACAP system which also includes you putting in your grid square to be “more accurate” for a specific area.. SSN, K, A #s  etc are considered supposedly. Often when I hear something that is not supposed to be coming in I will check the Grey Line Map to see the darkness pattern and also if each station is on the line of sunrise for one and sunset for the other, very enhanced prop usually.
   So, I should not be lazy, and I should use my old days ideas of propagation knowledge when I was really chasing DX a lot up until about 5 years ago. Me not doing modes other than CW/SSB and RTTY (occasional PSK for fun), my chasing and sometimes being outdone big time by those on all modes, sorta puts a hamper on my enthusiasm. Hate to say that. It’s my age and mental challenges that are involved at this time in my life. 
    I admire Earl ZM for his efforts and his older age not bothering him in the least! 😊.  If I hear him, Rick or Joel chasing a “rare” one on a certain band, then I sometimes follow them and don’t call but will transmit on their frequency quickly if they get the guy. Sometimes I will call where I think the guy is listening based on a “routine” the DX operator has and makes me feel good if I work them before the “big dogs”.. Wish I had my old 100 foot towers outside town with monoband beams and long, moveable  full ½ wave slopers for 160 and 80m, not ¼ wave! 😆 
    Gosh, what memories we all have about this great hobby of ours…  Joel and Rick have done so much for our hobby being Presidents of our ARRL and Joel still being involved in IARU in a big way… Lot of travel time and being away from their wives, etc. And, them spending more days doing their administrative chores in a year than I ever did going on a 2-5 week DXpedition once or twice a year. Being away from family is tough at times but shows how much we enjoy out ham radio ventures, no matter what it takes to accomplish things sometimes. TU guys!! 👍😘
   San  K5YY   just an old fart, trying to enjoy chasing DX as in the past 8 decades (1957 to now)… it ain’t easy!

Sent from Mail for Windows

From: w5zn at w5zn.org
Sent: Sunday, October 30, 2022 9:43 PM
To: adxa at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [ADXA] Good contact on 3.5 for the J28MD Joel

EJ,
I don't use "propagation charts" and never have. I look at where the sun is and take in to consideration the A index but for the most part I pay no attention to propagation charts. Some folks live by them, though. For example, tonight there is darkness between J2 and W5 and there should simply be prop regardless of what a chart says. And right now the sun is about to rise in J2 (0300z) so their 80 meter signal should rise.
You may recall propagation charts were once published in QST back in the 80's. When I was an ARRL Director I made a push to dump those out of QST as I received more complaints about that being wasted space than anything else and so did ARRL HQ. So I made the push. There was a vice director from California at the time that called me every bad name in the English language for suggesting such. So I ask him if he never got on the air unless the prop charts suggested there might be propagation and he said yes that is correct. So I simply said "I guess that's why I have 200 more countries worked and confirmed than you do!" I don't need to tell you how bad that set him off !
Some folks use them, some don't. For me personally I have no use for them and prefer to invest my time studying antennas or reading real propagation material from K9LA and W3LPL !
Joel

On 2022-10-30 20:15, EJ Jones wrote:

"Here the propagation charts I use says NO conditions"

What are the group's thought on the accuracy of propagation charts?  J2 has been in here for hours with good signal. 

EJ 

Sent from Mail for Windows

From: Sandy Hutson
Sent: Sunday, October 30, 2022 7:38 PM
To: adxa at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [ADXA] Good contact on 3.5 for the J28MD Joel

Congrats Joel on a super QSO on CW with the J28MD just a few minutes ago. Here the propagation charts I use says NO conditions at all to our local area, even if "super" antennas like you have.. Anyway, good catch.  Luckily I got Djibuti (the old FL8 French Somaliland it was when I was there) on 160-40m, so you know it was long ago when I have good antennas outside town here. HI
San YY

Sent from Mail for Windows

______________________________________________________________
ADXA mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/adxa
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:ADXA at mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/adxa/attachments/20221031/33e53be5/attachment.html>