[ILQSO] thoughts for 2017

[Jim Funk]

Gearing up for this year's event, here are some observations regarding propagation and strategy:

My recent experience with band conditions (as a mobile) indicate that we need to anticipate the following:

1)  Twenty meters has been decent to Europe early in the afternoon.  By late afternoon, it can die completely...to everywhere.
2)  Forty meters can be "dead" in early afternoon.  When it comes back, it goes long in a hurry.
3)  Eighty meters can be pretty good as early as 4 pm local or even earlier.
4)  Fifteen meters is probably worth checking the first hour or two, but I wouldn't get my hopes up

If you want to work in-state stations (and don't we all?), start checking 80/75 early.  Make some noise there throughout the day. You may be surprised at the amount of activity.  Mobiles should plan to have 80 available if possible. Otherwise, you are going to be missed by a lot of IL stations in many of the counties you run. I wouldn't count on being able to work either end of the state on 40 from Central IL at 4 pm!

I could be wrong, but I'm at least planning to have 80 working this year.

73, Jim N9JF

Best regards, 

Jim Funk
Customer Service Engineer

FOSS

800/547-6275 
option 1 for parts, option 3 for service
jfunk at fossna.com

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