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Survey Question

Question

If you operate HF, how often do you use the WARC bands?

Results (1856 answers)

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Survey Comments

WARC ? bands

I dont understand why you still call the new bands WARC bands .
They are regular bands and have been for years

With respect
Rag LA5HE in Telemark, Norway

Home of skiing
Posted by LA5HE on 2005-10-23

New bands - 30 m

If you have not yet tried 30 meters, do it.
With a dipole for 40 m I worked Kure there !!

30 m band is open more often than any other band, almost 24 hours a day.

73 Rag LA5HE
Posted by LA5HE on 2005-10-23

Best kept secret

I think that the World Administrative Radio Conference or WARC bands are the best kept secret in ham radio. Why keep them secret? I use a 137 foot offset long wire antenna that tunes everything except 20 meters. I find that the 17 meter band is a gem. So is the 30 meter band. Be patient and experiment with time of day/night. Soon you will get to know who hangs around these bands. More do every day, and you will be pleasantly surprised. After you get used to this, the 40 meter band will give you vertigo.
Posted by AI2IA on 2005-10-23

Enough of the WARC survey

Ok. How about a new survey?
Posted by N4CQR on 2005-09-25

WARC?

OK, I may be stoopid or sumptin', but what the heck is WARC? W=_____ A=_____ R=_____ C=_____. Whatever it is, it seems to be an escape for hams when bands like 75 meters goes 11 meter style on them or something of the sort. Am I close?
Posted by W5LJM on 2005-09-18

I flee to the Warc bands

I flee to the WARC bands whenever some stupid contest is on. My favorite WARC band is 30 meters, and us Canadians can QRO up to our legal limit (which is 1 kilowatt DC input) lawfully on the WARC bands. I must say that I have never felt the need for my Yaesu FL2100z on 30 meters, but it's all connected and ready to go in the eventuality that it is needed.

First, I have to replace the 5 kV 67 uufd doorknob capacitor in my ButterNut HF6V with a 7.5 kV 67 uufd doorknob capacitor from http://www.rfparts.com before I dare going QRO on the 30 meter band.
Posted by VE7ALQ on 2005-09-17

Quiet Bands

I find the WARC bands much quieter (less background noise) than the other bands. For example, on 17m I have a noise level of S2 from a vertical. This low noise is perfect for QRP work (CW). I keep to 17 & 20 meters when mobile. I find relaxing QSOs on 17m. I operate mainly CW except when mobile an then it is USB on 17m.

Mark Saunders, KJ7BS
Glendale, AZ
Posted by KJ7BS on 2005-09-15

Quiet Bands

I find the WARC bands much quieter (less background noise) than the other bands. For example, on 17m I have a noise level of S2 from a vertical. This low noise is perfect for QRP work (CW). I keep to 17 & 20 meters when mobile. I find relaxing QSOs on 17m. I operate mainly CW except when mobile an then it is USB on 17m.

Mark Saunders, KJ7BS
Glendale, AZ
Posted by KJ7BS on 2005-09-15

17 Meter Mobile

I ran an Icom 706 mobile for a year or so and found that 17 meters was the most popular among mobile HF stations. I always would talk to another mobile on 17 during my long hours on the interstate highway. I must admit, 17 meters is my favorite of the WARC bands, 30 meters being second, but I rarely, if ever, use the 12 meter band.
Posted by WB4M on 2005-09-10

Love Them

When the contesting start's there's no place like 17 meter's...
Posted by FORMER_K0PD on 2005-09-09

Sounds Great

As a new general, I installed a 40m inverted V which tunes up well on the warc bands, had the upgrade a week, and now have 47 countries, 10 of those on 17m, i've gotten the HF bug, can't keep off the radio..the warc bands do seem underutilzed..but are my favorites so far.

