Does skip just literally drop off completely?...

Hi all, first day back on the air after almost 30 years. Never done any DX ever before; was only on UK40 as a teenager. Put up aerial this afternoon and switched on the rig to hear stations on USB from Italy, France, Germany, and Ireland, made some QSOs too :-) I even managed to get a copy on the UK40, which blew me away more than the DX because I had heard it was dead around here (pembrokeshire).

Came in for some food, went back out and the bands were completely dead; as in not a single station anywhere. Is this normal? I was worried something has gone wrong with my setup...

In one word mate Yes ,there is loads of technical term to explain skip which cant  do sorry but that is normal there's nothing wrong with your radio.

Wait......You were on the CB when the skip was on, happily working it and then left to get food?!?!?

Joking aside, as Martin already said it can drop off really quickly, sometimes at the click of a finger!

It's usual to get good skip conditions around either Solstice, the summer skip being the best, but we do get blessed with skip around the winter solstice during Xmas to New Year. Most times it drops off as suddenly as it came, (especially with the winter solstice), but sometimes it's worth listening on for a bit in case it creeps back in. I've had times when the skip brings in the usual European stations to the UK, (France, Germany, Italy etc.), but then creeps back later bringing in Scandiwegian regions from the Northern European continent.

We're on our way up the next solar cycle so skip conditions can only get better. By all accounts this next cycle looks like a good one so over the next few years further CB DX should be possible.


All I can say is, lucky, lucky you.....first time back and after putting up an antenna catching some skip!

Next time you'll be a little hungry and bursting for a pee before you leave that radio


All the best,
Victor

And I'm still eating  Victor till it comes back properly lol
Thanks Victor for explaining better than me your better at the monologues  than me LOL,
I tell you SPEED HARRIS mate one thing if the skip comes back how it was for me when I started radio many years ago it will freak you out I was hearing all over the world almost and that's no lie.

That's why I've got a kettle, fridge and other supplies in my radio room Martin
Hee!

It's gonna be great working that skip if this cycle pans out, not only for us 'oldies' but also those returning and new to the CB/Radio game. Let's hope the radio gods are smiling upon us!

Yep Victor it would be nice if the new cycle pans out be something to look forward to in these crappy times we are all having ATM.
and as long as the idiots dont mess it up for us

Noted, snacks in the shed. But I have to keep my wife happy also - happy wife, happy life :-)

Yep, the perpetual quest........keeping the wife happy!

Seriously Dean, well done with the skip and your first experience of DX. Now that it's grabbed you by the reins you'll be gagging for more. Honestly, you'll wet yourself with excitement on the Summer skip!

Some say it's just a "hobby", some say it's only "radio", but when you've felt that excitement of DX you personally know there's much more to it.


All the best to you mate.

Cheers Victor. Back out in the shed again now, Skip still about, just got QSO with Spain

Keep listening, Dean. Australia has been heard and worked on ssb cb in the last few weeks. As Victor says, we are on the way back up to cycle 25.

73s John.