11m conditions

I just seem to observe what I said in my post TBH, we are seeing lots of new members joining on here and saying there from the old days of CB and saying since this lockdown situation I found my old equipment thought get it out and use it please can I have a call sign, well as I said if there from the old days of CB they must be in the dodgy age bracket LOL of this Chinese Bat Flu( sorry Covid 19) so where are they all ,I ,I really thought it boost CB a bit more than it has but TBH in my area it got worse and I live in London built up area, anyway, as for Captain Fantastic siad he can hear Australia and Newcastle stations that's another thing I've noticed Europe seems to be getting alot more better conditions than the UK for some reason why I dont know but I've noticed this has been going on for a very long time , sometimes I've heard faint French stations calling out on T5 (27:555 usb) and getting some really good far off DX copies ie: Turkey ,Greece even USA  which 5/10 year ago i use get stuff like that with ease, I know  because I can hear the French station return the call signs thats calling and QSY now I know everyone say it's the conditions but the UK has had crap conditions for months and when you think France is only 25 mile away from us across the channel  makes you think what's happening with radio in the UK

Little bit in Holyhead.
Problem i have today is spoilt for choice Victor but not much of anything anyway lol.
Kid in a sweet shop springs to mind 

It's all the Chinese rubbish we buy in the UK Martin - wiping out all our radio!
Perhaps that explains why our European cousins get better reception that us?
I used to be able to pick up back of the box stuff 'back in the day' but now have to fight off S5-S7 of hash!

Morning Alan mate.
Look at that shiny new Ham callsign on your profile!

I know what you mean, got my ticket and spoiled for choice.
"What band? What frequency? What mode? Arrgghh! I want them all!!!"

Just listening for now.
Like the first day back in the late 70's and never keyed a mic in my life all new to me.

Ha! Ha!
You enjoy a good listen Alan. So nice being 'licensed' and being able to key up though.
That callsign will roll of your tongue quicker than anything mate

Actually Victor for the past week or so when I have had a listen I haven't had any Chinese electrical interference at all had very flat baseline ,just **** all voices .

Hey guys - I'm one of those "revived CB'ers" but I like to believe I'm making an effort!

I'm currently able to listen every day, and have joined many rounds locally, and can speak to someone local every day if I wish - all despite being in a foreign country and having to speak the local language on air (which I do very poorly IMO, but they tolerate me)!

I don't have a licence which precludes me from doing certain things, and the likelihood of getting one here is quite slim. I watch a local kiwiSDR to see what's going on. Ultimately I'm limited to 4W/12W ssb and on the EU frequencies.

My goal is to DX with one of you UK CT'ers so I can then brag about it right here    hence chiming in when I see the conditions coming in. Fingers crossed!

Ian

Yeah, have to admit Martin that I don't hear a lot of UK stuff. When the prop is in I assume 'dead zone' from the UK side and when there's no prop I assume no one's on.
I did shout out for months on PMR every Sunday at 8pm as there was supposed to be a 'happening' and never got a thing?!? Even went out on the scoot to raise myself another 700ft and still got nothing! Gave up that malarkey in the end

Hi Ian,

Good for you for trying mate and using a second language with the locals

Here's hoping you get a good UK CT contact one day.
(We've got a nice midwinter 'skip' coming, usually happens around Xmas time!)

Hey Victor - OK looking forward to see if we get that skip!

My local range is about 60km which gives me a good coverage depending on the direction and mountains in the way - I guess that could be more than most folks int he UK?

The Swiss take CB quite seriously, and in many ways it is more like licensed radio (in fact it was only license-free since 1 Jan 2013 so perhaps this explains it as they are/were licensed users). There is no swearing or music, the rounds are well organised and even impromptu rounds are orchestrated by a natural leader who always knows how to do it.

By comparison I listen in to the Jodrell Bank SDR and wonder what the guys on Ch19 are smoking...

The guys on the 19 are all on some sort of medication Ian LOL , its really weird for me because back say 5 or so years I use to get Switzerland quite a bit and with ease especially on SSB acationally on FM too and even with a bit of interference but as I said I dont seem to get hardly anything now apart from my freak conditions copy the other week in to Brazil and even that wasn't planned it was just luck.

