Well just a small update to this thread. The sun is ramping up as was predicted in it's 11 year cycle and skip is picking up more and more with the upping of sun spot activity. I have been much more regularly getting skip from over the pond in Scotland ,England, Germany ,Hawaii and yesterday a new contact from the Island of Corsica which is SE of mainland France ,West of Italy in the Mediterranean Sea. But what makes all this different than last year is the fact I am not even on top of a hill stationary or at my base station, but am driving to the hardware store or any random place and out of nowhere these contacts appear. I speak to them with my modest mobile setup and they hear me clear as day thousands of miles away. This is all on Single Side Band. Quite exciting if you are fascinated radio from a young age as I am. My wife says "I don't get it ,,why don't you just call them?" I just say ,you don't get it dear. Fun stuff and better than listening to all the bad news or the same old tunes over and over on the FM/AM.