Topband: Lack of DX CW Activity

[Jim Brown]

On 1/5/2024 10:53 AM, Mike Smith VE9AA wrote:
> My personal
> feeling is some people are lazy.

Hi Mike,

It has NOTHING to do with lazy. It has everything to do with NOISE. 
Those of us not living in the middle of nowhere have greatly increased 
noise levels over the last 20 years. When I moved to W6 in 2006, I could 
work EU on CW several nights a year (remember, we have to go through the 
auroral oval to get there). In the last seven years, I've heard six EU 
stations on CW, and two have heard me. And that's with the same TX and 
RX antennas.

Using FT8, I made several dozen EU QSOs during solar minima years, 
adding about 25 countries. My computer did not build my station, did not 
put up my antennas, and I learned propagation through extensive study.

Sitting in VE9, is like running home from third base and thinking you 
hit a home run.

Thanks for the RAC QSOs.

73, Jim K9YC