Hi all, I totally agree with Mal's comments. I have also chatted at length
with the guys who produce the HF predictions and they worry a lot about
their work actually discouraging people from putting signals out. The HF
Propagaion reports are quite difficult because it really depends what kind
of a station you have. I remember when I ran 400W PEP and a 3el beam at 45
feet I worked bands after they had "closed" and often was "the only
European" when I called in. (the problem is that it gets boring after a
while). I did find the predictions a useful guide to what "should" be
happening, but there is no subsistute for listening for a beacon and putting
out a call or two.

Like the HF predictions my efforts are hoped to help those who may have
limited time or limited ERP to make best use of their available effort. By
all means try when the band is supposed to be dead....but please let me know
what you achieve. You know the old saying....it is the "exception"...... we
are not into "proving rules" here but exceptional qsos at times when the
band is expected to be difficult shine a usefull light (for me, at least) on
what might be happening. The last three years of collecting data has all be
in an attempt to understand 136 and dispell the myth that we "wouldn't get
out of our back gardens". You may remember I was one of the heretics who
suggested that, on the basis of CFH strength, a transatlantic crossing might
be possible, about 6 months before Dave proved the point. I can certainly
understand the elation that must have been felt by those hearing signals on
HF from "across the pond" in the 1920s. To me this is the attraction of LF
....there are still frontiers to be pushed out. It is not just in big signal
intercontinental DX, but even in proving the range possible on QRP....Joe is
only running about 120watts input. So with a better night and maybe a bit
more power a hand keyed morse qso is "ON" ....... and that's a prediction !!

Remember LF stands for L(otsa) F(un) as well

Cheers de Alan G3NYK
[email protected]