6 Meters is Heating Up

It's said that sporadic E does better when solar activity is low, thus favouring the years surrounding the cycle minimum. With the solar flux falling maybe we'll get some fireworks this summer.

I've worked the first DX of the 2026 season. Nothing too exciting and nothing new, but that's to be expected with 150 DXCC entities worked on 6 meters; every new country is harder to work than the last. Of those, 140 are confirmed on LOTW, my only QSL route.

So far this May I've worked S0 and EA8. I've heard other countries including several in Europe, D2 and in the Caribbean and South America. Around the continent, I've worked stations in VE7 and W7 along with several stations closer in. I could work many more if I was interested in short haul contacts, which I'm not.

DX signals are weak and fleeting this early in the season. From PSK Reporter data I know that I've been heard in Europe. I have no contacts with Europe yet this year. The summer solstice, the usual peak of the sporadic E season, is still 6 weeks in the future. It will get better.

Despite the negativity often seen with regard to digital modes, 6 meter DXing is one place where FT8 shines. It is perfect for discovering and exploiting the brief intensification of ionization that transport signals between continents at VHF frequencies. You can't chat over FT8, and that's fine with me. I don't chat much over CW or SSB either since my interests strongly lean towards contests and DX chasing. I see no reason to have a conversation when 6 meter opens; I have other priorities.

To enhance my enjoyment this year I configured my station so that I can operate HF and 6 meters at the same time. My hope with this change is to catch openings earlier than I otherwise would. 

My usual SO2R contest setup is ideal for this. It's quite easy to do by moving the 6 meter antenna to the second radio (Icom 7600 & Acom 1200S) and using it with WSJT-X. The main radio (Icom 7610 & Acom 1500) is dedicated to HF. Both radios connect to the same PC, one using N1MM and the other using WSJT-X. 

To limit interference when I'm transmitting on either radio I switch in the contest band BPF on the 7610. I have no BPF for 6 meters. That will remain a low priority despite its potential benefits. I know fervent contesters that dedicate a radio and amp to 6 meters so that they can work sporadic E openings during contests. FT8 is easy to operate in parallel since it is slow and only requires the occasional click of the mouse. There are no audible distractions to the CW or SSB contest activity on the HF radio.

Although less powerful on high duty cycle digital, the solid state amp is near instant on versus the 3 minute warm up period of the tube amp. With such fleeting openings the rapid readiness of solid state is more important than another 1 to 2 db. I prefer not to keep the tube amp idling all day long, especially in summer when the shack is already too warm. When I buy another solid state amp later this year it will increase my flexibility, and power, in this activity and in contests.

Returning with the propagation are the 6 meter robots. They are growing in number. Unfortunately, WSJT-X-improved supports a blacklist of only up to 12 call signs. I wish it were larger. I find myself editing the list as robots appear to strike out the ones bothering me at that moment. It would be easier to add each of them once.

I don't really mind the existence of robots, I simply ignore them. The problem is that they fill the decode screen with their endless CQs that push the wanted DX signals off the messages received pane of WSJT-X. I have to scroll the screen to see what I might have missed. It is easier when I can just glance at the screen from across the room. So I filter them into invisibility. I find the behaviour of robot operators perplexing but it isn't my concern.

As always, don't be surprised or offended if I don't reply to you when I call CQ DX and you are not DX. It's nothing personal: you're not my intended audience. My primary interest on 6 meters is DX. I don't hunt grid squares, states or special call signs. One of the joys of amateur radio is that we can pursue our individual interests, together or separately, while sharing the same spectrum.

Enjoy the season. Soon the DX will be rolling in. If I get lucky a few new countries will fill my log this year. Working DX on 6 is enjoyable to me even if I work no new ones. I hope that you have success on 6 this season no matter your objectives or station size. If you've never given 6 meters a try, you should. Sporadic E season is the ideal time of year to take the plunge.