[HCRA] 10 meter test

[KB1NWH]

The Doctor Is IN: Focusing on 10 Meters
By S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA
ARRL News Editor 
k1sfa at arrl.org 

December 09, 2009

Now with the ARRL 160 Meter Contest come and gone, it's time for me to focus on the opposite end of the HF Spectrum: 10 meters. You guessed it -- I'm gearing up for the 37th running of the ARRL 10 Meter Contest. This contest has a bit of a twist to it: Operators have the choice of using CW only, SSB only or they can mix it up and use both. So as I prepare this week for the 'test, I went to ask the Doctor what is so special about 10 meters. Is there anything I need to be aware of and watch out for this weekend when I'm on the air?

The Doctor -- who chortled and wondered about my fascination with this band that everyone claims is all but dead -- told me that the 10 meter band is a very interesting band. Sometimes it shares propagation modes with 6 meters, the "magic" band. At other times, it can sound like 20 meters, but with less noise and stronger signals. During the current state of the sunspot cycle, the 20 meter-like occurrences are few and far between, but there are still almost always some kind of medium to long haul propagation modes available, such as sporadic E, transequatorial and the like.

He told me that he has always found the 10 meter contest the most fascinating in terms of showing what the band can do. His belief is that the band is often open to some exotic spot, but no one is on to notice. People turn on the receivers, hear nothing and then switch to 17 or 20 meters where there are some signals. During the 10 meter contest there are signals on from all over the world. If you tune the band you will hear signals from somewhere else. What's fascinating is that the far end changes rapidly as the contest progresses -- you might hear stations from southern Africa, but not northern Africa, a while later from Europe or South America and nowhere else. He said he knows the same propagation quirks are happening when it's not the contest, but no one notices.

So why not give 10 meters a try? Hopefully you will get a great feel for this great band. Now that Technician class licensees can enjoy the fun, there will be even more signals. As with all operations, antennas can make a big difference, but when 10 is really open, you will be able to get to distant spots with almost anything. If you have yet to try your hand on the 10 meter band, a contest like the ARRL 10 Meter Contest might be just the ticket. Do you have a question or a problem for the Doctor? Send your questions via e-mail or to "The Doctor," ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111 (no phone calls, please). Look for "The Doctor Is IN" every month in QST, the official journal of the ARRL.