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[KD6DXA]

I was just wondering why the activity on 10 meters is so low. I realize we're at the low end of the sunspot cycle, but it also appears that 10 meters gets plenty of activity in Europe from day to day, from looking at the DXMaps website. With my soon-to-be stepdaughter just having got her Technician license, she's naturally itching to use 10 meter SSB while she learns Morse code. But from listening to 10 meters the past few days, it's a bit of a wasteland and ghost town. Same with 6 meters, which I have also been itching to try but to no avail after some generous time calling CQ in CW on 6 and 10 the last couple of days. Of course, 20 and 40 meters are the usual HF watering holes, but I was kind of hoping for better results from my first foray into the higher-frequency HF bands now that I have my first all-band HF rig and antenna set up.

[K0UA]

Unfortunately both 10 and 6 will be pretty dead because we are past the summer Sporadic E season.  The Winter Sporadic E season usually starts about Dec 1st, and can run to January 1st or even past. slight.  However it is much shorter, and normally not as intense.  The Summer season usually starts in May , in full swing by June and is normally all done by the first week or so in August. Now that said, we have NO or extremely little F2 propagation, even on 10 meters, and won't normally have  until the sunspots pick back up. 

That could be a while. However there is such a thing as TEP. Trans Equatorial Propagation.  Where many of us at least in the lower latitudes here in the US, and even at my Latitude (36) can work South American stations.

Also, there is another fact of life you must take into consideration and that is the FT8 revolution. So many of us are parked on 28.074 and 50.313 waiting on DX to show it's self we are NOT on the CW and SSB calling frequencies. This results in missed opening on those modes because no one is there.  This was especially evident this year.  I like to work these bands when I am mobile, because of much higher efficiencies of our mobile antennas, however this was an extremely sparse year to work 6 meter mobile, because everyone was on FT8 not SSB.  And I have to admit that as soon as I returned home, I went straight to 50.313 too along with everyone else.  You just can't risk missing an opening to a DX entity.

Of course I am interested in working US stations or anyone else on 50.125 while I am mobile, but I have no interest in working US stations on FT8.  Unless they are in Alaska or Hawaii .     I have already worked all of the lower 48 on 6 meters.

Now as for Europe, the Sporadic E season is not only longer it is much more intense.  Just why, I sure don't know and I am not sure if anyone else does either. If you see a good day over in Europe, you can't count on that coming here in a few hours.. Just doesn't work that way.  AND in fact the east coast corridor gets a lot more activity than we get here in the Midwest. Don't know why.  Wish I did.   I wish I had better news.  But if you can get on FT8 and point your beam south, you will likely work some TEP.  Maybe in a year or so It will pick up some with some sunspots and finally some F2 propagation.  All we can do is hope for a better day. There just isn't much above 17 meters and some days 17 is not all that healthy either.  The lower bands still work well.  80 and 160 after sunset or just before, and 40 lengthens out for DX too.  30 meters has some DX all day and night, and 20 is the Money band for the daytime and at least on FT8 pretty late into the night, usually folding for FT8 about midnight here.  Of course SSB folds hours earlier.

[KD6DXA]

Unfortunately both 10 and 6 will be pretty dead because we are past the summer Sporadic E season.  The Winter Sporadic E season usually starts about Dec 1st, and can run to January 1st or even past. slight.  However it is much shorter, and normally not as intense.  The Summer season usually starts in May , in full swing by June and is normally all done by the first week or so in August. Now that said, we have NO or extremely little F2 propagation, even on 10 meters, and won't normally have  until the sunspots pick back up. 

That could be a while. However there is such a thing as TEP. Trans Equatorial Propagation.  Where many of us at least in the lower latitudes here in the US, and even at my Latitude (36) can work South American stations.

Also, there is another fact of life you must take into consideration and that is the FT8 revolution. So many of us are parked on 28.074 and 50.313 waiting on DX to show it's self we are NOT on the CW and SSB calling frequencies. This results in missed opening on those modes because no one is there.  This was especially evident this year.  I like to work these bands when I am mobile, because of much higher efficiencies of our mobile antennas, however this was an extremely sparse year to work 6 meter mobile, because everyone was on FT8 not SSB.  And I have to admit that as soon as I returned home, I went straight to 50.313 too along with everyone else.  You just can't risk missing an opening to a DX entity.

Of course I am interested in working US stations or anyone else on 50.125 while I am mobile, but I have no interest in working US stations on FT8.  Unless they are in Alaska or Hawaii .     I have already worked all of the lower 48 on 6 meters.

