6 Meter Season Has Begun

It is interesting to me that in speaking of a beginning to the annual 6 meter season is less anachronistic than it ought to be. After all, here we are on the cusp of the peak years of solar cycle 25 when ionospheric 6 meters propagation should be common throughout the year. But that is just hyperbole --the truth is quite different. The F2 layer DX propagation that I saw during the far better peak of 1989 and 1990 was episodic and never routine.

Thus we continue to speak of the 6 meter season when sporadic E propagation marches towards its annual peak at the summer solstice in late June. I have already worked Europe via sporadic E (May 1) and more sporadic E openings, if only weak ones and with shorter paths, are already an almost daily occurrence. TEP linked propagation to South America occurs every few days even at my high geomagnetic latitude.

That said, this year's season appears likely to be different from those during the trough of the solar cycle. The reasons go beyond the rising solar flux index. It is worth reviewing those reasons now that DX propagation is beginning on paths other than the usual north-south TEP-assisted propagation between North and South America. It isn't just us, of course, since the same annual cycle of sporadic E is emerging in Asia, Europe, Oceania and elsewhere, and usually better than what we have in North America.

No matter the sporadic E expectations and the various predictions for the current solar cycle, working DX on 6 meters requires dedication and effort. It is never easy. Let's look at why this year may be different and why, I believe, better.

Digital

With regard to DX on 6 meters, digital modes have almost all of it. When you decline to operate digital modes you refuse the opportunity to work almost any DX at all. I've worked DX on CW and SSB over the past few years but it has been rare. That's the new reality no matter your like or dislike of digital modes. That ship has sailed.

The migration to digital has brought many benefits to 6 meter operation, and it also has brought annoyances. It is to be expected that more hams operating on a band will include a cross-section of the personalities in our hobby, which is really a cross-section of our societies. 

Although I enthusiastically embraced digital operation on 6 meters after initial misgivings, I strongly prefer the traditional modes. Each has its place in my ham activity. For example, when I participate in a VHF contest I solely operate CW and SSB. I appreciate that ARRL added the analogue category to their VHF contests. I do not enjoy digital contests on any band.

Increased activity

Many bemoan the lack of HF activity on most days. It is surprisingly sparse. Compared to decades ago, there are far fewer conversations taking place. Activity only seems to spike during DXpeditions and contests. The number of hams hasn't declined, it's just that preferences have changed. The conditions are there but not the interest.

With digital modes and 6 meter capability on rigs, amplifiers and multi-band antennas, the amount of activity on 6 has been increasing every year for at least the past 6 or 7 years. With more stations monitoring and transmitting there are more opportunities to make contacts and, important to many like me, to discover more openings. We now know that in the past many DX openings went unnoticed due to the lower activity and the difficulty of discovering openings on CW and SSB.

Additional enticements are DXpeditions. It has become routine for them to include 6 meters. They may only monitor FT8 most of the time and transmit only when propagation is likely. With internet connectivity they announce when and where they are CQing or monitoring for callers. 3G0YA is a recent example which successfully worked into at least the southern US. HD8M was worked by a few of my friends. I was busy when signals were at their best so I missed them. Expect several rare DX entities to be on 6 meters this summer.

Not all of the activity is always welcome. Consider the many robot operators. We can't stop them but we can make use of them. They are better than CW beacons since we'll hear the robots while monitoring the watering hole. There is no need to repeatedly spin the VFO knob to scan for beacons. 

It will not be long before regular 6 meter activity won't fit within the 3 kHz watering hole at 50.313 MHz. It already gets tightly packed during openings. That should not be seen as a problem. We can use the faster FT4 mode at 50.318 MHz or try the intercontinental window at 50.323 MHz. That is one way we can effectively spread out the activity. When a supplement to 50.313 MHz is eventually needed there is ample spectrum available. 

Over time we can expect that our rigs will accommodate digital channels far wider than 3 kHz, which is simply a limitation of the SSB mode that many of us must use with the current and older generation of equipment in our shacks. SDR rigs will be able to monitor multiple digital windows, one per receiver slice, without the clumsy workarounds that are currently needed.

We can and should accommodate more activity on 6 meters. The technology is already moving in that direction and the increasing number of operators migrating to the magic band demands it. The future is bright.

Chaining

The entire path doesn't need to be solar flux driven F2 propagation. By jumping from a sporadic E cloud at our high latitude to the higher F2 MUF or TEP at low latitudes it is possible to extend DX paths world wide. 

