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[VK2ATN]

G’day fellow Amateurs,
I’ve been a Ham Radio operator since 1998 with a couple of good cycles. I’m interested into what your favourite memories are of solar cycles before I was a Ham, and if you can remember what were some of the numbers associated with your favourite cycles. At the peak of cycle 23, I could hear V63KU, A61AN and U.S stations on 7.153 every night for a couple of years. I remember AL W3KRQ (SK).

Thanks,

Anthony VK2NEW.

[K7AAT]

Cycle 19 was my first experience, and most interesting cycle,  which peaked 1958.  I really did not see how mighty it was at peak - only experienced it a couple years down the back side.   It was still awesome then.....  10 and 11 meters was easily world wide....and sounded like it.....a mass of heterodynes....

[WA9AFM]

I would vote for Cycle 19.  I entered the hobby in 1961 with a Novice license.  Got my Tech in '62.  Got on 6m.  First rig was a HeathKit Sixer (aka Benton Harbor Lunch Box).  With a 6m dipole, yes a dipole, I was working the east coast and the Gulf on a regular basis.  Got a 5 element beam in the air the air band went wild. Ah, to be a kid again.

[KA1VF]

 The FCC first authorized the 11 meter CB (23 channel) Radio Service in 1958
which was just in time for Cycle 19 to flex its' muscles so to speak. I was a
fifth grade grammer school kid who frequently stopped by the neighborhood
Gas station to listen to their Gonset brand CB radio model# G-11. It was rock
bound on CB channel# 11 running 5 watts input to a 5/8 wave vertical antenna
and their FCC issued callsign was 1W2037. note: I lived in Massachusetts and
that Gas station CB setup was alive from early morning until late night with CB
channel# 11 skip signals from taxi cab dispatches in Havana, Cuba.
   

[K6SDW]

GREAT question!! Mine is Cycle 22.....I worked "Santa Claus" up in the North Pole on 10 meters using a 10 meter rig (Radio Shack) and a 10 meter mag mounted antenna on my car -- from my driveway at the QTH....Santa had a huge pileup and I was lucky to snag him, I understand he's a busy guy up there!

GL

[N8NK]

Most definitely cycle 22!
I made the best contact of my life on 15m using a chimney mounted homebrew GP with 4 radials laying on my shingles. On our small house.
Anyone want to watch my story? Want to see what I did with between 2 and 3 milliwatts? It's on YouTube, and is called 'a QRP story'.
That was the most amazing contact of my whole 46 year ham 'career'!
Chuck

[VK2ATN]

Thanks guy’s/ladies for sharing your stories.

Chuck I had a watch of your YouTube video and 2-3mW of output power to Sthn Argentina, thats deserves bragging rights. Plus on 15m which is my favourite band, I wonder if that is a distance record for that amount of power. I’ve never heard of a QRPp for that distance before. It’s never to late but congratulations. I love QRP because it’s a challenge. Plus you get to understand about efficiency, re: antennas and feedline lengths... The story about your first commercial radio and home brewed mW and SWR meter. Yep the good old days. It’s good to remanence specially during this troubling times of recent.

Good luck all and stay safe and healthy.

Anthony VK2NEW. 

[AB3MO]

Only initially licensed for Cycle 19.  I remember aurora making it impossible to hear any station beyond CLOSE ground wave distance (3 miles, 50 & 100 watts) BECAUSE OF "FLUTTER."   Back in Ham Radio in 2011, near Cycle 24 peak, and was working the World with a 33 ft vertical with 100 watts on 40, 20, 15, and 10 (much better equipment, too).  A great FIVE years  -- looking forward to the first half of Cycle 25!

[AC7CW]

Cycle 19 was my first experience, and most interesting cycle,  which peaked 1958.  I really did not see how mighty it was at peak - only experienced it a couple years down the back side.   It was still awesome then.....  10 and 11 meters was easily world wide....and sounded like it.....a mass of heterodynes....

I was limited to 40 meters CW but it was still good. A friend got DXCC in his novice year on 15 meters CW with 75 watts and a beam...

[VK3LU]

Cycle 19 definately. That's when I got my licence. 50 watts AM home brew, home brew converter into command rx, cubical quad antenna!
Incredible conditions. I sometimes wonder what sort of results we would get with today's gear and techniques e.g. WSPR, if the approaching cycle is as good as 19 was.

Nev

[AE5X]

I got my Novice ticket in 1978 - golden times for DXing 10 and 15 meters. As a newbie, I thought it would always be that way - I couldn't appreciate that this was special and very temporary. 15m was open all night sometimes.

Here's a sample from my QSL collection from back then:

https://ae5x.blogspot.com/2021/03/41-years-ago.html

John AE5X