First MSK144 QSO on 6 Meters

I have a decent antenna for 6 meters, 200 watts and WSJT-X. I used WSJT-X extensively during this past summer sporadic E season with great success. On this basis it should be a simple matter to try out meteor scatter on 6 meters. And it is! The recent Geminids meteor shower provided ample opportunity to learn how to do it.

After going through the manual and making the various adjustments to my setup to use MSK144 on 50.260 MHz I proceeded to monitor and make test transmissions. Within an hour I was comfortable enough to call someone without any real risk of messing it up. Soon I had my first MSK144 contact in the log.

Unfortunately this small accomplishment did not excite me. Indeed, I really don't know if it was meteor scatter or sporadic E, which is now reaching its wintertime peak. While monitoring activity with headphones I certainly heard the unmistakable signature of meteor trails on a variety of signals. It is less easy to determined what transpired during my QSO, or in fact in any specific case. It may have been a mix during the three minutes it took to complete the contact.

I have experience monitoring meteor pings in the 1980s and early 1990s when I was very active on both 6 and 2 meters . In the latter case it is easy to be sure that it is meteor scatter since sporadic E is so rare at the higher frequency. However, even then I never did overcome the hump between monitoring and participating. It seemed to require a lot of power and my plan to build a kilowatt amplifier was delayed then abandoned when I exited the hobby in 1992.

I like the new digital technology that makes meteor scatter so much more doable than with the CW and SSB procedures of the past. Perhaps if I were to try MSK144 meteor scatter on 2 meters I could become more enthusiastic. That will have to wait for at least another year. But I will give it a chance. Perhaps my present disinterest is due to the lack in the potential of achieving something unique and interesting that I can do the same or better on sporadic E. It isn't always easy to internally reflect on what motivates us.

Speaking of ennui, I ought to mention that my enthusiasm for winter sporadic E is muted, as it always has been. After monitoring the FT8 watering hole at 50.313 MHz for several hours there was not a single station that I have not already worked. In other words: same old, same old. As much as I delight in the technological and operating challenges of amateur radio I still want some novelty. DX possibilities in December are at best modest.

I'll put the digital modes aside for awhile. For sure I will be back for the summer sporadic E season, perhaps with a few improvements to my 6 meter antenna situation. The main one being to replace the RG213 with Heliax. Beyond that I will at some point return to 2 meters DXing, with a suitable antenna and power. When that happens I am sure that I'll try meteor scatter one more time.