Victor  I've given up on trying for anything on PMR ,I actually wonder how people get these so called long distance copys on it , I've tried and I never have even with antennas up very high and being on high ground too ,I tried once with a mate to use PMR  down the road from me is very high footbridge that cross a duel carriageway I stood in the middle of the bridge my mate was about 1mile away and in line of site too we could just about hear each other we was both using GT-3TP ,I even went to Alexandra Palace as it's about 15 min car drive from me in fact I can see it a bit from my home and that is highest point in London and I listen called out and got nothing so I think that's another special few that use it because you dont get any random copys on it.

Ha! Ha!
You're right there Ian, some of the UK lot are definitely on some sort of medication!
I had heard the Swiss take things responsibly/seriously, we're so 'liberated' over here it's all fallen flat on it's face!

Martin,
I tried out PMR with a mate and we managed about 20 miles on it, but that was a bit over the 500mW
So I know I've got a bit of range but there was no one on in months of calling. Hence giving it up as a bad lot.

Somewhere in the UK there's a little huddle of CBers and PMRers if the Net reports are anything to go by?

Anyway Gents, been nice to chat.
I have a Sunday roast calling me soon, then a good crash on the sofa with the missus following suit 


Enjoy your Sunday!

3/136/64 div on the band now.
t.

Good stuff, Trevor.

I switched my HF rig on last Sunday checking through 20m and 40m and all I could hear was "Contest" "Contest" on the bands, turning to T5, which was really busy, the first thing I heard, again, was "Contest".(all be it a different contest I would imagine)
I hit a memory button and leaving the radio (SS9900) on 26.285 and no sooner had I sat down than I heard a station calling C.Q. to which I replied agreeing to QSY to 26.295 we made contact.
The station was a chap called John, 30FT01 on the Southern coast of Spain within five miles of where you cross for Gibraltar at LaLinea, what really stood out to me was he was using a homebrew dipole.

We managed a few overs before the propagation dropped out and he was gone, I think he was as pleased as I was to make the contact this late into the year and once again the benefit of giving 26.285 a try stands out to me.

Nice one Alan

Yeah, "CQ Contest! CQ Contest", followed by "Repeat please! Repeat please!", and then strangely, "Yes, 5-9 my friend, 5-9!"
(How the heck is a 'repeat please' a 5/9?)

Glad you had a good QSO and a reminder for me to check out those 'lows' now and then

On T5 ATM 302 div (Asiatic Russia) ,165 div (Sardinia) ,and Balearic Islands all pretty strong

15:01 GMT 26Nov 27385 LSB  2div (USA) was coming in very sporadic but clear but dropped out after 10mins or so .

Alan - Mirror Man wrote:

I switched my HF rig on last Sunday checking through 20m and 40m and all I could hear was "Contest" "Contest" on the bands, turning to T5, which was really busy, the first thing I heard, again, was "Contest".(all be it a different contest I would imagine)
I hit a memory button and leaving the radio (SS9900) on 26.285 and no sooner had I sat down than I heard a station calling C.Q. to which I replied agreeing to QSY to 26.295 we made contact.
The station was a chap called John, 30FT01 on the Southern coast of Spain within five miles of where you cross for Gibraltar at LaLinea, what really stood out to me was he was using a homebrew dipole.

We managed a few overs before the propagation dropped out and he was gone, I think he was as pleased as I was to make the contact this late into the year and once again the benefit of giving 26.285 a try stands out to me.

Hello Alan,

Great to hear you are making contacts down there. i have had some great contacts from working around there. Try having a listen on 26.420 (USB) for the Charlie Oscars ( Canadian Outlaws). Always some good contacts into 9 and 2 div.

NUBSTER wrote:

15:01 GMT 26Nov 27385 LSB  2div (USA) was coming in very sporadic but clear but dropped out after 10mins or so .

Sounds promising, Martin. Hopefully things are going to keep picking up. 

Just a heads-up, with conditions picking up of late. It is always worth having a listen to 27.515 lsb, as it is the domestic West Indies calling frequency. Some great contacts to be had when conditions allow.