On the FPqrp-L mailing list, one ham asked, “Do any of you use WSPR beacon data to plan your CW communications? If not, do you use anything at all or just kind of put yourself out there and see what you get back?”
Here are some replies:
- “I look at various DX reflectors [dxsummit.fi, dxwatch.com] sometimes just to see how active the bands are, and from where.”
- “I don’t check anything. I get on the air and tune around. If I don’t hear anyone calling CQ or hear a QSO I’d like to join, I’ll then call CQ myself. Guess I am just old school.”
- “Sometimes I use the Reverse Beacon Network to see if my signal is getting out when I don’t get a response to my CQ.” [[I most often use ReverseBeacon myself…Dan]]
- “I just spin the dial and see what’s out there. I’ll CQ for a while on a dead band, but it I don’t hear something within 10 minutes I drop to the next longer-wavelength band and try again. I have HamCAP installed, but rarely use it.”
- “I mostly use VOACAP or CONUS HF BAND CONDX
Dave, N8SBE says
I like pulling up DXmaps (formerly DXsherlock) to see where the ‘clouds’ of contacts are coming/going and on which band(s). http://www.dxmaps.com/spots/map.php
Yohei N8YQX says
I use
http://hamspots.net/
especially for working JT65. It’ll tell me where the activity is, and I’ll know if I’m getting out.