Beautiful Day, Rough Band Conditions
Gorgeous Weather
It was sunny and the temperature was darned near perfect for June in NE Ohio. My wife and I got on our bikes and cycled out to Cuyahoga Valley National Park β US-0020 so that we could enjoy the day. The plan was to spend a little time at The Octagon shelter area so I could play a little radio and then head into Peninsula to grab some lunch. I figured that I could get the park activated in about an hour while my wife did a little reading and weβd be on our way.
Well. Yeah. The thing isβ¦
Sensing A Pattern
Weβre heading toward the high point of Cycle 25 and it seems that conditions on HF are getting less and less reliable. I know very little about solar weather and Iβm certainly not an expert on our local star. I know what Iβve read and I can compare that with my observations. Iβm definitely not alone in observing that activations are harder and harder to complete and that makes me feel less like itβs a βMe Problemβ and more like itβs a βGiant Ball Of Gas Problemβ. That works.
When I set up my Go-To gear (IC-705 with the AX1) and Iβm struggling to get it done, I start to doubt myself. Should I toss my EFHW into a tree? Should I have brought the SuperAntenna? But the truth is, if Iβm sitting there and RBN is picking me up but Iβm not hearing much, itβs very possible that thereβs no one out there to hear me or conditions are worse than I thought.
In any case, it seems that budgeting an hour for an activation is not as likely to bear fruit as it was just a few months ago. Not that it matters. Being outside with my radio is the point. Relaxing and getting on the air are the ends.
QSO Map
Hereβs what it looked like on the QSO Map:
Final
QRP seems to be about patience these days. Could be that all radio activities are going to involve more patience than they have in this solar cycle. There are still plenty of exciting times ahead. There are months of long, warm, bright days ahead and I plan to spend as many of them as I can in the field playing radio.
Thanks for reading and 72!