Paul - KG4TPO
Posted by KG4TPO on 2005-09-09

WARC Bands-17 Meter

Because I used to work in HF propagation for a living, I knew that 17 meters would be a great band when it was issued. Boy was I right. It is a good rag chewing band and the folks there are friendly. It is my only band of choice during solar minimum. I use 2 vertical antennas one on a 65 wire ground screen, and the other on a 120 wire ground screen. Been a Ham for 51 years and worked all the bands so I have a basis for comparison.....Bob K6GKU Texas
Posted by K6GKU on 2005-09-09

17 M DX

On Aug 17, 17 meters, I worked 5 continents in about 30 minutes. All were answers to my CQ. My antenna is a 40M dipole about 25' up.
Posted by W4YA on 2005-09-04

Occasional

It's not that I don't care for them, I prefer to operate on 80 and 160 meters.
Posted by W2SNJ on 2005-09-04

check this out.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hamsexy/
Posted by OLDFART13 on 2005-09-04

check this out.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hamsexy/
Posted by OLDFART13 on 2005-09-04

check this out.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hamsexy/
Posted by OLDFART13 on 2005-09-04

Good Bands

I scan mostly the 10 and 12 meter bands and make contacts now and then. Mostly on the 40 and 20 cw bands where more activity exists.

WARC good bands, I listen, but seems to be for dx only so don't push the contacts.

.:
Posted by W6TH on 2005-09-02

WARC bands!

Sanctuary. Especially if you enjoy 40m.
I love contesting. I may be driving a Go-Kart in them for a few hours, but it's still fun to go fast.
And when I'm done going as fast as my Go Kart takes me, 30m is like a classy lounge with international flavor. At night you never know what you'll find. Oftentimes, when 40 is pushing +s9 QRN, 30m sounds like 20m on a quiet evening. 17m is great too. 100W goes a long way on 17, and you can do voice there. People seem to be less hurried there- it's like that "classy" 40m alternative, but it's the 20m alternative.
Posted by NT4XT on 2005-08-31

No Antenna

I have tuned my antenna for 17, but due to the fact
that it is not optimal on 17, my results are not very
good. I have never beenon 12 meters, but I would
love to have the ability one of these days. I have
never been on 30 meters, but I suppose I could do
RTTY on 30 if I had the antenna. Is 60 meters
considered a WARC band? I have never been on 60,
and I am not sure about the activity, and I don't have
a radio or antenna. Perhaps one of these days I will
use 60 meters, but I doubt that I will use it often.

73'
+Steve/KD5OWO
Posted by KD5OWO on 2005-08-31

No Antenna

I have tuned my antenna for 17, but due to the fact
that it is not optimal on 17, my results are not very
good. I have never beenon 12 meters, but I would
love to have the ability one of these days. I have
never been on 30 meters, but I suppose I could do
RTTY on 30 if I had the antenna. Is 60 meters
considered a WARC band? I have never been on 60,
and I am not sure about the activity, and I don't have
a radio or antenna. Perhaps one of these days I will
use 60 meters, but I doubt that I will use it often.

73'
+Steve/KD5OWO
Posted by KD5OWO on 2005-08-31

Back on 30!

I've been using the new 60 meters since it opened. Use to do 12 & 17 a lot when cycle was at its peak. Now that weather finally got cooler up here, I've just put up a 30 meter YoYo-Vee and am having a blast on that band with a homebrew QRP transmitter and a Sangean 818 receiver.
73, Bill - WA8MEA
Posted by WA8MEA on 2005-08-31

30M antenna hints

Don't let not having a dedicated antenna keep you from trying this great band.

Anyone who might be using a Butternut HF2V.....I've had very good results from several locations with this antenna on 30M using nothing more than the internal tuner in the rig to make the radio happy.

If you have a 40M dipole you might calculate the length of a 30M dipole, and cut your 40 at that point and solder in a clip/insulator or something similar that you can open or close depending on which band you want to play with. Granted, it's not the most convenient for quick band changes but it'll get you on the band.

Or, just add a dedicated 30M dipole, fan style, to your already existing feedpoint.

A 30M 1/4 wave vertical is only about 23' tall. Grab a chunk of wire, hang it from a suitable support, direct feed with 50 ohm coax against a few radials, and you're on the band!

