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[AF6D]

I thought I asked this question once before and got some rather convoluted answers rather than direct answers but I can't quite seem to find the post. It may have been Facebook. I'm looking for solid answers and I'm sure this group can definitely help.

I am looking at retiring up in Idaho or South Dakota or that general area. I've been told that operating at the higher longitudes yield less DX. Further away from the equator and all that is what I've been led to believe. I know that KL7's don't make it down here from Alaska too often. I currently live in the mountains of Southern California and cannot wait to get the hell out of here! Please don't hold it against me because I didn't vote for this crap.

I'm planning on a 100-foot tower with my SteppIR on top and probably 2 / 70cm antenna on top of that. I probably go towards a  160 / 80  inverted V. I don't really need a big antenna farm and I'm sure where I choose may not have much repeater activity anyway. I could always use 2 meter sideband but that's not my question. I'm more interested in working HF DX. I realize that there are fewer hams up there in the less populated states which may have led to some of the answers I previously received. I've talked to the northern states just fine! They sure were glad to hear from me. Five by five.

So that's the question. Does working from higher longitude locations effect DX performance? I was looking at a nice place in Alabama but don't really want to be shut down half the year because of all the lightning. That and I am definitely a snow guy. I like the four seasons. I like the quiet. I like nature. I just watched a great show on the Discovery Channel of a contractor that built a shipping container home in a beautiful location although I would tend to lean towards a log cabin personally. You know, stone fireplace and a stream running by and all that.

But enough babbling. This isn't 80m at 2 am. How is it working DX from along the Canadian border so to speak?

What's a you fine experts?

[K0UA]

Well lets start by working DX from higher latitudes.

Yes from what I can tell the higher latitudes open up later, especially on the higher bands. But I work plenty of people in Alaska, but not so much on the higher frequency's. Of course in sunspot minima like we are now everyone is suffering, BUT things like TEP (trans,equatorial propagation) work much better in lower latitudes. Concentrate more on the lower frequency's and I think you will be fine. I think you surroundings will outweigh band openings you would experience in say Florida, or even here like in Missouri.  Everything in life is a trade off. You will still have loads of fun.

[AF6D]

You know, I knew that. I use lat/long on a daily basis. I generally have to convert from one format to another pinpointing forest fires. A simple brain fart. I beg forgiveness from the amateur radio community for making a simple mistake.

I don't plan on working the higher frequencies. My whole point coming to this group was because I plan on working the low frequencies. I'm not much of a repeater guy even though I own numerous. They're too easy. I like the challenge of working DX. 6m is too unpredictable. I like the lower bands. I imagine if I were in the higher latitudes of central to northern Idaho where in The Dakotas or what not I'd be a catch for a lot of people. At my age I certainly know that life is a trade-off but I'm not sure I'm willing to make this trade off. I've got one more solar cycle left in me. I don't think I would appreciate such a high latitude. I've never had the chance to work on DXCC and this was supposed to be at so where I land needs to be strategically placed.

[K0UA]

You know, I knew that. I use lat/long on a daily basis. I generally have to convert from one format to another pinpointing forest fires. A simple brain fart. I beg forgiveness from the amateur radio community for making a simple mistake.

I don't plan on working the higher frequencies. My whole point coming to this group was because I plan on working the low frequencies. I'm not much of a repeater guy even though I own numerous. They're too easy. I like the challenge of working DX. 6m is too unpredictable. I like the lower bands. I imagine if I were in the higher latitudes of central to northern Idaho where in The Dakotas or what not I'd be a catch for a lot of people. At my age I certainly know that life is a trade-off but I'm not sure I'm willing to make this trade off. I've got one more solar cycle left in me. I don't think I would appreciate such a high latitude. I've never had the chance to work on DXCC and this was supposed to be at so where I land needs to be strategically placed.

Well if DXCC mixed is your goal, you are not going to have a lot of trouble.  ESPECIALLY if you work in some digital modes. Working 100 countries on all/any bands and all/any modes is pretty easy no matter where you are.  Don't discount 6 meters, it is just now starting to open up for E season. I only have 22 countries on 6 but DXCC is pretty common on 6, and a lot of guys have way more than that. Working DX on any band is all about antennas and hours.  Put of the best antennas you can afford and spend the time.  If you can put a few thousand into your antenna system, I would not worry too much about which state I was in.  If you have a nice quiet QTH that is not antenna restricted, you will do fine. Learn some new techniques and get on digital, and will set far more lofty goals than DXCC. For example Triple Play is far harder to get than DXCC.  Work all 50 states on CW, Phone and Digital.  There are less than 2200 Triple plays issued and many thousands of DXCC's.  The problem with triple play is that a lot of guys, like CW, a lot of guys like phone or a lot of guys like digital, but it is hard to find someone that is good at all 3.  Anyway, have fun where ever you land.

[WB8VLC]

Actually 10 meters has interesting propagation up here in north central oregon that I have experienced for the past 9 years and it doesn't seem to follow the lows of the solar cycle either except for the duration of the openings.

