[Hallicrafters] Ham radio operation.

[W5HTW at att.net]

If you're not hearing much CW then you aren't listening in the right place, or
perhaps not at the right time.  Right now 80 meters is pretty dead in the CW
bands due to normal summer static (QRN) making it very difficult.  A few nets
but that is about it.  Forty meters, though, is very active from late
afternoon (before sunset locally) to 8 or 9 PM locally, though there is a QRN
problem in the summer.  Forty is also active in the mornings and there is a
little activity all day long but conditions are not very good.  But it is
still very active.  Twenty meters is very active on CW all day and into the
early evening.  Thirty meters is active afternoons and evenings and again in
the mornings.  Higher frequencies are not faring so well in the down side of
the sunspot cycle but there is some activity on 15 meters and some on 17
meters.  During openings ten meters has quite a bit of cw activity.  

If you are not hearing activity in the early evening on 40 meters there's
something wrong.  

You will find many hams operating at slower speeds, especially now, since the
code requiremenet was reduced to 5 WPM.  I suspect a lot of them, though, who
would use code actually don't due to the intimidation factor.  They have that
same fear you do - no one will talk to them.  That's not true, fortunately. 
You can listen around for someone sending at a speed you like, and call them,
or you can call CQ at your own speed. You'll find people who will talk with
you.   

Your location is not important.  Someone seeking contacts will get them, from
Spokane or San Antonio or Tampa.  But now, due to QRN, probably the best
all-around band would be 40 meters.  You can make daytime contacts on it, and
you can make dozens of evening contacts on it.  

The older transmitters do not include the WARC bands of 30, 17, and 12 meters,
so will further limit you to 40, and to 80 when the summer conditions go away.
 I didn't check your class of license, but if you are going for a Tech With
Code, you will be limited to the Novice frequencies (40 meters is 7.100 to
7.150) and that will make things considerably more difficult due to the
foreign broadcast.  But contacts can be made there.  Plus, as a Tech/code you
won't have access to 30 meters or 20 meters.   I listened a couple of nights
ago to 80 meters Novice band and did hear four contacts in progress, plus a
net, so it isn't totally dead. 

Come fall, that band will pick up considerably! 

If you are going for the General ticket, your horizons are far more vast, as
you have all but the bottom 25 KHZ on 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 meters. 

I'll leave specific transmitter recommendations up to others here with more
knowledge of Hallicrafters equipment.  


73
Ed

--
Ed Brooks, W5HTW
http://w5htw.home.att.net/index.html
Active since June 1956 Extra since
Jan 1970
> I'm looking for suggestions, comments, and advice:
> I'm a long-time graduate electronics engineer (retired) and grew up 
> listening to CW on the Hallicrafters S-41G my father gave me for 
> Christmas in 1946.  I went to college when vacuum tube technology was 
> 80% of the curriculum but quickly became "transistorized and 
> computerized" on the job.  Well, after retirement I've kind of returned 
> to vacuum tube roots and have been repairing Zenith Transoceanic radios 
> and Hallicrafters radios (S-38, s-41, & two SX-42s).
>     A few months I got a Ham license (finally) and am (I think) ready to 
> take the code test.  My questions revolves around CW operation.  I 
> don't have a particular desire to use AM or SSB voice and have always 
> enjoyed the idea (or mystic) of code operation.  Yet I hear very little 
> CW now days.
>     So my questions are:
> 1)  Should I bother with CW - are there enough people out there who 
> would respond?
> 2)  Would a 5 -> 7 wpm beginner be welcomed (if I can make contact)?
> 3)  What transmitter would you recommend (Hallicrafters of course) to 
> go with my SX-42 receiver?  I do all of my own maintenance, rebuilding, 
> etc.
> 4)  I live in Spokane, Washington - what band would be suggested?
> 5)  There are lots of other questions - but this should do for now.
> 
> Welcome back Duane.
> 
> Thanks,   Skip Magnuson  KD7VRM
> 
> _______________________________________________
> List Administrator: Duane Fischer, W8DBF **for assistance**
> dfischer at usol.com
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