so i've been doing this more lately, just throwing on headphones and tuning around 40m after dinner, not really trying to make contacts or anything just... listening. picked up a couple guys in texas chatting about their antennas for like 45 minutes last night. didnt even key up just enjoyed it. kinda nice honestly, sometimes i forget why i got into this in the first place and then i have a night like that and it clicks again. anyone else do this or am i just getting weird in my old age lol

yeah absolutely, 40m in the evening is kind of its own thing. i do the same, especially when propagation is being weird and i dont feel like chasing anything. theres something about just hearing random conversations that reminds me of shortwave listening before i ever got my ticket. half the time i fall asleep in the chair with the rig still on which my wife is not thrilled about

not weird at all. i do it on 80m too sometimes. the old timers down there have some genuinely funny conversations if you catch the right net. beat anything on tv honestly