not sure how to even put this but ive been licensed since 98 and something just feels off lately. like the bands are there, conditions have actually been pretty decent this cycle, but theres just less... energy? i dunno. got on 40m last weekend and had a nice ragchew with a guy in ohio for like an hour and that was great but outside of that its mostly contest stations and the occasional net. maybe its just my local area or my antenna situation but i feel like the hobby has this weird quiet to it that wasnt there 15 years ago. could just be me getting old lol

yeah i get what ur saying. i think a lot of the casual conversation moved to discord and facebook groups and stuff so the bands feel emptier even when propagation is good. which is kind of ironic when you think about it. i still love getting on but i definitely have to be more intentional about it now, like i actually have to schedule time or ill just end up scrolling my phone instead of touching the radio. sad but true i guess

just got my general last spring so i cant really compare to how it used to be but honestly 40m evenings have been pretty active for me? maybe depends on your part of the country. im in the pnw and theres usually a handful of people around. though i did notice 15m feels basically dead most mornings when i check in