A quick diary entry

Really, nothing more than a review of the past week on 6m band. Why? Because one day, in five years from now, when 6m band will be dead as a dodo, someone is going to stumble upon this report and read it with a mixed feelings, saying to themselves “Should have been on 6m in 2024”.

First point: I should have been on the band in 2023. And 2022. But it is not too late to get into the action and snatch a few new ones while we are at the very peek of the solar cycle.

The second point: 6m is addictive. Meaning: time consuming. Awaiting the next opening to South America, or the US, or Japan could cause domestic problems. The truth is simple: you can’t have them all and work them all; actually, be prepared to miss a lot of action. If your XYL wants you to go out, or vacuum and do dishes, then don’t be a jerk. Leave the receiver parked on 50.313 and do what you are told. Yes, this is a diary entry, and I am speaking from my own experience.

Third: the openings are both unpredictable and selective. While someone a few hundred kilometers away could have a magic opening, you may be listening to noise wondering what the hell is going on. And other way around. The other day I was trying to complete a contact with N5KO in North California. Literally, I worked 30 stations in a 1000km radius from him, north and south, east and west – but not the slightest sign of N5KO. The next day, he was the only station on the band, and we completed both FT8 and CW QSOs. Simply unreal.

Fourth: The Japanese take their 6m seriously. After a bit more than a week, I logged 1,310 Japanese stations. And there are many thousands more yet to be worked.  The level of activity on 50MHz is unfathomable. Here is something worth reporting: the rates. 189 contacts per hour on CW and 225 on phone. Even more on FT8 running 3 streams in parallel!

2024-04-10 0346 – 0421Z,   50090 kHz, 111 Qs, 189.2/hr VK9DX

2024-04-10 0436 – 0503Z,   50133 kHz, 100 Qs, 225.4/hr VK9DX

This is a very decent rate even on HF, during a contest. Japanese callsigns are long, but they behave orderly in pileup, only replying when called. When the band opens, they could be worked with 1W on FT8. The cherry on top are the Chinese! I’ve only logged seven so far, but each contact is special, the distance is around 9,000 km.

Fifth: Do I need a bigger antenna? Probably not. In 90% of cases, I hear better than I’m heard which means that the antenna is working just fine and more gain would make little difference, if any. Yes, it is a home made antenna of YU7EF design. If you are interested, email me directly for specifications and construction details.

And here comes the most important bit: come and join us! Waste no time, get on 6m. Who knows if we are going to be around in 2036. Milk it for all its worth it – now