Using only a small  10/6 meter dualbend yagi at 30feet I have experienced weekly openings to south america, the south pacific and even some good west africa openings which let me knock off some missing dx enteties during the low solar numbers and my qth is only 500 feet above sea level with mountains on the horizon in all directions.

Of these 10 meter openings 80% to south america were on ssb the rest cw, for the pacific and africa it was the opposite with 80%cw and the rest ssb.

The only difference between hi and low solar years seems to be the duration of the openings on 10.

Other bands that are big dx workers with ssb/cw modes are 20 and 17 and on these bands I use dual band moxons at only 25 feet and on these 2 bands I have world wide openings yearly, again the low solar years don't have much detriment from my 9 years of operating on these bands except for a small reduction in received signal strength during low solar years.

[AF6D]

 I suppose I should have said my experience level. I'm an extra class with code and have been licensed since 1976. There is a. Of time that I was inactive did the military service but I made up for lost time. I already have a good antenna system using a SteppIR 40m-6m on a 70-foot tower. I don't discount 6 meters it's just that I don't sit there waiting like some people for the alarm to go off that says it's open. Here in Southern California we have a group that operates on 50.300 FM and when a band opening is detected everyone switches to Side Band.

I can and have worked 10m which of course I know is a great band. The SteppIR works great for that long distance but I also have a Workman 5/8 wave vertical the does a superb job. In fact, not realizing what antenna position I was in I tuned up on 6 meters and worked a 6 meter opening with it! LOL. I also have a 6 meter 5/8 wave vertical from Diamond that I don't believe they make anymore. The SteppIR  6m add on does not compare to the Stacked 5 element array that I used during the VHF contest. We did well and made the top 100. Just the two of us working the club station. But I have a theory that bears itself during every contest in that is that there are users out there they're just not using their radios. Working 6 meters was like shooting ducks in a barrel that day. All I had to do is turn the antenna East for the most part and I worked quite a bit of the country. My partner concentrated on 2 meters.

I've heard mixed reviews on working from the higher latitudes and it's caused me some consternation knowing where I want to go but hearing stories of how DX sucks from the higher latitudes I've been trying to expand my horizons by lookingp at places like Colorado and even Texas where I was stationed in the Army and loved it. That it's not really what I want.

I am an antenna geek. I have been building them since I started many many years ago. My back is shot so working around the yard stringing antennas isn't the easiest thing anymore. Getting the SteppIR back up means hiring someone since I won't know anyone where I land.

I'm also not into ft8. I could be but it's too simple. For those of you that enjoy it, that's great. But I want to hear that weak voice from a small station in Cambodia crackling in my speaker or headphones fighting to be understood. I gave up on Japan because they're too easy. LOL. I work them with one watt. But it will be nice shaking a 6 call because working contest they tend to get ignored since we comprise the vast majority of the country all in one state.

Are any of you currently working from the higher latitudes?

[AA6YQ]

The northern and southern auroral ovals are absorbers of HF signals. The closer you live to one of these, the wider the range of azimuths whose signals will be attenuated. This is why big contest stations are built on the geomagnetic equator.

[AF6D]

And that is my concern..m

[WB6BYU]

Plenty of DXers and contesters in the northern US, and in Canada, as well as Northern
Europe.

My experience operating from SE Alaska was that I never heard anything on 80m
during the summer, as the D layer was constantly ionized.  Tha t assumes that we have
some sunspots, of course.  But during the winter the band should be open much longer
each day. 

Here just above 45 N I still work Europeans with QRP to simple antennas on the higher
HF bands. The auroral zone may make some paths more difficult, but it isn't that much
of an issue in general.

The main difference is that 40m doesn't support NVIS paths as often as it does at lower
latitudes.  We often need to use 160m instead, especially at night.

[KC6RWI]

Surely you will pick a house on that has good elevation, possibly you will be in an area that is less populated with many homes and have less man made noise that so many of us have to endure. With your antenna skills and the next cycle coming around you will be in great shape. Maybe your location will bring a different  variety on contacts.

[RENTON481]

As an SWL and monitor with a history of ham monitoring and DXing (listening only) I can assure you that hearing hams from all over the world is still doable in northern latitudes.

If you're in the NW US, you'll get a bit less of the auroral oval than you'll get farther east (it seems to dip lower in the Midwest than it does here in the NW) -- the drawback being that you'll be a bit farther from Europe, even via the great circle. I've heard hams from the US, South America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. I used to hear KC4AAA transmitting from Antarctica -- but that was a few years ago, obviously. I heard Finland around Christmas about 4-5 years ago.

In my QTH Africa has been difficult -- but then I only have used random and long wire antennas, and I'm in a hole. I've heard broadcasts from Africa, so I know that Africa is doable from a northern latitude.

The main drawback to northern latitudes I think is during poor overall conditions -- like right now, when the sunspots are down -- it hits us a little harder.

Guys in California and back East hear more than I hear right now, and I think at least part of it is that they are farther south.

That said, I think if you have a good rig and a beam or something more elaborate than the receiving equipment I have, you'll still do OK. No matter where you are, obviously, it's a trade off.

I know this is just an SWL's take on the region, but hopefully it will help fill out the picture a bit for the OP. 73.