[NCC] K8BL in this week's ARRL propagation news

[Tim Duffy]

Bob Liddy, K8BL of Mentor, Ohio wrote on April 26:

 

"I had an experience with the 'Dead Band Syndrome' yesterday.

 

Since the beginning of the ARRL Centennial QSO Party, I've been on the WARC
Bands looking for QSO Points and trying to finish up WAS on those 3 Bands.
I'll often tune across these Bands and try to get an idea of what activity
was taking place, if any.

 

On 4/25, I tuned across 12M and only heard a couple of weak signals, so I
decided to roll the dice and see what might happen.  At 2200Z, I put out a
CQ on 12M CW using 400W and my homebrew 12/17 rotatable VEE dipole.

 

Little did I imagine that I'd be working WAC in less than 40 minutes by
calling CQ on a seemingly Dead Band!  At 2200Z, I was immediately called by
ZL4PLM for Oceania.  This was followed by NN4R at 2201 for North America, at
2203 by G7BXU for Europe, at 2212 by JJ1IRS for Asia, at 2220 by PY1CMT for
South America and at 2239 by EA8YV for Africa.  Also, HZ1BH/QRP called in at
2225Z for the other end of Asia!

 

The solar numbers at the time were SFI-125, A-9 and K-2.  These didn't look
like great DX numbers, but the stations were there and heard me well enough
to answer my CQs.  Working WAC on a supposedly 'Dead Band' in less than 40
minutes by calling CQ definitely amazed me!  It makes me wonder what
activity would be like if folks would give some Bands a try even though a
quick scan turned up nothing."

 

Interesting, and good advice, Bob.