Ham Radio Operators - Caterpillar or Butterfly? - Which one are you?

Here is an interesting topic to ponder. Which of these descriptions do you best fit into? Maybe you need to consider changing? Maybe NOT!

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[wolfhawg]

Hi Peter, Great video. Kind of a David Attenborough flash back. Thanks 73s

[davidportch]

very well observed Peter... makes you think...

[hugothales]

Well explained Peter. I am using my all HF band wspr monitoring to decide which band to start with. That also provides a good indication of the band conditions. Most likely I am a caterpillar operator 😀

[ivanrogers]

Very good advice Peter. I remember when first licensed that all I had was a 28MHz antenna so that was my “Specialist” band. Sat many an hour with the radio set to scan ready to pounce on anything interesting that popped up.

[brianfields]

Nice video Peter. Well after many years on the bands I am now a caterpillar and a butterfly. Like many op, s I don't have a lot of time, so I use the internet like a butterfly first and check the cluster and rbn for general activity from my country, general activity, not imparticur dx activity.
That let's me know which bands are open to my part of the world, always near the greyline, then I turn into a caterpillar and find a clear freq, call qrl, then call cq, knowing at that point I am on the band which will give me a decent chance of a qso, and as I go through the greyline it Normally works well.
Once activity starts to go down, I can turn into a butterfly again, and go to another band which is showing better propagation to my part of the world, this system also gives you the best band to listen across for a dx station doing the same thing and you can be first in queue.
Failing all of that, we can always switch off and have a cuppa and try another day, after all, it is a hobby and the next day might be far better hi.
Be flexible and enjoy.
40m last night seemed closed, but gm3itn called me and he was 599 plus hi. It is like fishing, you just don't know what you might get hi.
73 zl3xdj.

[wbdx]

i choose to do both approaches, and use the cluster as a starting point, this system has had great results for me, the cluster shows the shape of a band and is a tool for determining band conditions however look at who is doing the spotting. just because someone in the uk spots a station in say Poland for example doesn't mean the same station may be Hurd in the USA, thus i am both rolled in to one. i do agree spend some time on your chosen band

[ELAR]

Yep I'm definitely a caterpillar🐛 I go in shack switch every think on radios and PCs sit there and it's the best way sit on a band look for a clear spot and keep there and call cq and stay there surprising some times who calls back nice video best wishes 73

[WilliamParmley]

Excellent -- both informative and entertaining! More than once I've snagged a good contact because I was hanging around on a particular band and just happened to be in the right place at the right time. I have to say, the modern spectrum scope has really made this sort of operating much more pleasant and efficient. One other thought -- sometimes a band seems closed because everyone is listening and no one is transmitting, so don't be afraid to put out a CQ on a "dead" band.

[Steviegtr]

Sat on the balcony at my hotel vacation in Fuerteventura. That made me laugh. Now trying to decide what I am. At the mo a moth. Keep up the great video's.
Steve. M7DOZ

[penrox]

Like the analogy, Peter.. This year, I have focussed on 5 Watts FT4 and 15 Metres with an EFHWA …. You are dead right as managed to hit all Europe, NA, South America, Falklands, Japan and Australia….. just missed Hawaii but still trying. Often nothing and then up comes the signal, and then it’s gone … 😁… Andy G0NKK

[huwdavies]

Very subtle video on how to operate on HF as a chaser

[hfvhf]

I just put 2m in my van. When i turned on and tuned around the band was empty but i put a CQ call out and work 3 stations in a row. It's no good just listening, we must call CQ!

[gregrandolph]

This video makes me want to get on the air!!! Well done, 73’s KI4ESK

[johnrees..GEIJ]

Thanks for excellent advice, as always, Peter.. You could now be responsible for several rare occurrences of butterflies changing back into caterpillars 😊..73..John..G4EIJ

[paulc]

Now watching this made me think, I love the electronics tech side of the hobby, always making things, more than an operator side of it, I'm not a DXer or Contester, I like 6m, an leave it on the Calling channel, HF normally 20 Metres, so I guess if I wanted to be Labeled I'd be a Caterpillar.

[janvelter]

Question ? How do you get the split screen display like that ? Waterfall on the upper side and meters on the bottom side .... i like it ;)
I love the video by the way ... very true what you're telling ;)

[erpece]

I am a patient butterfly - glad to have that sorted out 🙂... BTW - what's that orange E in the top left of your 7300 display? Can't recall having seen that before...

[pieterdutoit]

Hi Peter, Thanks that is the way it does work, zl1pdt

[huwdavies]

Presently I look at geomagnetic info the choose a band and try to survey it

[johnwest]

I'm a 'cat' operator. I manage to knock everything off of my bench before I even get on the air.