20M Skip

Somewhere to talk about skip on 20M band

Well today I was on 20m doing a little dx with the mobile whip and I made contact with an station in Russia for 2 mins 5/9 on 10w.
I also had a very nice QSO with W3JK Ken on 14.197 at 18.20 5/9 on 10w. Oh Ken was in the Big Apple, New York. I have a QSL card in the post...
It was a very enjoyable contact as it was a very steady clear signal and we spoke for 10 mins.
I am hooked!!!

Never mind 2 Meters in to Warrington
Thats great DX on 10 watt and a mobile antenna , great stuff.

RX'ed lots of USA stations.
Worked 1W2JWD Maur from Italy 5/7-9
Video will be on my website very soon...

Dave

GREAT stuff dave ....well done mate

VE7WX Canada. Mill (Mike) on 14.147.70 5/7
DM7DX Germany. (Ed) on 14.200.70 5/9

Contacts I made when out for 30 mins on 20m...

Videos will be on my website M3VSG later.

What mobile aerial u using for 20 Dave?

I deffo, should think about taking the M3 exam as it doesnt seem to take an heck of a lot of study hours just would like to get a bit more out of 11 Meters and see wot happens when we are at the top of this cycle.

Then as the cycle dies off will consider it then.

You dont seem to have any bother at all working USA with 10 watts Dave.

Have you come across any Anti M3 comments on 20 Meters whilst Dxing ?

With so many other bands open when you get the M3 ticket, I would be hard pushed leaving 20 Meters to come back to 11 Meters.

i think it is a watson,looks like a fire stick with a whip out the top

26SD122_spirittalk wrote: Have you come across any Anti M3 comments on 20 Meters whilst Dxing ?

20 meters is not inter G, you get a little ground wave, probably about 5 - 10 miles & then the dead zone covers the next few hundred miles.
And the foreign stations don't care what type of licence you have as long as you have one.

I was wondering if the attitude of " M3 given away with corn flake packets " was carried over into international DXing or is that just an attitude some daft G stations have ?

I would be put off daytime working inter G on 40 and 80 Meters over some comments I have seen online.

20 Meters is the main band I would be interested in.

It's only personal experience, but I have never heard any anti M3 behaviour on the bands. Only about it.
Yes there is some anti M3 feeling out there & to be fair if certain M3's do get hassle then they are only getting what they deserve & that hassle has probably resulted from their behaviour not their call sign.
We have some very superior hams in our area, one has lost his licence THREE times & one is an unpleasant old drunk who when not being superior spends his time keying up on the repeater (G licencee's hey some just never seem to grow up.
These are the sort of people who mouth off about M3's, sad old men who no one likes. They are not worth worrying about & when ignored only have each other left.
As to the it came off a Corn flake packet comments they said the same about those who passed the multi choice exams in the 80's.
Oh & it's true when said about us. Or it is when you compare what say a G3 went through to get their licence, with what we go through today.
But hey there's nothing wrong with cornflakes, they have been around for a lot longer than most radio amateurs.

I have also not received any anti M3 behavior. I have been pulled up today about having my website linked to "freebanding" but I have today registered a new domain and hope everything linking it is now behind me. I am wanting to keep the QSL cards on to show where I have copied and things but some of them are from the EU FM band so what's to say they all ain't?
The chap was very nice about it and the other guys on the 145.650 (GB3MN) repeater didn't say anything against me and I respect them all for it.
Any comments, help and advice at this time is greatly appreciated and I will take it all on board.
I think if you behave, respect the band and other people, and follow the guidelines - you will be ok. If you start being an idiot, they will treat you like one.

Ok, so some people don't like M3's. They went through a long exam and training Some just don't like them as it is "new blood" and they don't like change, but most do like M3's as it for that very reason the i.e. the "new blood". They are the ones they can help and give advice to. It is also making the band busier and when you turn the radio on whether they are M3 or not there is always someone to talk to...

That is my take on it and I am new to the hobby. I have only been on air for 2 weeks but everyone I have spoken to has been nice to me, and I am on it a lot!

Some good dx on 20m today USA in dx with europe..luck Dave ...

Been doing some SSTV here and thats been well, otherwise just 1AOKM earlier in the year and VP8LP in the Falkands on 10m the other weekend

Simon

Went out on the radio for an hour today and had 5 contacts. Spain, Germany, Denmark, Norway (Couldn't get the call sign) and one into Canada!!!

All the contacts were made down in Greenfield next to the coast. They are on my log book on my site www.MW3VSG.com

The sea is in effect a natural linear. So when operating portable/ mobile/ QRP etc Get as close to it as you can.

I thought I would give it a go Alan and it seems to work better than I thought. I can get right down next to the sea when it is in so I will use that as my local DX spot when the Sea is in and Halkyn Mountain when it's not!!! lol
I was 9/5 into Canada on 10w and he was 7/5 into me on 50w.

well done lads keep up the good work ...hihi