6 Meters Recap 2024

There is evidence that sporadic E incidence declines during solar maxima. I haven't looked into the research but I do know, from this part of North America, that last year's 6 meter sporadic E was poor and this year was worse. I delayed writing a season recap in the hope that fall equinox propagation would add some spice to a dull year but that hope is fading. 

Although there is a good chance of F-layer DX propagation this fall, now seems to be as good a time as any to summarize the season. Maybe by writing the season summary now the DX will subsequently start rolling in!

My hopes earlier this year for a significant increase in my DXCC count were entirely squashed. I expected at least 10 new ones and ended up with just two: E51EME and FR8UA. I heard a few others that I failed to work. Sometimes it was a matter of timing, such as when I was doing a chore when HD8M was worked by several locals. My stretch objective of 20 was absurd in retrospect. 

I was confident that an average sporadic E season combined with additional F-layer propagation due to the high solar flux would carry me to my DX objective. Although solar flux dramatically increased, boding well for the remainder of the current solar maximum, and 10 meters has been very good, it didn't carry to 50 MHz. It isn't easy for the MUF to bridge that frequency gap of close to an octave.

Those at lower geomagnetic latitudes did better. Although FN24 is almost exactly midway between the equator and north pole, the same is not true of our geomagnetic location. Follow the lines of constant magnetic inclination (isoclinics) and all of Europe below Scandinavia and northern Scotland are further "south". Since envy is not an effective strategy we can only do the best with what we get.

That is not to say it was all doom and gloom. We experienced periods of fascinating and tantalizing  propagation. That it didn't always translate to DX in the log does not diminish my interest. Fleeting propagation due to as yet only partially understood natural phenomena is one of the attractions of 6 meters.

• Propagation to Europe was well down. We had only one widespread opening, and the rest were marginal or to parts of west and south Europe that are routinely heard here. 
• Openings to South America were brief, and in any case I have pretty well worked out that continent. 
• Other than 7Q, which was in with surprising regularity, and the usual west African islands like EA8, Africa was nearly absent this year. 
• There were a couple of likely F-layer openings to the Indian Ocean during which I worked FR and heard 3B8 and 3B9 stations that I worked before.
• There were several marginal and brief openings to Japan which netted a total of 4 contacts along with several partials. The rest of east Asia was not heard, however I did hear at least one Maine station work DU.
• West and Central Asia were marginal several times, with stations in OD, TA, and UN heard. One tantalizing message from 9N is of uncertain veracity. More on this below.
• Pacific stations were absent other than a brief opening to Hawaii and regular appearances by E51EME (ZL1RS) during his two DXpeditions in June and September, along with 3D2 and FK. VK9DX was briefly and weakly heard late one evening.

A lot of the marginal openings are mostly notable due to being caused by the high level of activity. Without the prevalence of capable stations around the world and their willingness to periodically call CQ DX on 50.313 MHz (FT8) many (most?) openings would have been undiscovered. It is very interesting to see those orphan (single) messages from around the world when the band seems to be otherwise dead. True, they do not result in QSOs, but the possibilities excite the imagination.

I don't miss much on 6 meters. During the sporadic E season, and now beyond that with the improved propagation prospects, I usually monitor 50.313 MHz whenever I am not using the station. If there's an opening or one is likely (W1/VE1 hears DX, DX spots or occasional decodes) I will often CQ in the direction of the opening and then check for any flags on PSK Reporter.

The following are a few highlights of openings or at least near openings.

East Asia: There were quite a few openings to Japan though only occasionally good enough to work anyone. I worked a total of 4 JA stations on two separate openings. No other east Asia was heard.

Central Asia: UN (Kazakhstan) had numerous openings though none very workable from here. I called a few and worked none. Other central Asia were heard in northeast NA but not here. Examples include EX. 

