30M is back!

[DonTom]

A stupid CW contest going on again this weekend, and they don't allow that on 30M. So I changed my center coils on my loaded vertical dipole for 30M (TW3030) and a lot of activity--until quite late. I just now turned the rig off and it's close to midnight and still some sigs on the air.

30M used to be my favorite band, but it went kinda dead when I got back into ham radio around 7 years ago. Now it is picking up again. I sure am glad to see that! I just hope it stays for a while!

I didn't change my QRZ grid square for this trip, so it is still showing centered on Auburn, when I am really NW of there. But this is my 30m late-night sig from here in the redwoods when this band usually goes dead:

73, -Don- AA6GA/6 Redcrest, CA

 

[Tulecreeper]

Το καταλαβαίνει κανείς αυτό;

 

[DonTom]

Το καταλαβαίνει κανείς αυτό;

Which translates to "Does anyone understand that?".

Well, it's not Greek to other hams, it's clear simple English.

-Don- Redcrest, CA

 

[Larry N.]

Well, it's not Greek to other hams, it's clear simple English.

At whom it was aimed...

I, for one, understood it perfectly. Glad you found somegood activity, Don, though having to change coils to change bands isn't my favorite idea. Thankfully the CHA-250A vertical that I have is all-band, 80 to 6, though at only 24' tall it's definitely a compromise antenna -- does the job I need though, along with my Yaesu ftDX10.

 

[DonTom]

Don, though having to change coils to change bands isn't my favorite idea.

I don't mind at all, I get tired of sitting too long in this motorhome. It only takes a few minutes to change bands.

On all bands, my portable vertical center-loaded dipole is only 8' tall. That is what I would call a compromise antenna, especially on 80M. Very sharp in tuning, of course, but I keep the covers off all my center coils so I can adjust them by hand. I do bring an antenna analyzer (RigExpert AA-30) with me in case I get too far off, which sometimes happens while in motion after the coils get banged around a lot in this RV with the covers removed, by the other stuff crammed into the same compartment.

The antenna is a TW, this one, except I started with the TW4040 and added the coils separately. I have two complete setups, one for my Reno house because it is easy to hide from the HOA Nazis there. I use a G5RV at my Auburn house (no HOA there). The other is for RV use, but I have the permanently mounted TW stand for my Auburn house, so I can use my RV one there as well. But I have not yet bothered to try it there and compare it to the G5RV.

IMO, it's amazing how well the 8' antenna works even on 80M. Very handy for RV use when parked. Only takes a few minutes to set up.

From this RV, I use a KX2 and a KXPA100 RF amp. I can run up to 110 watts, but I sometimes run without the amp and still get out fine using about 8 watts or so.

73, -Don- AA6GA/6 Redcrest, CA

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

Even at the bottom of the sunspot cycle, 30M is usually open some portion of the day. Operating mobile/crappy antennas I am particularly aware of bands that are open. My observation is that at the bottom of the cycle, 40M is what 20M is like (at least for single hops) at the top of the cycle. My only challenge is activity on 30M - it's not a band you find a lot of random contacts on like you can 20 or 40. I can tune in WWV and it can be 20 over 9, and maybe hear 2 or 3 QSO's going on 30M. Contrast that to 20 or 40M where there's tons of stuff to work. Surprisingly when I've done POTA, 17M gets a bit of action but not 30 - not because it's not open but it's not a band I think folks are set up to work, or in a habit to use. It's been a few years now but I had a buddy that was full time in his RV and he used 30M for his APRS beacon. I could pick him up all over the U.S., seemed to me a near ideal band for short haul (<DX, >NVIS) HF. So from my perspective, yay contests, POTA, SOTA, nets, special events - they're built in activity that more activity builds on. You don't hear much of that on 30.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[DonTom]

You don't hear much of that on 30.

I never heard any of that nonsense on 30M. 30M doesn't allow it. Not that it is illegal or anything, it's just considered lid operation on 30M and the other WARC bands. So sometimes 30 M gets more activity when there is a contest going on--by those like me who hate those stupid contests of any type.

And with me, that includes SKCC, POTA, SOTA and LOTA (Lids on the Air ). IOW, anybody just looking for a stupid number and / or phony signal report, etc.

I even feel that way about Field Day. I used to go to some ham radio club meetings. They spend at least half the year talking about preparing for FD, such as where to rent the generators from and nonsense like that. In a real emergency, while they are still trying to figure that stuff out, people like me will already be OTA.

73, -Don- AA6GA/6 Redcrest, CA

 

[DonTom]

30M is usually open some portion of the day.

