The point I m trying to make is that you can get on the HF bands and have a lot of fun with minimal cash outlay. If you aren't up to building a rig, look the QRPL email list. You will find built rigs for sale much of the time. When you get on the air following a few simple rules will make operating for you and others much more pleasant. Pick a time of day for each band that will have the least amount of activity.
Low bands are more active after dark and high bands during the day.
Twenty meters can be active anytime so listen first before tuning. There may be a QSO in progress and you can only hear one side of it, so listen for a few minutes to make sure the frequency is clear. If you plan to hunt DX, the best plan is to tune very slowly and listen. Also, listen and determine if they are working split or simples. A major no no , and it happens all the time is for a station to operate simplex when the DX is working split.