HF Conditions

[clint]

Looks like conditions are pretty good on 20 right now. Just had a QSO with a 59 station in Maine. He was pointing a beam west on  500 watts but was able to work him on just 100.

[MerlinsPage]

In laymans terms,please. Or WTHAYTA

[Bob C]

Translated to CB lingo: "Mercy Sakes, the skip was breakin' the old needle tonight. Had my afterburner on, and was conversatin'  all the way to the Dirty Side, with nine pounds. ten four?"

Translated to federal Gov't lingo: "We can neither confirm or deny that a communication was received"

Translated to Homeland Security lingo: "We intercepted an unidentified communication between cells, and now believe Bin Laden is in Maine".

Translated to internet lingo: "www.maine.com"

Translated to Valley Girl lingo: "Oh my God!"

Translated to surfer lingo: "Awesome, dude!"

Translated to Bill Clinton: "I did not have communications with that woman"

Maybe others can help add to this list

[clint]

OMG, LMAO!

That was really good Bob. Got my day off to a good start.

In my defense, I assume people reading the Radio Talk topic, talk radio.

So for those who don't...

"conditions" refer to how different bands or frequencies of radio spectrum are performing at a given time.
For example the 10 meter band is really bad right now because it depends on sun spot cycles which are at their lowest at the current time.

"20" means 20 meters. This is 14 Megahertz. And is a band usually good for "DX" (long distance communication. Across the US and foreign countries) which has not had great conditions lately.

A "QSO" is ham radio abbreviation for conversation or contact by radio.

59 refers to the quality of the signal received. There is a whole system for this called RST which is a rating of the Readability, Signal Strength, and Tone of the received signal. 5 is he highest rating for readability, and 9 is the highest rating for signal strength so a 59 signal from Maine is like talking to someone face to face in your living room.

"Maine" is a state on the east side of the USA.

A "beam" in radio talk, is a type of antenna that concentrates and amplifies your transmitted energy in a single direction.

500 watts is not that much in amateur radio. Most HF radios out of the box, without an amplifier or running "barefoot" put out 100 watts. You are legally allowed to transmit with 1500 watts.

So.... Because conditions in the atmosphere were pretty good, and the background level of radio noise was pretty low, I was able to use 14.266.0 Megahertz to have a radio conversation with a guy in Maine.
His signal was so strong that it was like talking to someone standing next to me. He was transmitting with 500 watts of power into an antenna that amplified that power and directed it to the west. He could hear me even though I was only 100 watts of power and an omni-directional vertical antenna which does not amplify or direct the signal.


So that is WTHIWTA.

Now aren't you sorry you asked?


What time is it? Well first you get yourself a tiny spring and some hands and......

[MerlinsPage]

Never sorry to ask,
But I think your alittle too lightly torqued, under by about 10 ft/lbs.  Your exit pipe is plugged so that your Back flowing about 90 GPM, probably explaining your friction. I think the watch hands mentioned could help with the scape and clean out. but for what I'm hearing, Might take a backhoe.
One shouldn't step over the log before looking, don't you think?
 Besides if you look out the cave entrance right now you might think its past your bedtime. so lets go grab that little goatskin in the corner next to your bone-pacifier and go to sleep.
Remember those days .........sleeeep. 
No anger intended.

But thanks, I do appreciate , the pertanant information , otherwise