Trolling different bands





Let me preface this by saying my first HF rig bit the dust right after Field Day last year. I couldn't even usx it for Lighthouses on the Air!! So I was off HF from the end of June until a few weeks ago when Isaac visited from Germany and we hooked up my Yaseu FT-897 I bought of Mike,W2MLS, in December/. Unlike the Patcomm which is a dual band QRP rig, the FT-897 is an all-band, all-mode radio, in other words my first "real" HF rig!! So of course with this new fllexibility and a lot more power. I tried 10 meters when Isaac was here and managed to pick up a station from of all places Hillsdale,NJ which for those who don't know is the next town over. Talk about your major DX!! Although I also bagged Georgia on 10 Meters and a few guys on 30 Meters
It's just something different some new. I would compare iit to fishing in different waters. My old rig I only had the two bands which is the equvilant of having two streams to troll. with this new rig, I can explore deeper waters and go after bigger fish. That's just not longer distances but with the old rig I was only limited to 20 and 40 which meant I was jumping over th e semi-local stuff like New England and upstateNew York, although last year there was a local band opening. Now with the different bands I can hop around a little and troll the big waters!! So keep an eye out on the waterfall for this fisherman looking for his next catch!!

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