Now as for Europe, the Sporadic E season is not only longer it is much more intense.  Just why, I sure don't know and I am not sure if anyone else does either. If you see a good day over in Europe, you can't count on that coming here in a few hours.. Just doesn't work that way.  AND in fact the east coast corridor gets a lot more activity than we get here in the Midwest. Don't know why.  Wish I did.   I wish I had better news.  But if you can get on FT8 and point your beam south, you will likely work some TEP.  Maybe in a year or so It will pick up some with some sunspots and finally some F2 propagation.  All we can do is hope for a better day. There just isn't much above 17 meters and some days 17 is not all that healthy either.  The lower bands still work well.  80 and 160 after sunset or just before, and 40 lengthens out for DX too.  30 meters has some DX all day and night, and 20 is the Money band for the daytime and at least on FT8 pretty late into the night, usually folding for FT8 about midnight here.  Of course SSB folds hours earlier.

I haven't tried out FT8 yet, with my always gravitating toward CW. I guess what I'm trying to figure out is how much of a "dead band" is a result of poor propagation and how much is due to people either just listening or not ever giving the band a try because they believe the band to be dead.

[K0UA]

I haven't tried out FT8 yet, with my always gravitating toward CW. I guess what I'm trying to figure out is how much of a "dead band" is a result of poor propagation and how much is due to people either just listening or not ever giving the band a try because they believe the band to be dead

.

Probably some of both, but when the FT8 frequency for that band is dead, you can be fairly assured the band is truly dead.  FT8 will usually have activity when there is zero SSB or even CW.  FT8 is always the first to open and last to close. Since it is a single frequency "watering hole" type of operation, it isn't really a matter of no one there.

[K0UA]

I listened for a while on 28.074 (FT8 Watering hole) pointed to South America hoping for some TEP, but I didn't hear a thing.  I think we may be dry for a little while. Now pointed at Europe, and I copied a K4 in Tennessee.  I am in Missouri.  So not much.

[WA8NVW]

On the general subject of "Why are all the bands dead?" the answer is usually that everyone is listening for DX but nobody in range is transmitting. Do your part to make a QSO, start by calling CQ!  A lack of FT8 signals is not a valid indicator that the bands are dead for CW, voice, or other modes. 

[K0UA]

FT8 signals can decode when no audible signals are present and often do.  When there are NO FT8 signals, I don't see how there could generally be CW signals let alone SSB signals. Of course Propagation is very fickle. But in general SSB signals quit first, then followed by CW signals, and FT8 will still have plenty of decodes.  When it dies, it is dead.  Put up the tombstone

[KC6RWI]

You got it WA! Sometimes the band is so dead I tune down from the 10 meter band to see if there is any activity at all. I was on vacation and 400 miles from home, but I still found latin freebanders on 27.685. They obviously speak up and use the band when so many other don't even try. In fact when the band is dead I can find those frequencies active. I guess its the demographics out here in southern california.

[ONAIR]

You got it WA! Sometimes the band is so dead I tune down from the 10 meter band to see if there is any activity at all. I was on vacation and 400 miles from home, but I still found latin freebanders on 27.685. They obviously speak up and use the band when so many other don't even try. In fact when the band is dead I can find those frequencies active. I guess its the demographics out here in southern california.

   Good point.  It always amazes me how 10 meters can often be so dead at the exact same time that 11 meters is jammed with skip activity!

[KD6DXA]

On the general subject of "Why are all the bands dead?" the answer is usually that everyone is listening for DX but nobody in range is transmitting. Do your part to make a QSO, start by calling CQ!  A lack of FT8 signals is not a valid indicator that the bands are dead for CW, voice, or other modes. 

I’ve tried several 10 Meter CW CQs over the past few days, off and on as time allows, with no luck. Making CW contacts on 20, 30, and 40 is as easy as it’s ever been, but I was hoping to see a bit more CW action on other bands now that I have my first all-band HF station up and running. Maybe we should organize a rotating schedule: 10 Meter Mondays, 12 Meter Tuesdays, 15 Meter Wednesdays, 17 Meter Thursdays, 20 Meter Fridays, 30 Meter Saturdays, and 40 Meter Sundays? I’ve heard worse ideas! 

[ND6M]

... edit...  A lack of FT8 signals is not a valid indicator that the bands are dead for CW, voice, or other modes. 

Actually, it is not only a valid indicator, its probably even better than beacons

[K0UA]

... edit...  A lack of FT8 signals is not a valid indicator that the bands are dead for CW, voice, or other modes. 

Actually, it is not only a valid indicator, its probably even better than beacons

Exactly.  When you can't hear any beacons, you can still get FT8 decodes.  When there are No FT8 decodes, well stick a fork in it, because it is DONE.

[KA2FIR]

Call CQ on CW and then search to see where you've been heard.

http://www.reversebeacon.net/main.php

[OZ8AGB]

10m and 15m were open for DX this weekend during region 1 field day.

[KD6DXA]

Call CQ on CW and then search to see where you've been heard.

http://www.reversebeacon.net/main.php

Thank you for the tip about the reverse beacon network. This confirms my suspicion that the band isn’t always dead—not always suitable for DX either—but not dead, per se. I think I’m going to keep doing my part to increase activity on the higher-frequency HF bands by calling CQ there more often; now if someone would just come along for the ride and tune around the higher-frequency bands more often to answer my CQs.