On the same path (compass bearing) there were repeated marginal openings to Ukraine and Scandinavia. One time when eastern UN was heard, the following message appeared on my screen:

The path is the same and, on inquiring on ON4KST chat, 9N7AA was working Europe at the time. I did decode a few messages of Europeans working him. Out of curiosity I reached out to him by email to ask if this message was legitimate but he did not reply. It remains an intriguing mystery.

West Asia: Numerous countries were copied, including TA, OD and 4X. None of the openings was persistent enough to sustain a QSO. It takes at least 2 continuous minutes to have an FT8 QSO once the station is heard. On the other hand, hearing a station on CW or SSB during a fleeting opening is very unlikely. You accept the bad along with the good on the digital modes.

Arctic: There were a few workable openings to Scandinavia. QSB was deep with signals cycling from strong to unheard every several minutes. One interesting QSO was with LA in the far north that was in daylight while it was night further south. OX and TF were also heard and worked.

Europe: There are many openings to Europe that are easily noticed due to the high level of activity. Most openings were not widespread; they were brief, narrow in coverage and weak. One spotlight opening worth mentioning was to Greece in July. From the discussion on ON4KST chat, it seemed that I was just about only one on this side of the Atlantic to experience the opening. It took patience and some coordination on the chat to log several SV stations. The opening eventually faded without having extended outside the spotlight zones.

Aurora: There was one good aurora opening in May that netted many CW contacts including western Canada and the US. Other aurora sessions were not as far ranging. Aurora is more common during a solar maximum so we can expect more for the next two years. It isn't DX but I enjoy it nevertheless.

Central America: While not rare, it was nice to be able to work TI on both CW and SSB. These days I don't often bother with the traditional modes but when propagation is good these modes easily outperform digital. The QSOs are fast and they're fun. If F2 propagation really gets going, you can expect to find me on CW and SSB more often.

West: There were a surprisingly large number of openings to western NA, including one to Hawaii. I only worked one KH6 but a large number of W6, W7 and VE7 stations were worked this season. I don't think I've ever worked so many west coast stations in previous sporadic E seasons. It was great for grid hunters, which I am not, yet it was difficult to resist calling several of the rare ones.

South America: Every second or third day for the past few weeks we've heard a few weak SA stations in the late afternoon. This is typical equinox propagation. It was poorer than expected for the high solar flux. I enjoy working SA even though I've worked all the easy ones. As noted earlier, I missed HD8M. CB0ZA was never heard here.

The CY9C DXpedition was an easy shot from here. I worked them on a previous DXpedition so I stayed out of the pile ups. The path was more difficult for many others. Of course there are countries and DXpeditions that are difficult for us and relatively easy for others to work on 6 meters.

Arras, C. & Resende, Laysa & Kepkar, Ankur & Senevirathna, Gethmini & Wickert, Jens. (2022). Sporadic E layer characteristics at equatorial latitudes as observed by GNSS radio occultation measurements. Earth, Planets and Space. 74. 10.1186/s40623-022-01718-y.

Where do we go from here? What are the prospects for better DX? There are readers closer to the equator (the geomagnetic equator) who are already experiencing good propagation and may be wondering what I'm complaining about. It isn't just high-MUF but also sporadic E. Compare the above chart of global sporadic E incidence with the earlier one showing geomagnetic isoclines. Do you see the similarity?

My primary interest on 6 meters is DX. My DXCC total now stands at 139 worked and 128 confirmed (LoTW) since my return to the magic band in 2017, and I am reaching the point of diminishing returns. I want more, but it won't be easy.

As I write these words the solar flux is 275 and there was a suspected F2 opening to western Europe occurred earlier in the day. I will keep monitoring 50.313 MHz for signs of openings, turning the yagi throughout the day to the most likely directions for DX openings. October and November are excellent months for F2 propagation in the northern hemisphere, so I am hopeful. I recall the pattern from the 1989/90 solar maximum.

6 meter DX has been poor so far this year but there could be fireworks ahead.