The cool thing about 30M is that lots and lots of people are still only using some sort of "compromise" antenna on the band. Anything you can do to be just a little better will make you a big gun!

Re: 17M and 12M - I've had very reasonable results on 17 using an existing 80M sloping dipole. 10M antennas often work well on 12. In both cases, using the tuner in the rig.

Results with and tribanders or multiband verticals (with non-WARC provisions) and tuners seem to be a mixed bag. I've heard of some guys where it works and others where it's the equivalent of a dummy load. I suspect this is what is happening with some of you who report unsatisfactory results.

Good luck!


73, Mike K9NW
Posted by K9NW on 2005-08-31

WARC bands -- ham heaven

It's been said before -- over and over. The WARC bands are great. 17 meters is now my favorite HF band from both home and car. Great DX and great stateside ragchews. 30 and 12 also offer their own unique qualities that make them very enjoyable.

Although I participate in some contests, I completely understand why some operators don't like them. For those of us who are still working stiffs, we primarily operate on the weekends and folks don't like having the bands overrun on the two days in which they can get on the air.

Contesters have always resisted the idea of setting up contest-free zones within the bands. Unforceable, they say. Maybe. But now we have contest-free bands instead and that's way it should stay!

I still run into guys on 17 who say I'm their first contact on the band. Had one of those the other day -- a longtime ham. I just don't understand waiting so long to try such a great HF band. And the old excuse about not having a rig or antenna just doesn't cut it either.

As the late, great Dan Rather was fond of saying on election nights, "That dog just don't hunt."

73, N4KZ
P.S. See you on 17.
Posted by N4KZ on 2005-08-30

Great bands

WARC bands are great, especially if you want to play radio without having to look for space in between contests.
Exellent reports from the car on 17Mtrs,and very quiet background noise.
Posted by G0VAX on 2005-08-30

Comment....

Someday....once the Child Support ends.
Posted by KB2HSH on 2005-08-30

WARC bands

I use them frequently.
Posted by WA4DOU on 2005-08-29

warc

I've GOT to try 30 one of these days. Sounds like a well-kept secret waiting to be discovered!
Posted by K2JF on 2005-08-29

Remember, 15 meters was also a WARC band..., of sorts. :)

73
George
K3UD
Posted by K3UD on 2005-08-29

Love 30 meters

I love 30 meters, nice mix of stateside and DX stations and NO CONTESTS !!!!!
Posted by WA3SLN on 2005-08-28

A great 40 Mtr ant for 30 Mtrs.

I use a W6RCA Triangle (broadside) Loop that is slightly modified in dimentions to work great on 30 and 40 meters. The Vertical section is 25 feet in length, The Horizontal section is 56.5 feet and the Diagonal section is 61.5 feet. This produces a 1.1:1 SWR at 7025 KHz. On 40 meters from 7000 KHz to 7100 KHz with no tuner falls well in the accaptable SWR range. Slightly over a 2.1:1 on 30 Meters for the entire band. Very little antenna tuner "tweeking" is required. With the dementions previously mentioned the take off angle for 40 Meters is in the order of 18 deg. and on 30 meters in the order of 23 deg. All this with a feed point of only 15 feet above ground.

This is a GREAT DX antenna for all bands at and above 40 meters. Here are some specs for the "standard" W6RCA Triangle...

Freq////TO////Gain////Impedance
7.15////18////2.2/////41 +j 5
10.1////26////6.2/////8000 +j 525
14.1////17////7.6/////150 +j 145
18.1////14////8.6/////695 +j 1125
21.1////12////8.5/////295 +j 310
24.9////10////9.2/////625 -j 955
28.5////25////8.0/////445 +j 525

As you see on 30 meters the impedance is difficult and same as on 17 meters... this is why I modified the "standard" W6RCA dementions to perform well on the WARC bands as well as the standard 40, 20, 15 and 10 meter bands. The "standard" W6RCA dementions are 30 feet vertical, 55 feet horizontal and 62.6 feet diagonal.

