[Elecraft] band conditions

[Paul Neuman]

Since getting back on the air last fall, and subsequently becoming a  
QRPer, I've been constantly perplexed at the continual "the bands are 
terrible" complaints and warnings.

I've had much success and fun working all bands from 160M-10M with 5 
watts and a less-than-great antenna, an end-fed longwire.  I won't bore 
everyone with the details but I frankly have been amazed at what you can 
do with a minimal setup.  If this is fun, then increased sunspots will 
make me delirious from all the fun that I'll be having.

Sure the bands aren't open 24x7.  Yes, there's a large part of being in 
the right place at the right time in play with qrp today.  And no, I 
haven't had much success in the bigger rare dx pileups but I've had no 
bigger thrill than working Australia and New Zealand on 5 watts.

Yesterday, I had my first QRPp success with my new  kx1 working Randy 
K7TQ on 2w and a short piece of wire.  Another thrill, made more so by 
lousy conditions. Randy just disappeared after one go around.  But 
that's the magic of qrp and radio in general.   You just never know.

The biggest factor in having fun is activity.  Were 160M and 80M 
conditions suddenly  better on Saturday? Or was it that the NAQP  got  
people motivated to  deal  with some noise?  I hear next to nothing on 
10M but I had a ball working nearly 30 states during the ARRL 10M 
contest, all qrp.  But if there's no contest, there's nobody there.

Sure propagation is just terrible some days but there's nearly always 
one band that is usable.  If not, go read a book or talk to the xyl.