6 METERS

DXing FROM THE EDGE (the edge of the black hole).

CYCLE 19 & 20

I was licensed in 1956 in Sioux Falls SD. After advancing from novice to general, I was first turned on to 6 meters by Ed Tilton’s column in QST, The World Above 50MHz. Even though cycle 19 had the best propagation ever, I unfortunately missed most of it. Cycle 19 started april of 1954 I was busy with High School and girls. Even so, I managed to work 48 states on 6 meters AM. Cycle 20 started october 1964 about 1 year after i got out the the US ARMY. this was a transition time in ham radio going from AM to SSB, Heathkit and Swan both had 100watt transcievers for 6m. Cycle 20 turned out to be a NON PERFORMER for 6m but i did manage to work hf dxcc back then and some 6M dx into the carribean and South America.

CYCLE 21

From Sioux Falls, I moved to Minneapolis in the fall of 1969. Cycle 21 officially began around June 1976. Incidentally, most of Europe was not permitted on 6 meters. I didn’t resume serious 6 meter activities until 1978. During that year a great auroral E opening to KL7 occurred. It was a late September evening and the opening went on for hours. Several KL7s were worked and that made state number 49. At that time, I was running a 4 el yagi at 40 feet and a TS600 with an 80 watt brick. By the time cycle 21 ended, my total was 47 DX entities, WAC and WAS #197.

Newly worked during cycle 21: 27 entities in NA including KP5 and KZ5 8 entities in SA including HC8 and HK0 2 entities in EU (EI2W still had a license from cycle 19). TF3SG showed up one day and was a big surprise. G6SIX, was a pirate, that even QSLed. A ZB2 showed up later. He ran a beacon that we heard many times but no QSO. 4 entities on AF: C5, EL, V5 and ZS6. Jimmy, W6JKV at C5AEH, was a good catch. He set the 6 meter world on fire with his expedition. He had a booming signal for many days. At the same time, there were many ZS6s with loud signals. 1 entity in Asia, JA (lots of them worked, some with 100mw). 4 entities in Oceania: KH2, KH6, T32, and KX6. There were lots of openings to these locations. I also did some cross-band QSOs to EU. I transmitted on 6 meters and listened on 10 meters. It was fun but it didn’t count for anything. 28.885 MHz was established as a 6 meter liaison frequency to pass on information about propagation and it worked well. WWV was used for flux numbers and flare reports. QST and CQ magazines were always a couple of months behind so they didn’t help much.

CYCLE 22 Started September 1986

Europe just got the band and hopes were very high on working some new ones. We used the TV video carriers on 48.250 MHz and 49.750 MHz as propagation indicators for working Europe and Africa. 28.885 MHz was even more useful for passing 6 meter information. You could tune plus or minus the frequency anytime and hear someone talking about 6 meters. Several people had 6 meter newsletters for passing along information. I worked a G0/EA8 but found out later it was not a legal QSO. We also heard the OX beacons many times but no operators there. In 1988, I got my first F2 layer DX: OA8ABT (Darrol , AJ5T in Peru). When it ended in 1995, I had worked 42 new ones, 89 total . 6 meter DXCC #1 was awarded to K5FF and #2 to her husband, W5FF. During this cycle I was using a 4/4@40ft and 52 ft and a KW. Even so, the east coast was “killing us” in the midwest. They had 3 or 4 times the number of openings to Europe. It was very frustrating; similar to working 160 meters and 80 meters here.

Newly worked during the cycle: 13 entities in NA: including YV0 8 entities in SA: including PY0FF 10 entities in Europe: It was tough here because many were running 10 watt transverters, and verticals or dipoles for antennas. Again, the east coast wins!!! 9 entities in Africa: 5N0, 6W1, 7Q7, 9L1, A22, CT3, D44, Z23, and ZS9. 0 new ones in Asia: just a lot of JA’s as usual 3 entities in Oceania: KH3, VK4, and ZL About 75 different entities were heard or worked during this cycle

CYCLE 23 Started May 1996

With the advent of the internet, the information age was here. 28.885 MHz was no longer useful; hardly any information passed there anymore. Now the DX clusters were in full swing. All kinds of propagation aids were available to monitor the solar flux, sunspots and flares. With new transceivers available that included 6 meters, the Europeans were now running 100 watts or more with better antennas. Still, the east coast would work them all morning and we heard nothing. The cycle got off to a slow start; many thought it would be another cycle 20.

