[Elecraft] a few basics please, watt to watt compare

[Stuart Rohre]

Bands such as 80m and 160m have a lot of thunderstorm static in summer, and
are best in that regard , (lower noise) in winter.   40m is more of a
daytime band for shorter ranges, and skip lengthens out at night.  If you
are trying to work in state, 80 and 160 m are best for that at night.

Bands above 40m, or 30m begin to be affected by the maximum useable
frequency effects.  Thus, 10m is a day time band, mostly.  Somewhat true of
15m, and of course the bands either side.
20m finally becomes a band with long DX skip day or for part of the night,
and is best all around DX band all year.  (IE open more of the year,
especially in lower sunspot times as now).

At dawn and dusk, you can get enhanced propagation on a number of bands.
The atmospheric noise of storms is less noticed on bands like 20m and above,
unless they are very close to you.

Hope that helps sort it out.  Buy the ARRL Handbook and read the propagation
chapter a couple of times to get a more in-depth understanding.
-Stuart
K5KVH