[ILQSO] 40 meter horizontal mobile antenna ideas

[Donald Pitchford]

>
In the past I have always found 40 and 20 to be "the" bands until 
sunset. Since I operate from central IL I have a path of 200 miles to 
the outer reaches of IL. Before the contest I try to monitor Mid-cars 
(7.258 MHz) for a week or two to see how 40 is behaving. Unfortunately, 
this year 40 seems to be very noisy with rapid fading. I hope it 
settles before Oct 22!
Don, W9EBK

>
> p.s. Do participants in ILQP 2004 and earlier have experience which 
> says that 40 meters is "the band" for in state contacts?  Based on 
> MiQP and OQP I'd be very skeptical, unless propagation conditions are 
> very, very different from those found in April and August.  I made 
> very few intra state contacts on 40 or 20 meters during each of these 
> contacts.  If 80/75 doesn't open up by the time the contest ends, it 
> would seem a very difficult contest.