Try modeling both in an antenna modeling program for your height abilities and see what you come up with.

I have to say that thus far this is one of my favorite wire antennas.

73 & G.L.
Jimmie
KC8BYF
Posted by N8NSN on 2005-08-28

SteppIR Yagi

Just put up a SteppIR 4 element yagi. Have been trying out the WARC bands - 18 and 24 mhz and having great success. Well worth the money to have a 4 element monobander on every frequency!

gud DX to all, Brian, K1NW
Posted by K1NW on 2005-08-28

Great bands...

Omigosh... I agree with W9WHE. Completely. Hell must be freezing over about now.

Seriously, 17m has been in good shape lately. It's probably our best daytime and early evening band. 12m is a well kept secret. It does have Es openings much like 10m and 6m and, like 10m, has every now and again openings that can be just amazing. 30m is a great place for CW and digital.

If there is a contest and I want to work HF you can find me on the WARC bands, period.

73,
Caity
K7VO
Posted by K7VO on 2005-08-27

I like 17, but don't currently have an antenna up for that band. My next project is a sloper on 30m, as I see DX on the reflector there quite often.

It's all fun!!
Posted by K4JF on 2005-08-27

New Bands

Still full of bugs that need to be worked out.
Posted by X-WB1AUW on 2005-08-26

Great bands

Thank GOD there are no contests on these bands.
Posted by A9KW on 2005-08-26

17m has awsome PSK!

I love the PSK on 17! It is not as crowded as 20, and I still make a lot of QSO's. I love the WARC bands!
Posted by KC0KBH on 2005-08-26

prefer the WARC bands

Yea, why are we still calling them the WARC bands?

I prefer 12, 17 and 60 meter bands for voice and 20 and 30 meters for digital.
Posted by OBSERVER11 on 2005-08-26

WARC

Why not call them the WARC bands? All hams know what you mean when you refer to them that way. They are basicaly the contest free segments of HF and some fine bands. 17m has been in real good shape compared to 15m.
Posted by OLDFART13 on 2005-08-26

WARC

OK, so there are about 15 hams who don't know what the WARC bands are.
Posted by OLDFART13 on 2005-08-26

WARC bands

I'm slightly puzzled why it seems every other topic turns into an anti-contest crusade but I digress......

30M is an absolutely amazing band!

When I find myself operating from DX locations, I probably do 80+% of my operating on the WARC bands. A fair number of DX operations, whether it be locals or expeditions, still tend think of these bands only as an afterthought. It seems I can always get a good pileup going as there are lots of guys hunting for band countries.....and that's simply a lot of fun!


73, Mike K9NW
Posted by K9NW on 2005-08-26

WARC bands

Can't wait to get on 30M (cw) and 17M (cw & ssb)...love NOT HAVING contests on 30M...have new antennas for both bands

KC8Y
Posted by KC8Y on 2005-08-26

You can find me very often on 30M CW and when open on 17 M (CW and sometimes phone). Great bands, especially 30 M got all the good things of 20 and 40 combined......
Posted by VK2GWK on 2005-08-25

WARC

You meet the nicest people on the WARC bands, ESPECIALLY when those contester types get on the air!

THANK GOODNESS there are no contests on the WARC bands!
Posted by W9WHE-II on 2005-08-25

Seventeen meters is a great band for working the lower-48 states from Alaska. Many enjoyable qso's are easily found. I really enjoy this band on CW and SSB.

Strangely, 30 meters doesn't appeal to me as much. I suspect it's because I just don't find that many contacts available on the band. I've tried to operate this band with 30 to 40 foot high dipoles in both Seattle and southcentral Alaska, and just never had much luck. I find signals ham sigs sparse, and answers to CQs rarer.

I'll stick with 17, 20, 40 and 80M as the bread and butter bands during this part of the solar cycle.

