[Amps] What we're missing in the sunspot cycle

[Roger Halstead]

Most seem to be looking forward to the next cycle upswing and peak. I too 
look forward to seeing world wide openings on 6-meters and getting some use 
out of the old tri-bander, BUT "wold wide" communications is out there now!

This is an amps reflector so it should be safe to assume that members are 
either running QRO or planning on it.
However, it doesn't take the legal limit to work the world on 40, 75 or even 
160 when the bands are quiet and there are few monster antennas out there we 
have to compete with. Sure there are a few, but not many. That equalizes the 
field when chasing DX on the low bands. OTOH even the wire antennas get 
kinda long. <:-)) Still, it doesn't take a monster tower to put up slopers 
on 40, or even 75 for that matter. Even the inverted L does pretty well on 
160.

I've found that 40 is currently behaving like 20 used to, at least it is at 
night. My 75 sloper oriented on Europe has a problem, but I've worked most 
of ffEurope without relying on QRO.

So polish up thoe operatingt skills and maybe even put a little polish on 
the CW and have at it.  There's always something to look forward to be it at 
the sunspot high or low.

73

Roger (K8RI)