6 Meters: Mid-season Update

The first half of the 6 meter sporadic E season has been below par. At least in this part of the world, but not everywhere. I mentioned at the start of the season that there is some evidence that sporadic E is less frequent during solar maxima. While that may indeed be true it hardly seems relevant when the solar flux is so low (~120 as I type this). Even the aurorae during frequent geomagnetic disturbances have netted few contacts.

Yes, I'm griping. My friends are tired of my griping so I decided to continue on the blog with its larger audience. Lucky you (but you don't have to continue reading).

There is sporadic E nearly every day. The problem is that DX is largely absent. What propagation there is tends to only bring in the DX big guns, and they're very weak. Although that's welcome, other than an opportunity to say "hi" it isn't productive. I want (or need) stronger and farther DX, especially new countries. 

My expectations are difficult to achieve compared to most others since I have 147 DXCC countries worked and 135 confirmed. The only new country I've worked in 2025 (#147) was 4U1UN. The path from FN24 to FN30 is short but difficult. A large part of the difficulty is that they don't hear well -- it's a noisy location. It can be quite frustrating to hear them often while knowing that I cannot be heard.

The path can be bridged with rare intense sporadic E or tropospheric enhancement, and it has to happen when they're on the air. Friends have been more fortunate by being on at the right time. Finally it was my turn.

There has been just one widescale opening to Europe. It happened earlier this month. That was fun but, again, no new countries. There are very few countries in Europe that I still need. Examples include Z6, OY, T7, JX, JW). Some have been active this year and more operations are planned. Since most do not have big 6 meter signals or are far north they are difficult to work from here.

What we have had is a lot of trans-NA propagation. The FFMA chasers in eastern NA have been thrilled to work many needed DM, CN, and DN grid squares. The screenshot is from one of those openings. Although I don't chase grids I will work them since they're almost DX and I like to beam west in case the propagation extends into the Pacific Ocean. 

While working the opening I frequently check PSK Reporter for flags in Hawaii, New Zealand and the small number of 6 meter stations active in the vast area of the southern Pacific Ocean. It is unusual that we'd get a Pacific opening without a west coast opening, so we have to hunt for them amid the QRM. The exception is F2 openings. Since the solar flux this year is not cooperating we must rely on sporadic E links to long DX paths. Strong W6/7 and XE signals get me to pay close attention.

It would be nice if more stations would QSY to 50.323 MHZ for inter-continental DX chasing to escape the QRM on 313. This picture of the Icom 7610 spectrogram was taken during the same opening as above. There are a few DX chasers on 323 with strong signals but little else. It is perhaps a lot to ask of stations to move away from 50.313 MHz since that's a great place to monitor for openings. Everybody hangs out there. The quieter 323 makes it easier to spot the rare DX station but only if they're there.

There is no good solution. All I can do is QSY back and forth. That's no different from spinning the VFO on CW and SSB to find stations to work. No one promised that this would be easy! The DX hunt is difficult and that's integral to the challenge. 

Another point is that although FT4 is ideal for strong openings it continues to attract little activity. When I go to 50.318 MHz I can quickly work a handful of stations and then there's nothing more. Although FT4 can be more stressful since it requires quicker reflexes than FT8, you can select the auto-answer option. 

I prefer to pick and choose, especially when I call CQ DX and attract callers that don't respect my request for DX. I may enable auto-answer when I attract a pile up so that I always respond to someone without delay. I can override the software's choice if I do it quickly.

We had propagation to central Asia (UN) last week. As is typical with these long paths, it was unstable. I tried to work a couple of UN stations that were not in my log but could not. I didn't call the stations I'd already worked because so many North Americans were calling them. During the same openings I heard a few stations calling EX and EK. I don't know if they were successful.

I haven't yet heard Japan this season although they have been worked by stations to the south and west of us. There are reports of JA being heard only a few hundred kilometers away so I remain hopeful for one or more July openings. With luck an opening will extend to the mainland (HL and BY) or south to DU.

Speaking of south, DX propagation is more frequent at lower latitudes. We can only watch when W4, W3 and even W2 stations have openings to Europe, Japan and Africa. A little luck is necessary at our higher geomagnetic latitude. While seemingly not south of us, Europe has had numerous openings to Asia and Australia. Their more southerly geomagnetic latitude is responsible. 

Openings to South America are more common for us due to TEP, as it is in Europe (to Africa) and east Asia (to VK/ZL). Since I've worked most of the South American countries I often sit out these openings. They are mostly of interest to grid hunters. I listen to but rarely call stations in countries I've already confirmed.

Turning to the southeast, very little in southern Africa has been heard. On one day I heard 9J2FI briefly but couldn't get his attention. He's been heard more frequently in W1/2 and VE1. D2UY has been heard more frequently but that path is more to the east rather than southeast. There has been no sign of 7Q stations this season. I don't know if that's due to propagation or inactivity. I don't recall seeing any spots for them.

No Pacific stations have been heard this season. Stations as close as W8 and more westerly VE3 were able to hear and perhaps work KH6, 3D, FK, ZL and a few others. ZL1RS's recent DXpedition to E6 was invisible, unlike E51EME last year. Last year we had the benefit of a high solar flux. Now we must rely on more elusive long haul sporadic E, just like during a solar minimum.

Recently my power level has taken a dive. My Acom 1500 amplifier developed a fault and it won't run for long before the protection circuits kick in. It appears to be a problem in the protection circuits rather than the 4CX1000 tube. If I can't fix it myself I'll have to send it out of country to an Acom service outlet. Amplifiers are not very complicated but they are dangerous to work on due to the lethal voltages. In the picture you can see that I've overridden the safety switches to troubleshoot the fault.

For the time being I'm using the Acom 1200S. It isn't capable of as much power on digital modes so it incurs a penalty of about -1.5 db. Considering the variability of sporadic E propagation that isn't a large sacrifice. It is unlikely that the 1500 will be back in service before August.

Where do we go from here? From all indications, there will not be a second peak in this solar cycle, or not one of significant intensity. If I'm wrong and the solar flux rises in the fall we will have opportunities for long haul DX. That would be cycle 25's final hurrah. In 2026 we can expect few if any F-layer openings at this latitude. Beyond that, nothing until the next maximum ~10 years hence. 

I'll count myself very fortunate to reach 150 countries (worked) by the end of 2025. If propagation fails to improve I can at least look forward to DXpeditions to a few Caribbean and South American countries I have yet to work.

All I can do for now is wait and watch. It is often the case that when the first half of the season (up to the June 21 solstice) is poor the second half shines. Well, that's what I keep telling myself!