73.
Posted by NL7W on 2005-08-25

Waste of money

The money would go to Washington, but nothing would change. I'd rather keep my money

Posted by K0IZ on 2005-08-25

Waste of money

Posted to wrong survey. Meant for the $ for better FCC enforcement.
Posted by K0IZ on 2005-08-25

WARK BANDS

YES THANK GOD FOR NO CONTESTS ON THE WARC BANDS !!!!!!!!
Posted by N9LJV on 2005-08-25

WARC bands

Need some contests for the WARC bands!
Posted by VE3ES on 2005-08-25

WARC bands are the BOMB!

The truely lasts bands to experience what TRUE ham radio is all about.

No matter how bad the condtions, there are always people out there trying to make contacts. Also, people seem to be willing to talk to people they dont know when it is not DX.

Phineas
K0KMA
Posted by PHINEAS on 2005-08-25

Little use

Since my main operating activity is contesting I use them very little.
Posted by AD6WL on 2005-08-24

Still calling them that?

Hard to believe it's been 26 years since the "WARC bands" were authorized internationally and we're still calling them that.

I use 17m and 30m a lot. I like 12m when the MUF's high enough to use it, but lately 10-12-15m have been pretty tanked most of the time. I do find that there's still N/S propagation on 12m a lot of times when nothing's going E/W...had a good chat with a YV on 12m a couple of weeks ago, and I think we were the only two signals on the band.


Posted by WB2WIK on 2005-08-24

warc bands

that is all i use, when i have a little time free, to stay out of the way of the contesters and special eventers, so they can have their, fun.
Posted by AG4HY on 2005-08-24

Sometimes

I used 30mtrs mostly because my operations are limited to CW. I had 140mW output from a Pixie2 for my last radio on this band and worked W4QBE. This is an 800+ mile path from here in MA to GA. I still have it, but output is now up to 260mW :D.

My other radio on this band is an Elecraft K1-4 which has 17mtrs as well, but I have not used this radio yet. My present rig is an old HW-7 which I use on 40mtrs CW.

Ken
Posted by AE1X on 2005-08-24

About 50/50

I use 20m and 17m about 50/50. 10m-15m have been pretty dead lately so have not been on them much. I get a little on 40m too.

Posted by FORMER_W4KTX_JC on 2005-08-24

Whenever possible!!!

I like the WARC bands & have had most success with 30 and 17. 12M is not open that often, but if it is, I'm there using it!!

Oddly enough, it seems with a major DXpedition, my first QSO is usually on 30 meters. I'm running just 100W into a Carolina Windom and/or GAP Titan DX vertical. The WARC bands seem to be good for us (almost) QRP types.

The WARC bands also seem less crowded, at least to me. And more free (although not completely...) from the #@&!*(% deliberate QRM'ers that seem so rampant on say 20/40/80.

I think the WARC bands are good ones and use them whenever possible, for either DX or just casual QSO's
Posted by Daniel R. Dorsey Jr on 2005-08-24

WARC bands

I like the WARC bands no contesting, and when the sun spot cycle picks up, the extra band with is appreciated. But I must say, I would like to see some restrictions on the other bands to limit contesting to a curtain portions of each band.
Posted by KA5ROW on 2005-08-24

I've enjoyed 30 meters quite a bit, great spot for DXing. As the sun spot cycle improves (i.e. propagation) so too will 18 & 24 mhz. Nice addition. Too bad contests are on these bands as well, might cut down on the pile-ups and make it a bit easier for those of us with less than ideal antennas.
Posted by AH6FC on 2005-08-24

WARC BANDS

I use the warc bands more mobile than on the base. Especially 17mtrs, as no contesting and all the hams I have had QSO's with there are very polite and more than willing to help out. A refreshing attitude I must say.
Norm/W2MH
Posted by W2MH on 2005-08-24

WARC BANDS ARE GREAT. I have been on each one as soon as the FCC opened them up years ago. I am still surprised to find some guys have never visited nirvana. Their excuse: I dont have an antenna or my old rig doesnt have those bands. You must be kidding.....
Those kind of excuses are not acceptable.
Get with it.......

73

Mike, K8XF


Posted by K8XF on 2005-08-24