LOCAL INTERFERENCE

Channel 2 installed a new solid state transmitter; it turned out to be a wide band noise generator. With the antenna pointed easterly from 75 degrees to 135 degrees, it raised my noise floor to S4. However, I did manage to work a few strong Africans through it. For example, 9G5AN (operator Arliss, W7XU) was contacted. Thanks, Arliss.

The first F2-layer station worked in this new cycle was VP6BR, Pitcairn Island on 2 April 2000. That fall, 1 November 2000, I worked FR1AN and FR5DN on Reunion Island, a distance of 16,160 km. This was my best DX on 6 meters.

4 new entities in NA including TI9 3 new entities in SA: VP8, CE0Y, CE0Z 12 new entities in EU: including JW,9A and 9H1 4 new entities in AF: EH8, FR, TR, 9G5 Zero in Asia again but lots of JA’s. Some JA’s were worked in January and February which is unusual. In past cycles, they were usually not heard past December. 3 new entities in Oceania: VP6, KH8, KH0 Over 95 entities were worked or heard during this cycle.

SOME INTERESTING 6 METER PROPAGATION OBSERVATIONS

Long-path to JA on 18 October 2001 at 14:23 GMT: the beam heading was about 150 degrees. There were more European openings in November/December of 2001 and January 2002 than ever before. When I worked OY9JD on an F2 path, his signal sounded like aurora, I had never heard this before on 6 meters. I heard a 5B4 but he was not workable. That would have been my second Asian. OH was also heard but not worked. Lots of side scatter (crooked path) signals were heard and worked. Many were 30 degrees off true heading. One day we worked Europe with the beam pointing 100 degrees. This is one reason they call 6 meters the MAGIC BAND!!

THE SWEET SPOT

As I stated before, we are on the edge of the black hole. The 40 degree latitude line, which splits grid fields EN and EM, seems to be the sweet spot. Anyone who is located up to 4 grids ( degrees) north of the line or up to 10 grids ( degrees) south of the line out to about 100 degrees west longitude for both F2 and Es are in the North American SWEET SPOT. This is my opinion after many years of observation and study. I also believe this holds true for HF propagation. I guess I need to move south before the next peak.

SOLAR FLUX NUMBERS

Generally speaking, over the last 3 cycles I have found that the SFI (solar flux index) needs to be around 200 for several days for Minnesota to experience 6 meter DX. Some openings only last for a few minutes. So if you’re not there at that moment, you missed it. Finally, 99.9% of F2 DX openings occur during daylight hours; so adjust your work hours accordingly.

AURORAL E

This happens after a strong aurora; point your beam north, northeast or northwest and look for beacons from VE8, KL7,OX, etc. Many KL7s are on 6 meters and workable on SSB & CW. This usually happens from 10 pm local up to about 3 am local time.

SUMMER Es

(Sporadic E) These openings start in late May thru July. Here in Minnesota, we can always pick off at least a dozen DXCC entities each summer. We mostly work North America and the Caribbean. From time to time, the propagation gods give us Europe and North Africa. However, these openings are few and far between. Despite rare, long distance Es DX openings here, the east coast regularly works Europeans and Africans during the summer on these paths. Some have even worked DXCC on summer Es. Lefty, K1TOL, has accomplished this.

DXpeditions & SSB vs CW

A big thank you goes to Jimmy, W6JKV and to Arliss, W7XU for their DXpeditions. Without them and many others, many of us would not have worked DXCC. I counted 20 DXpeditions over 3 cycles. I worked 37 entities on CW and 78 on SSB. CW is here to stay.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO WORK DX ON 6 METERS?

Time and the right timing. Note that the best F2 months are November, December, January and March. Best times are 7 am to noon for Europe, South America and Africa. Noon to dark is best for KH6 and KL7. JA’s: about 4 pm local. Best Es months are May, June and July. Best times are 7 am to 10 am and 3 pm to 7 pm local. Every year many Caribbean and North American entities are available. Antenna and Power: 100 watts and 4 elements at 40 feet will do. But, bigger is better as you all know and sometimes you only get one chance!!

Location, location, location always helps a lot.

Good luck on your 6 meter efforts.

73 de Chuck, K0SQ (ex-K0GJX)