Loving 30M for JT65 and FT8 - can easily get into Europe 18000km (11500 miles) from down here at the bottom of NZ. Also interesting WSPRing as well, get blown away with the propagation.
The one piece of information that I can't seem to find on this video, your other video, or elsewhere, is what mode is used. I've heard that both LSB and USB can be used and I've also heard no sideband. If you aren't transmitting on sideband, then what mode is normally used? I'm specifically interested in FT8.
Absolutely ❤️. Perfect 👌 band for me CW operator. Its so good that i have invested quite an amount for a 2 element yagi Force 2. Shall be up in march early.
I've been SWL on this band, what I like is the wwv time signal can tell you at a glance a lot about propagation directly on this band. If I can hear the Hawaiian one wwvh I tend to hear more West coast propagation, I can only hear the fort Collins one, I tend to get more East coast. When I can barely hear either, it tends to be a quiet day.
Actually, Digital modes have taken over phone operation. Everyone on 6 meters has went to digital, leaving the phone users upset they have noone to talk to on band openings. 20 meters has went to a lot of digital.. The only people that would not use this band are the people that only know how to use phone. The CW and digital operators would use this band probably more than 40, 40 meters is troubled with CW and digital around the same frequencies, so moving to 30 meters for cw would be like 40m, but less interference.
HamRadioConcepts I expected I would hear something recognizable as activity (cw, etc) but just heard a bunch of moaning. I guess I just didn't know what you were listening for. I don't do digital modes so the problem is mine. Thanks.
that sound you heard was multiple (dozens) of digital signals all crammed into one spot like a pileup. Imagine a room full of people all talking at the same time. The beauty of digital is when you look at the waterfall on your computer you can pick out whichever signal you want and work it. Just like picking out a single voice in a room full of people.
Thanks for your reply - it sounds very interesting, particularly the part about being able to cover vast distances on very little power or in relatively poor conditions. When I was on 30m (cw) last night I actually found some of these sounds on 10137 and for the first time knew what they were. Sound like a bunch of ghosts moaning (not that I've ever heard ghosts moan, mind you). I still am not finding a lot of activity on 30m CW though, despite what the video here says. I have a hard time raising someone to CW with compared to 20 and especially compared to 40. I've heard people say that FT8 is like watching paint dry, which doesn't sound fun. I haven't done any digital because I've been too busy trying to get proficient on CW, and besides I never hear anyone say which digital modes are tolerable and which are... well, which are like watching paint dry.
Antenna for 30m? Cut a f**king dipole, fer crissakes! It's a out 25 feet on a side..or 3/4 of 40 meters which is 33 feet times 0.75 or 24 feet and change. You don't AWAYS need to buy a goddam antenna. That's what amateur radio is about!