Agreed. But now after 2200 hrs local time, 30 M is like this:

And from my mickey-mouse Antenna.

73, -Don- AA6GA/6 Redcrest, CA

 

[DonTom]

I just now (2230 hrs local/ 0530Z) worked Tony, ZL2AGY in Patea South Taranaki, New Zealand on 10.108 Mhz (30m) I gave him an RST of 339, but he became a solid copy shortly after. He gave me a 569 from my little Mickey Mouse 8-foot tall TW-3030 portable vertical centerloaded dipole. It ended up being a solid but somewhat short QSO. I prefer longer rag chews than only discussing our radios, antennas and WX. But the biggest issue is finding something new to chat about.

While working NZ is not a big deal, it's rare at this time (2230 hrs local) to work anybody at all on 30M.

I see in my log Tony and I have worked before on 40M back in 2018.

My only challenge is activity on 30M - it's not a band you find a lot of random contacts on like you can 20 or 40. I

These days, I rarely find a station I have not worked before on 40M CW. I find all my random QSOs on 20M, but I am not often on 20M, so perhaps that is why. Or . . .

I think these days there are a lot more SSB ops than CW ops.

73, -Don- AA6GA/6 Redcrest, CA

 

[DonTom]

I just worked my buddy in Auburn, Mark, K6JJR on 10.108Mhz. We were both RST 599+++, yet him and I were the only signals on the entire band.

The band is hot, the problem is not many realize it, because it has been rather dead for so long, so almost no activity.

Just a month ago, I checked out 30M at late night on Reverse Beacon and I hit no sites at all. Now, I hit many any time day or night that I check. But if nobody else is on, it does little good.

73, -Don- AA6GA/6 Redcrest, CA

 

[Larry N.]

Yesterday morning on our 1300Z to 1400Z (during daylight time) 40M SSB net, we had our usual strong signals until roughly 1320, or so, when S9 sigs over less than a minute dropped to nothing -- literally -- for all of us on the net, from Colorado to Wisconsin to Tennessee to Florida to Kansas to N. Texas, and even the lightning static we'd been hearing went away. I know it affected us all because we coordinate the net on "netlogger," a program that net control uses to keep track of who's on the net and the order in which our turn comes, among other things, and we quickly exchanged posts about it on netlogger's IM window.

This morning SFI was 242 and the sunspot number (per QRZ and per hamclock, as well) was 284 -- highest I've ever seen them, though propagation was not too bad.

 

[DonTom]

, when S9 sigs over less than a minute dropped to nothing -- literally --

Happens fairly often on 40m. I have had moderate CW signals suddenly go up to 599+++ and within 30 seconds drop to no trace. But not lately. Not since I have been up here, mostly on 30M.

I have not been on SSB since 1973 or so. I am 100% CW these days. Not really all that fast, most of my QSOs are at 16 WPM or so. I have been on 10.108 CW a lot. I have my KX2 send auto-CQs at 16 wpm there as I am doing other things. I can do a lot faster, but I am in no hurry. I find my best rag chews are at 16wpm.

I don't keep track of stuff such as the SFI (Solar Flux Index) or the number of sunspots. I find out the only way that counts. Besides, as you know, band condx can all change by the minute, I don't care why.

73, -Don- AA6GA/6 Redcrest, CA

 

[DonTom]

The 30M thing didn't last long. The band is now totally dead again, day and night as shown on Reverse Beacon. I cannot hit even one location all day and all night every time I tried in the last 24 hours or so. If I didn't have a normal QRN level, I would think I was transmitting into a dummy load.

40M is hot, as shown on Reverse Beacon, but it does little good when nobody is on the entire CW band today.

73, -Don- AA6GA, Auburn, CA

 

[Larry N.]

40M is hot, as shown on Reverse Beacon, but it does little good when nobody is on the entire CW band today.

You can try 7121 at 6:40-45 AM MDT to 7:00 AM on Mon, Thu or Sat -- several folks from our 0700 SSB net gather there at that time for a short CW session. Perhaps W9DCQ, W5AP, W8HI, N0TA or WB0LUN (Wisconsin, Colorado, Ohio, Colorado or Kansas, respectively) and perhaps two or three others. I don't know how well CA gets into those places. Thurs is "straight key" day.

If you have netlogger you can also check for a group called 40-CW around that time to see who/if anyone is on there.

 

[DonTom]

You can try 7121 at 6:40-45 AM MDT to 7:00 AM on Mon, Thu or Sat

Thanks, but that is way too early for me. I am a night owl and get up late.

73, -Don- AA6GA Auburn, CA