by rod vlach, nn0tt february 4, 2005 ten ways to enjoy your favorite pastime until the sunspots come back.
he author doesn't let less than ideal solar conditions interfere with the pursuit of the fun amateur radio has to offer.
the self-designed qsl card (see tip #4) is both attractive and fun to create.
the resourceful amateur radio operator can continue to enjoy ham radio, both on and off the air, even though solar activity is on the downswing. it looks as though the current solar cycle will reach its approximate low point (least number of sunspots) sometime next year, so we may as well dig in our heels and make the best of things. here are 10 ideas on how to cope with less than ideal operating conditions:
1) stay on the air!
although the upper high frequency bands (10, 15 and 20 meters) are a lot less productive than during peak solar conditions, it gives us an opportunity to become better acquainted with the lower bands. i have never operated throughout an entire "bottomed out" cycle, and in some strange way (and being there is nothing i can do to prevent it) i am "sort of" looking forward to how well i can do with my 100 watts and vertical antenna. it's also a good time to ragchew! if your signals aren't always getting across the ocean, there are lots of in-country qsos to be had!
2) learn why and how solar activity affects communications
it is rather amazing that the quality of our earthly radio communications is determined by an object that is 93 million miles away--the sun. and the greater number of sunspots there are, the more the ionosphere is "ionized," causing hf radio signals to "refract" (skip) back to earth, making global communications possible. the maximum/minimum number of sunspots occurs in a repeating 11 year cycle.
all the solar propagation terms can be confusing, even intimidating. i have been able to ascertain that if the "solar flux" is up and the "k index" is down, it is good for radio communications. although there will be occasional upward spikes, the solar flux and number of sunspots will continue heading downward for a while yet. a current solar chart resembles a "very bumpy" downhill road. two good chart sites, the solar terrestrial activity report and wm7d's solar resource page are available on the web. k9la has a good article on defining the solar terms.
3) submit an article to qst or the arrlweb
have you ever wondered how adept you might be with a pen and paper (or keyboard and word processor) to spin out an article for qst or the arrlweb? you'll never know unless you give it a try! it's not as difficult as you might think. in fact, one of my past arrlweb pieces was on that very subject--how to write an article.
4) design a new qsl card
whether you consult with a qsl printer or have the facilities to design and print your own, now would be a great time to create a card that will knock everybody's socks off! i recently designed my first "photo" qsl card, with a picture i took myself at a minnesota nature park, and had it printed by professionals. i also had a lot of input into the design of the back of the card. whatever style you choose, creating a qsl "mostly from scratch" was a fun experience for me. the basics of a qsl card is another past article of mine that you can refer to.
5) meet some new hams; form a club
it's a lot more fun to complain about poor band conditions in a group than all by yourself! check into a local club or if there is none, consider starting one of your own. this can be anything from having a pizza together once a month to having a full-blown club station. check with arrl for any affiliated clubs in your area. i have also had a lot of fun discussing dx and "other stuff" with e-mail buddies, most of whom i have never met personally!
6) try a new mode or activity
compared to the mid 1960s when i got my first amateur license, there is a plethora of modes and activities to choose from today. some may be cost/location prohibitive for many of us (such as an eme, or "moonbounce" station) but in addition to the old standbys of phone and cw, there is psk 31, radioteletype, amateur television, satellite, fm and others. and, although it is not a "mode," don't forget qrp (low power). modern rigs will allow the output power to be lowered to 5 watts or less, enabling the operator to go qrp whenever the urge strikes! lots of qrp info is available from anthony luscre's series of web articles. one good one is called shopping for qrp items and supplies. you can find others by searching for luscre at the arrlweb home page.
7) collect more qsl cards
my ongoing project is attempting to get a photo qsl from all the dxcc entities i have worked, for my qsl album. i am active in the arrl outgoing qsl service, and my feature on using it can be found on the arrlweb site. now that dx contacts are less frequent, i am qsling more to entities i already have confirmed, because incoming cards are always fun to receive, and each one is unique. it helps "fill the gap" between on-air dx qsos.
8) experiment with a different antenna
i stay with a vertical antenna mainly for its small footprint and ease of operation, but if you have the time, finances and space, trying out a different antenna design could prove beneficial. you could even design one of your own and test it out! do you have a situation that is keeping you from "getting out" as well as you would like? see if you can improve it! need some help? the arrl has many antenna books; check out the online store.
9) upgrade your license; go vanity (if you wish...)
some may say that upgrading your ham license has never been easier; to some extent, this is true. exams are overseen by volunteers, in many convenient locations (with a more cordial atmosphere than many of us old-timers remember who have taken exams at an fcc field office). morse code requirements have been lessened considerably (or eliminated entirely, depending on the license grade). in the old days, hams taking an exam for the first time had no idea what the actual exam questions would be, as compared to today's "question pool" examples. although seeing the questions beforehand provides an advantage, the question pool is so large that hams still have to accumulate a considerable amount of information to pass an exam. what better time to prepare to get more operating privileges, and be ready to go when the better propagation returns! arrl study guides for all the current license grades are available.
if "going vanity" (applying for a specific call sign) has been in the back of your mind for a long time, at least investigate the possibilities. information on how to get started is readily available. if you have a problem with "giving up" your old call sign of many years, my past feature on the "psychology" of applying for a vanity call sign may help.
10) brush-up on cw
anyone who thinks morse code is an outdated mode hasn't heard a cw dx pileup lately. many hams operate cw worldwide, and it is still one of the best ways to "work the world" with low power. with the declining propagation, you may find cw will get through where some other modes won't. arrl headquarters station w1aw faithfully broadcasts morse practice sessions and code proficiency qualifying runs. it takes one minute of solid copy to get a nice certificate at various speeds. you don't even need to be a licensed ham to apply for the cp wallpaper! code practice is available on the web, too!
we hams may not be spending as much time sitting in front of the radio as we did during the last solar peak, but that doesn't mean there isn't ham-related activity off the air as well. these items are just a few of the things we can do until those peak conditions roll around again. keep having fun!
