The Curious Challenge of FFMA

For those that don't recognize the acronym, FFMA is the Fred Fish Memorial Award. The objective of the award is simple: confirm contacts with every grid square in the continental US on 6 meters. There are 488 of them. Difficult? Oh yes! DXCC on 6 is much easier. As of this date there are just 57 awardees.

I do not chase grids. The corollary is that I do not pursue FFMA, or any award for that matter. My interests on 6 meters are DX and unusual propagation. That hasn't always been true. When the Maidenhead system was new decades ago I was, as now, a 6 meter enthusiast. During the period from 1985 to 1992 I happily chased grids on 6. It was easier than DXing since my operating time was limited, activity was almost all on CW and SSB, and most of Europe and the rest of the world had no privileges for 6 meters. DXing on 6 is much easier today!

Out of curiosity I dug up the ARRL grid square map on which I highlighted worked and confirmed US grid squares. Keep in mind this was done on CW and SSB without spotting networks. Many of the QSOs were more than "599 FN25" exchanges. It was a different era.

There are non-American grids marked even though the supposedly "North America" map has just a sliver of the continent outside the US borders. But it's good enough to illustrate what I worked up to 1992 -- I went QRT for 20 years subsequently and returned to 6 meters 10 years ago.

The paucity of western grids is due to population density and the relative rarity of propagation beyond the usual single hop sporadic E range of about 2000 km. Since I didn't have many opportunities to work DX outside of the 1989-1990 solar cycle peak (that was a good one!) it was natural for a 6 meter enthusiast like myself to pursue grid squares.

I quickly assembled the second map with the confirmed grids from the LOTW (Logbook of the World) FFMA award page. This time I drew a line above the US grids and didn't mark other grids. I have 388 out of 488 FFMA grids confirmed on LOTW. I may have cards for more but I don't count those (or even look at them). That's a pretty good total for someone who focusses on DX and doesn't chase grids.

There are fewer gaps than I had in 1992 even though none of my confirmations from back then were carried forward. That is, all contacts were made in the past decade, and are heavily weighted to the time after I migrated to FT8. Missing grids in the northeast or within E hop distance are due to disinterest rather than a lack of opportunity.

One curiosity that was brought to my attention a few years ago is that you can work Canadian and Mexican station on those border grids for FFMA credit. That surprised me! Yet that is indeed what the rules say:

(c) Any portion of an FFMA grid may be worked for FFMA credit. It is not necessary for an FFMA operation to be on US soil; operations from Canadian or Mexican territory or from water within an FFMA-required grid are acceptable.

It seems odd that non-US contacts would count towards a very US-centric award. That explained why I was so popular with award hunters. Although there are quite a few of us on both sides of the border, I appear to have the biggest 6 meter signal from FN24. I have received several sked requests which I try to satisfy. Non-DX stations may have difficulty getting my attention otherwise.

Well, that's enough of an introduction. Now I come to the big question: why on Earth would anyone chase this award? It's really really hard -- a potentially decades long pursuit. Not only are the openings to far flung grids uncommon, many of the rarest grids are only workable when a ham roves to those grids, as a favour to chasers, and only if their operations coincide with an opening. I am not surprised that the number of FFMA holders is less than those on the DXCC Honor Roll.

Those near the centre of the continent have an advantage since most of the country is within one E hop. It isn't necessarily that easy since grids in the skip zone, and there are many of them, can be difficult to work. Worse, if those grids are rare and only activated by rovers, the signals of their portable setups might not be good. An aurora (at northerly latitudes) or tropospheric enhancement are welcome but unlikely to coincide with an activation.

Many are happy enough to collect grids, any grids, not only those 488. Every opening brings an opportunity to add to the total. A subset of those will track their FFMA progress and call the needed stations when they're heard, but will not make a serious effort. Only a few go the extra distance. You have to make skeds, join groups where grid-peditions are planned, ask others to activate needed grids, and then confirm the contacts that are made.

I usually don't bother to call rare grids when I hear them (see them on WSJT-X). If they have a pile up I would rather spend my time hunting for DX openings. I simply move on. 

In one case I have the needed list from one friend who is moderately serious about FFMA. If I hear what appears to be a rare grid I'll check his list and contact him. He's whittled down the number of remaining grids this way, moving him a few steps closer. I hope that he is eventually successful. The list isn't long yet it will take him years to get there, if at all. You have to enjoy the chase since few reach the finish line.

FFMA is one of those awards where you must work every entity. This is like reaching the top of the Honor Roll, a clean sweep in the Sweepstakes contest, all zones in CQ WW, or all counties in a QSO party. I don't find that interesting. My objective is to maximize my score or entity count without an unreasonable investment of time and effort. A lifetime investment to achieve DXCC Honor Roll or FFMA holds no appeal. Many would disagree, and that's their prerogative.

Now that sporadic E has once again arrived there are quite a few grid-peditions on 6 meters. I may call them if they're on the other side of the continent and therefore fall within my idea of what constitutes DX on 6 meters. Sometimes they call me if conditions are poor and they are hungry for contacts. These hams have the same enthusiasm for difficult QSOs on 6 and will work what they can. They don't only call CQ!

For everyone chasing FFMA or similar difficult awards, I salute you and sincerely wish you the best of luck. But I won't join you in the chase.