[SixClub] Sporadic-E Contacts

[Steven Coles]

All,

During high sunspot activity Benton Harbor Lunch-Box Sixers (AM, 5-watt
transmitter, and superegenrative receiver) with a 3-element beam were
fine for sporadic-E propagation between Seattle and San Francisco. That
was during the sunspot maximum ~11 years after the IGY—so about 1968 or
1969. During sporadic-E a skip station will sometimes be an S unit or 2
stronger than an equivalent station 15 miles away over 200-foot hills.
So if you can QSO with a station 15 miles away, you can generally work E
skip.

At that time 6-meter operators had a huge advantage for catching
openings. 6 meters was the favorite band for VHF home brew.
Consequently, a city of 150,000 residents had multiple technical rag
chews in progress every evening. (Actually, some house wives got on in
the afternoon and teens about 3:30 PM after school--!!! my grades were
bad!) Nearly everyone was rock bound. So round tables required a little
tuning with each operator's turn. With all the activity and tuning,
openings caught immediate attention.

73s,

Steven, KD7YTE