[Hallicrafters] VHF DX

[Jim Brannigan]

I was a Tech licensee in the 60's and loved 6M,. after a long hiatus,  I got 
back on 6.
I watch the beacons, DX nets and all, but when someone asks me when the band 
opens I reply, chicadas....
As a kid I would be out playing baseball with friends, hear the chicadas, 
know the WX was changing and rush home to work 6M.
That is my story and I'm stick'in to it.
6M  propagation is still a mystery, yes there are a lot more stations on, 
but it is still a matter of just listening and calling and  long periods of 
zero activity.
I have a separate 6&2station (S-line and 62S-1) and always monitor when I am 
on HF.
I'm honor Roll and 5BDXCC on HF, but my 40 countries on 6M are the most fun.
6M is truly the Magic Band......

Jim

> Sometimes I have to question the phrase, "Magic Band". With many European
> countries now with 6 meters, working them on single or double hop
> sporadic E is not that uncommon from the east coast. Same is true working
> the Far East from the west coast. A lot more rigs today now cover 6
> meters with decent output. Also, a lot more hams here in the U. S. now
> have 6 meter privileges. Plus the emergence of beacons, DX clusters and
> DX spots on the web, quick e-mail notification that the band is open,
> does not leave too many hams in the dark when there's a band opening.
> Reviewing past histories, watching weather activities, and solar
> activities can sometimes be very good predictors of pending band
> activity.
>
> Pete, wa2cwa
>
>
> On Tue, 22 Aug 2006 18:28:21 -0400 Jim Brannigan <jbrannig at optonline.net>
> writes:
>> I did not get my license until a few years after the 1870's, but see
>> this
>> month's QST.
>> In June we had great openings to the left coast and EU on 6M.
>> I heard guys in the midwest calling JA's and thot it was a joke.  A
>> few
>> weeks later heard 8's, 9's and 0's talking about it.
>> Truly the "Magic band"
>>
>> Jim