10 m SSB Spectrum Utilization

So did I. A plan is now forming to maximise opportunities and multipliers. :slight_smile:

I noticed that most Qsos take place on frequencies with a 5kHz step (e.g. 28500, 505, 510, … Also in this thread. I will now call on in between (e.g. 28502.5, 507.5, 512.5) in order to reduce the qrm.

What do you think about that?
73 Chris

Chris, I don’t think aligning to (2.5 + n*5) kHz would do any good. Clicking across the 10 m SSB signals present on my waterfall just now, I don’t see any tendency toward 5 kHz steps.

Even if there were, signals are often close to 3 kHz wide, so the lower or upper ~500 Hz of your signal would still be overlapped.

If anything, there is a tendency toward spacing at 3 kHz intervals, which is usually sufficient, given modern receivers’ filters and the fact that most transmitters are pretty clean.

73,
Matt

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Thanks for another new summit in the log, Colwyn. I’m guessing you’re running 5 to 10 W on your activations?

Given my low-RFI, rural location, it’s a lot of fun to pull out the weaker signals when they’re in the clear, as you were.

You had a really strong signal here for a /P station, Tom. Aside from having to pack up and descend in the dark, I would say that’s a good hour to activate, propagation-wise and from the standpoint that the band is usually a bit less crowded then.

73,
Matt

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Thanks for the contact and nice report, Matt!

Not only the band but also the summit is less crowded then, not annoying too many hikers with wild antenna setups and radio noises :wink:
I had the station set up at about 5 PM local time. Maybe starting a bit earlier would have given more time to use the good propagation on 10m.
I was using the usual 100W and a J-Pole wire antenna (vertical half wave) on a fiberglass pole.

See you on the bands!
73, Tom

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Sometimes I get the impression that there is something like a “swarming behavior” on 10m…
The first strong stations can be heard on 400, for example, and then more and more stations appear in the vicinity of this frequency… sometimes it is very active at around 500… rarely around 600 or even higher… even below 350 it is often very quiet.

73 Armin

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I think you are correct, Armin. Chasing on ten involves a lot of substantial changes in frequency, and I have often noticed when spinning the big knob that stations seem to come in bursts, several at a time then long gaps before the next burst. Probably pure chance but it does sound like swarming!

Talking about below 350, there have been times when the SSB activity spilled down into the beacon band. On a few occasions I have heard people calling there quite nicely QRMd by strong beacons that perhaps were not audible at their location. They may well have lost potential contacts that way.

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Yes, 10 watts with a KX2 (when I remember to check) it falls to 5w when the battery voltage drops and typically has that setting on the next activation.

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