I have been trying to get on the air on 10m with my Yeasu ft-991a and am experiencing very mixed results. I can often hear people from all over the country, or even across the Atlantic, however, it seems no one can hear me. I have a 10m “ham stick” for an antenna and have my transmit power set to 100w. The antenna is only about 12 feet in the air hanging off the side of a car port. What can I do to improve my chances of being heard? Or how can I know if some part of my set up is the cause of the problem?
Not sure if this is related but I am also having a lot of noise on the 10 m band that I do not see on other bands, or on my antenna for 2m/70cm.
I’ve found that a good way to test my setup after a change is to check the POTA site and see if I can make any contacts. Because there are so many operators spotted there, it’s an efficient way to see a lot of active frequencies at once. Hunt some POTA and get some signal reports. Pay attention to where those activators are located. Experiment. But without knowing anything else, I’m guessing it’s your antenna.
10 meters on a hamstick can do just fine when conditions are good. My daughter is a tech and has been having a terrible time lately with 10. Keep trying. I hear a lot of ft8 on 10 but not a lot of SSB lately. What modes are you trying?
POTA was a great idea, I was able to get 2 contacts today on 10m USB. Maybe it is simply poor conditions when I have been trying. Thank you all for the advice!