[Wswss] Sunday AM scatter

[kr7o at vhfdx.com]

Seems like it has been ages since I have heard any of the weekend random 6M 
meteor SSB/CW scatter activity that used to be very common up until the 
late 90's.  Sure there is lots of guys trying to work scatter on the 
contest weekends and lots of daily activity with the guys using WSJT, but 
SSB/CW appears non-existant.  When I am around in the mornings I am usually 
monitoring 50.125/50.260 on the dual RX and hear digital activity but no 
SSB/CW activity (aside from the random meteor burst of guys ragchewing on 
.125).  So where are you guys?  Nobody interested in meteor scatter 
anymore?  While FSK441 is much more effecient/effective for MS, it is fun 
to get out there and pound away with the analog modes too.

Anyway, just for grins, I fired up the 8877 and the 2x 6M7JHV's and plugged 
away for 30 minutes.  Spent about 20 minutes towards the Pacific northwest 
and about 10 minutes beaming between CO and NM.  Had a decent response from 
the PNW guys:

1448 N7VC CN97
1449 N7DB CN85
1450 W7GJ DN27
1450 ??DJL (called for a few sequences and never heard again)
1459  W7FI CN87
heard several other weak guys in there that I could not get calls from.

Beaming east (very little response):
1510   ?5???  DM/EM64 (weak)
1511  K6???  DM04 (backscatter)

Synchronize those clocks to WWV, fire up the radios and get on.  I could 
tell I was quite rusty on my SSB MS technique.  It doesn't take a big 
station on 6m to work MS (3el and 100w will suffice), but it does make a 
big difference.   There is a magical power level (>300w) where contacts 
become routine.




73, Robert KR7O/YB2ARO, DM07ba/OI52ee  (ex.  N7STU)
kr7o at vhfdx.com

www.vhfdx.com (KR7O/YB2ARO homepages)