[50mhz] 6 meters this summer

[Lance Collister, W7GJ]

I have only been on 6m since 1996.  However, my experience has been the same as 
John's - usually by this week - usually the peak of Es activity - we would have daily 
openings at least SOMEPLACE.  Of course, triple and quadrouple hop openings toward 
the Caribbean are rare any season, but have been very rare this year.  It will be 
very interesting to see if we can connect with the PJ6 and PJ7 DXpeditions over the 
next 10 days...

I am not sure why the season has been so bad, but suspect there are a number of 
factors.  Undoubtedly, the most unusual feature of the year so far has been the very 
hot and dry weather in W5 and southern W7, which has basically eliminated the usual 
high thunderstorm activity down there this time of year.  I recall from past seasons 
that we would have frequent Es openings toward west Texas, and at the same time would 
see TV stations from there announcing severe weather alerts.  NOT this year - they 
are burning up instead of being drenched !

Another thing I have noticed (and enjoyed, as far as EME is concerned) is the 
extremely low Kp index.  The geomagnetic field has for the most part been very low. 
I have noticed that we sometimes get some enhanced Es action to the south (and the 
East Coast almost ALWAYS does) after an auroral episode.  Hopefully we will get a 
little jolt in the next week to kick things into gear for the peak of the Es season!

GL and VY 73, Lance

On 6/22/2011 2:14 PM, John Geiger wrote:
> This is my 20 summer on 6m.  I got started in 1992 with a Kenwood TS600, a tube
> amp, and a dipole.  So far this summer propagation from Oklahoma has been the
> worst I have ever seen, and that includes the other locations I have also operated
> from.  We have had a couple of good openings, but that is it. At this point in the
> summer we should be getting openings almost every day.  Instead, we are getting 1
> or 2 short openings a week, at best.
>
> Have any others who have been on 6m a long time seen conditions this bad?  What
> are others in different parts of the country experiencing?
>
> 73s John AA5JG Grid EM04 Lawton, OK
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-- 
Lance Collister, W7GJ
(ex WA3GPL, WA1JXN, WA1JXN/C6A, ZF2OC/ZF8, E51SIX, 3D2LR, 5W0GJ)
P.O. Box 73
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2m DXCC #11/6m DXCC #815

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