Topband: Yaesu Key clicks

[Ragnar Otterstad]

I tried working 160 this weekend to scare up some multipliers for CQWW,
and found it next to dead. I was able to make a grand total of 4 QSO's with
a
KW.  Yes, I heard a few guys trying to work a few DX stations, but I didn't
hear
even a sniff of what they were trying to work. And there were a couple of
QSO's going on. That's it, on a Friday and Saturday night!

The sad truth is that our CW bands ARE dying, except for contest weekends
and some guys chasing DX.  Granted it takes a fairly strong signal to get
over
the noise level in my city neighborhood, especially on 160, but it is VERY
common for me to turn on my radios and hear no CW signals at all on 160
and 80, and a very few on 40.


Jim Brown  K9YC
..........................................

Noise is a problem on 160.   In the past there have been few signals on any
band up here.
I put that down to poor propagation.  Contests are really activating the
bands - although sometime some of us feel there are too many !


I heard only one USA  9th district station sudnay morning - and he did not
hear me !
Just worked a few New England stations on 160 and VY2 of course !

73  rag LA5HE