I'm Shocked!

I'm still in shock.  75m was open this morning to JA, although partially destroyed by CHINESE RADAR again.  Signals were S7 to S8 in Panama for the first time in weeks...maybe months.  BTW, the radar kept me from making a contact with a Chinese BH4 the other morning, so they are equal opportunity jammers.
12-24-17 -- back to poor path to JA & HL for me, but W6UC had good rx and worked them.  Radar after 1120Z.
12-26-17 -- Overcame the radar to work Hat, JA6BJT. He was 59+5; gave me a 49 (radar).  I heard Barry working the late shift after I left this morning but I don't know if there was any DX for him or not.
12/30/17 -- 75m was not great but managed to work 4 JA stations before Barry arrived.  Not a real opening to JA yet! Wenty, 6Y5IC has a new beverage toward JA and was able to hear them talking ... just needs a little better propagation. The RADAR came on later, around 1140Z.  

Mike is in TX - now we'll get DX!

12-20-2017 News Flash ...Mike, W9MK will be QRV from TX this week!  Now we'll have some DX action. *That is if he can drag his lazy behind out of bed.  The dynamic duo, W9UCW & W9MK should bring out all of the rare DX that has been taking a break from 75m for the past year.  Now if we could just get W6UC to swim across and disable the Chinese RADAR....
Update, Fri. 12-22 I was right.  All kinds of DX the past 2 days.  A BH (China) even called me this morning.  However, he was very weak and the (China) radar took him out.  Mike is headed back home, so we will see....

**** Rules for efficient working of DX (not DXpeditions):

1. First, their callsign & be sure that they have yours
2. Then, & only then, their report & confirm yours 
3. THEN, your name ... not your equipment, weather, etc.
4. Chit chat like...Conditions are not very good, I'm not hearing you very well, lots of noise here, my grandkids are brilliant, bla, bla, bla are not helpful and often confuse the DX station.  They certainly use up time while other stations are waiting!  My 3 cents worth -- HP3AK

You can save the 'folksy' comments for your next rag chew.

Going, going, gone...

12/16/17 -- Warning -- the following may not be optimistic.  In spite of doing the same thing over and over, the results are the same.  I have very poor propagation to both JA and VK / ZL in the mornings now.  In contrast to what I have always been told, the band has been getting progressively worse over the years as the sunspot numbers have declined.  "Some days it's not even worth chewing through the restraints!"

Signals from Asia were so weak this morning that I could not even hear the Chinese RADAR, even though it was very strong in JA. My few contacts with VK and ZL over the past many weeks have been down 5 to 12 dB (1 to 2 s-units) from what they were a few months ago.  They are much weaker that a year ago.

Where are Low Bands going, or are they GONE??? Is it Global Warming?

Good Evening Optimists and DXers,

80 meters in the morning seems for this Mid-Westerner has become a different band this year. I have heard a couple of the Big Gun JAs but could not work them. VK/ZL are rare this year. OH was on this morning almost readable at sunrise but KE9L could not raise him. Several DXers stop by to visit the 80 meter DX window but don't stay long or come back often. The East coast guys at 3793 are having a similar experience.

And with the Chinese Radar continues to win the day blanking out most JAs and other Asian DXers.

The bands are a changing at least for me. I like working 40 meters in the evening however most times there is not much DX in the evening. ZS6CCY Bill is a fixture on 40 phone and is strong but he is almost the only game in town most evenings.

Lately 40 has opened to Europe in the afternoon starting around 1pm Central Time and ending by dinner time. Good and even some rare DX have been spotted and worked on both Phone and CW. I do really like my (new to me) Rotatable Dipole. It is a quiet antenna and really offers a great option over the Hytower which has always been a good antenna on 40 meters. Only a few of the big gun EUs working in the US at our sunset in the evening. Better days ahead.

My Ft-2000 is still in the shop. It is still a mystery as to what happened. I was under the impression that I may have gotten too much RF into the receiver. It seems that it is a control board issue which is not close to a receiver input so the hunt for the fix continues. So maybe I did not do it. LOL

We are at a time in the year where our sunrise is about an hours and a half before panama so Jay is in and gone before Texas and Illinois have any impact from the suns power. Global Warming impact?? I believe the impending sunspot minimum is the larger issue on the weather changes as well how are bands are acting.

And lastly I think that the age of this group of DXers has an impact on our ability to remember what that last sunspot minimum looked like. Just saying! And I resemble that remark.

Best 73
Stay Thirsty My Friends
W9MK