It’s been a long dry spell on Six Meters. As I look back through my log I find that not since last summer have I seen much activity on the Magic Band. But about two weeks ago, all that started to change. And it did so dramatically today.
Over the past two weeks I was able to work a few new grids and actually get my confirmed grid count up to just over 300. This weekend I was delighted to add V31MA and V31AE to the logbook for a new grid and DXCC. But this afternoon things really picked up.
I started watching some stations on the west coast work Japan. I was envious but couldn’t find any of the JA signals. Later, I glanced at the screen and started to see a couple of JAs. I tried calling a few but no luck. Then I tagged along after Dave, KG5CCI, worked JE1BMJ. And he came back to me with a whopping -24 report, followed later with -13. Fantastic!
After trying a few more JAs, including seeing as many as 10 spread across the screen, I was able to work JA1UAV who provided a -23 report. Simply incredible. Later I even heard BA4SI but no contact.
You can see the DX Maps displays nearby. It almost looks like the propagation skipped over the West Coast and landed in North Texas. Glad I was there to take advantage of it.
All this was accomplished with my IC-9100 running 100 watts with WSJT-X into a Par Electronics Stressed Moxon at 25 feet on a push-up mast in my side yard.
I have also watched quite a bit of morning activity from the East Coast and Caribbean into Europe but nothing heard here yet. Maybe tomorrow.
I hope you’re able to enjoy the Magic Band and that it continues to be open through this weekend’s ARRL VHF Contest.
[…] “I wrote up my experience, along with screen shots, at https://k5nd.net/2017/06/six-meters-once-more-magic/.” […]
Great inspiring story and congrats on working JA with your moxon and 100 W via JT-65 on 6. May I use for the QST WA50 column? Any additional comments ?
73 — Jon N0JK
Hi Jon,
I’d be delighted to have my story included in the World Above 50 MHz column. I’ve been amazed to watch the incredible openings this week and last week into Europe and the Far East. Watched this evening as a big JA opening hit the upper Midwest. I’m looking forward to hearing about the propagation theories behind these openings. I sure hope it holds for the ARRL VHF June Contest that starts tomorrow. Good luck in the contest. I hope to work you.
73, Jim, K5ND
[…] JT65, into a Moxon antenna at 25 feet. I wrote up my experience, along with screen shots, at https://k5nd.net/2017/06/six-meters-once-more-magic/ I look forward to hearing what your other readers are experiencing. 73 Jim Wilson […]
[…] one example, you may have seen my blog post on the fantastic six meter opening that helped me snag two contacts with Japan. Later that week I also managed to work EA8DBM. BTW — that blog post was mentioned in the K7RA […]
[…] Six Meters Once More Magic — this post captures the magic of working Japan on 6 meters using 100 watts and a moxon. […]