[ADXA] Ain't No Cure for the Summertime Blues?

Tue May 9 09:10:21 EDT 2023

I got a couple of new ones on 6m just this month.  Both were a surprise to
CQ calls on FT8.  Not so much on SSB yet, but the conditions are hopefully
getting better like last Spring.  It was a blast chasing FFMA.

73's
George - WB5JJJ
HoIP - 100105

On Tue, May 9, 2023 at 7:09 AM EJ Jones <k5ej at outlook.com> wrote:

> Great post!  Don’t forget 6 m. This is the time of year that I focus on
> scoring new band countries on 6.   There is almost daily propagation into
> South America now for those who are new to the band.  In the next few
> weeks, there will be most likely lots of openings into Europe and Asia.
> Check out 6 m if you haven’t operated that band before.  Almost all DXing
> is on 50.313 FT8
> EJ
>
> Get Outlook for iOS <https://aka.ms/o0ukef>
> ------------------------------
> *From:* adxa-bounces at mailman.qth.net <adxa-bounces at mailman.qth.net> on
> behalf of w5zn at w5zn.org <w5zn at w5zn.org>
> *Sent:* Tuesday, May 9, 2023 6:49:19 AM
> *To:* adxa at mailman.qth.net <adxa at mailman.qth.net>
> *Subject:* [ADXA] Ain't No Cure for the Summertime Blues?
>
>
> Greetings ADXA Folks,
>
> When Eddie Cochran's song "Ain't No Cure for the Summertime Blues" was
> released in August, 1958, summer was in full force. The weather here in
> Arkansas has now turned "summer like" and the focus we had on radio through
> the winter months dissolves into outside activities and other interests. DX
> activity and reflector traffic diminishes. You might say we suffer from
> summertime radio blues!
>
> Once daylight savings time kicks in I begin the effort of removing all of
> my low band receive antennas (about a four day job for one person) to allow
> for summer hay cutting out in the fields as the low band season in the
> northern hemisphere is winding down. The major contest season is over as
> well. Before we fall too deep into radio depression, though, an assessment
> of DX during the past six months is in order so we can plan and look
> forward to the 2023-2024 season.
>
> Activation of the #2 and #3 most needed DX entities was exciting in its
> own right but to have the upper bands, 10, 12, and 15 meters explode with
> significant propagation was amazing. Whether it will continue is yet to be
> seen but if the current propagation trend is any indication the doomsday
> predictors of a Maunder Minimum can just go sit in the truck next to the TV
> personalities that masquerade as a weather predicting meteorologist!
>
> We all nabbed a new one, at least on a band, during the past six
> months.......yes even the old dogs of ADXA whether they will admit it or
> not!! After two years of nothing new on 160 meters due to COVID I was able
> to add 3 this past winter with the most exciting being Eddie, XV1X, in Viet
> Nam on 160 CW early one morning that brought my band total to 286.
>
> There were days when the spots posted on our reflector were coming in so
> fast it looked like the DX cluster during CQWW and we were chasing DX all
> over the bands, night and day! Now, the summertime blues are taking charge,
> major DXpeditions and DX contests have ended and will not fire back up
> until the fall. We're all outside doing "summer things".
>
> So where does that leave our passion for DX? For those of you who have
> been around for a while and read my past posts, you know now is the time to
> plan for the fall-winter DX and contest season. If you wait until then
> you've missed the train. Now is the time to review your station, your
> operating technique, and make a list of things that need improvement. Don't
> just sit around a think (dream?) of what you wish you could do or what you
> would do if you just "had the time". Get those thoughts out of your head
> and on paper, write it down, then spend a little time developing a plan to
> accomplish your goal. Some of my projects take a long time, even years to
> complete. I pose questions to those who have been successful in
> accomplishing a similar task and I write it down and assess how that would
> work in my station configuration. I'll even talk to or visit someone I
> don't like if I can learn something from them (oh yea, I have a list of
> those folks!!). I read a lot (I don't really watch television so cut that
> out and gain some time!) and study the topic I want to implement here.
> Sometimes I don't understand what I'm reading, so I read it again, and
> again if needed until it sinks in.
>
> If you're a serious DX'er, learn that sleep is secondary to working a new
> one! Yea, that's right - DX and propagation don't always work on your
> schedule. Some of you have seen the card in my shack with the picture of a
> very mean, grizzly coyote that is growling with the caption "You can't run
> with the BIG DOGS if you pee like a puppy!" Real DX'ers will be awake and
> at the radio when a new one is on. I have two old dog DX buddies in ADXA
> that are always on to nab a new one when I am regardless of the time of day
> or night and we're exchanging texts about who is hearing the station. The
> importance of that goes much farther than bragging rights. If one of my
> buddies can hear the station and I can't, I'm reviewing his station
> installation and why he's outperforming me. It might simply be propagation,
> even if we're close, but maybe I need to improve something in my station.
>
> You can do this. START NOW! You can't work ten projects at the same time
> but if you prioritize your list you can begin to work them down one by one.
>
> By working your plan, you'll be ready to "GET IN THERE AND WORK 'EM!" when
> the DX starts pouring in.
>
> 73 Joel W5ZN
> ADXA President
>
>
>
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