[Hallicrafters] VHF DX

[Peter Markavage]

When we had the secondary peak in the last cycle  (2002 I think, brain's
fuzzy) from the October through the first two weeks of January, the daily
openings were very predictable. From the East Coast, early morning to
Eastern and Western Europe,  11 to 3 to west coast, from about 3 to 6 PM
Far East and Northwestern Canada and Alaska. Evenings generally were
quiet with an occasional opening to 4 and 5 land. During this roughly 3
month period, worked 49 states and 89 countries running an IC-706 MKIIG,
about 85 watts, into a 7 element beam at about 55 feet. Also worked a
number of AM stations using the Clegg 66'er or Clegg Thor, on the west
coast (actually checked into some AM net out there one time) and several
AM stations in Europe. If you hang around 6 meters long enough, it
becomes less "Magic" and more intuitive as to when things are going to
happen by watching the "signs". As we move up the new sunspot cycle,
watching and understanding the things that tickle the F layer with lots
of charged particles, will add lots of DX stations to your log on 6.

Pete, wa2cwa

On Tue, 22 Aug 2006 20:25:26 -0400 Jim Brannigan <jbrannig at optonline.net>
writes:
> 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