Crossing the equator to the south is easiest for us. It can be done even at solar minima, but DX to the east and west are more difficult. Chaining to low latitude propagation makes the path more likely. I expect better openings to Africa and Oceania in particular. Going over the pole by F2 propagation alone is unlikely in this solar cycle so that will continue to depend on relatively rare sporadic E. Chaining sporadic E to F2 over the pole is unlikely but it is possible. With increased activity this year the chances of discovering these unusual openings will improve.

Summer is not the best time for propagation on the high HF bands when absorption tends to be high. The same is true for F2 propagation on 6 meters. Since sporadic E is a primarily summer phenomenon, chaining is what we must hope for until the early fall when F2 propagation is better at this latitude, if the solar flux is high enough. It may be but there is no guarantee. Sporadic E will continue to be necessary for working DX over the next several months.

Solar flares

Solar flares are responsible for high x-ray radiation. Luckily the atmosphere protects life on Earth from most of the potential harm. One of the ways the protection manifests is x-ray absorption in the ionosphere when electrons are separated from gas molecules. The high ion density causes radio wave absorption on the sun facing side of the planet.

Flaring is associated with sunspots so their frequency and intensity increases a lot during solar maxima. As you can see from the following graph covering May 3 to 5, there are a lot of flares nowadays. Despite this, many DX and North American stations can still be worked on 6 meters.

The effect of flares is more keenly noticed at lower frequencies where HF blackouts occur. As you go up in frequency the degree of absorption declines. Depending on the flare intensity and duration there may be little to no discernible impact on 6 meters. You should take those blackouts as a sign to QSY to 6 meters. Don't be too quick to turn off the radio!

Geomagnetic storms

Flares are frequently associated with CME (coronal mass ejections). Fast proton streams can impact the Earth within a few hours (proton storms). Solar wind storms can take up to two days to reach us and cause high latitude geomagnetic storms. Both types of storms can disrupt propagation on HF and 6 meters.

Those at tropical and subtropical latitudes are less affected than those of us at higher latitudes. Europe is less affected than North America since we are closer to the geomagnetic pole. That said, unless there is an aurora there may be little effect on most sporadic E propagation paths. In the aftermath of a storm, there can even be enhancement of propagation paths between the north and south hemispheres. Aurora propagation brings an opportunity to work grids and states that are difficult on other propagation modes. This is one case where you must use CW or SSB.

Monitoring

In our busy lives we cannot constantly monitor 6 meters. Yet it is desirable since openings are not as predictable as on HF and they can be painfully brief, especially over long DX paths. This is a topic I've covered in this blog many times. 

Spotting networks have gradually become less valuable as a 6 meter monitoring tool as it has for digital modes on HF. It is so easy to discover all of the activity on a band by monitoring the usual water hole for a minute or two there is less incentive to spot. It may also be because it is less convenient to do so since WSJT-X doesn't support spotting so that a separate Telnet application may be required. Don't depend on spotting networks to discover 6 meter openings. Monitor 50.313 MHz.

This time of year when I'm not active on HF or away from home I leave the rig monitoring 50.313 MHz. I check activity occasionally and turn the yagi for likely propagation. I search the decode window to see if anything interesting showed up while I wasn't paying attention. I can also count on my friends to email me when I'm not in front of the rig. Monitoring the band has never been easier.

I don't really know why I am so popular but the act of simply monitoring is enough to attract callers. I glance at the monitor and notice that someone has been calling me for some time. You may be wondering how they know I'm listening. The answer is PSK Reporter. From my announced presence via WSJT-X, it is easy to discover that I am monitoring 50.313 MHz. They want to work me (for the grid?) so they call and hope for the best.

That strategy rarely works with me since I am most often doing other things while I'm monitoring. One near miss was FK8CP earlier this spring. I had called him a few times without success early one evening. I didn't hear him for a few minutes so I left the shack. When I returned several minutes later I discovered that he had been calling me for a few minutes. 

Of course it's far more likely that he made a delayed reply rather than finding me on PSK Reporter. However, you never know. Many of those we call rare DX consider VE3 to be an enticing catch on 6 meters. Monitoring can pay unexpected dividends.

Prospects

From all the positive indications I've touched on, I expect this 6 meter season to be a good one. How good remains to be seen. Last year's sporadic E season was relatively poor despite many of the same good indications. If you have been considering becoming active on the magic band, this year is an excellent time to do it.

I will consider the 2024 season to be a success if I can add 10 DXCC entities. It would be a spectacular season if I can add 20. Those are reasonable goals considering that my current total is 136 worked and 127 confirmed, accumulated since my return to 6 meters almost 10 years ago. Hope springs eternal.

I have a plan to make a modest improvement to my 6 meter capability this year. More on that in an upcoming article.