6 Meter Recap: July Fireworks

This year's sporadic E season started poorly. It was easy to become discouraged by the time the season was to supposedly peak at the summer solstice in late June. DX openings were few and weak. That said, by then I had worked at least two new countries -- OD and A7. Yet the overall conditions continued to be surprisingly poor. I lowered my expectations accordingly. This would make 2 years in a row with poor sporadic E on 6 meters. I didn't even bother with a year end recap in 2025. Why report nothing? 

Then July happened.

Before getting into that, let's back up to earlier in the spring. The first DX arrived on schedule in early May with opening to northeast Africa, a little South America and the west coast of NA (W6, W7, VE7). It was another 2 weeks before the first workable European signals arrived. Propagation continued nicely to the west with many openings to the coast and I worked a couple of KH6 stations. Nothing new, except grids which I don't really collect except by chance.

The same story continued throughout June. Perhaps I shouldn't be so negative since there were two or three widespread openings to Europe and west Asia, including several near misses of new DXCC countries. However, the openings were weak and short lived on most days, and I added no more new countries. I am accustomed to Asian openings being more common after the solstice, so I wasn't as yet too alarmed at my prospects for the 2026 season.

July was different. I don't know how to characterize what I (and everybody else) experienced but I'll try by giving you an overview of what I heard and worked:

• There were almost daily openings to the west coast (W6, W7, VE7)
• Almost every early morning there were at least a few signals deep to the northeast, including the Arabian peninsula, central Asia, Russia and the more common eastern Europe and Scandinavia
• On several days I heard 5Z4VJ, an area in Africa I've rarely heard
• Dozens of Japanese stations were worked, perhaps as many as 100, when last year I can't recall working even one, and only hearing a few very briefly
• East Asia stations were heard as never before, including HL, BY, VR2 and others, with several entering my log
• European openings were so common there were days when I questioned whether to even bother announcing them to our local 6 meter DX group
• Many openings lasted far into the night, up to 06Z, for us and for others, including Europe where the opening to NA lasted until almost their dawn
• On at least two days there were concurrent openings to Europe and east Asia; some have reported working WAC in a single day
• One evening ZL1RS was heard here for an hour, which is remarkable since the winter sporadic E season down south is not great for carrying our signals across the equator other than TEP to South America

As momentous as the season was for me and my friends, stations to the east and south of us did better, as they usually do. Propagation weakens as you travel north (or south in the southern hemisphere) despite the signals travelling through the Arctic and sub-Arctic latitudes. Ionization can be just enough to carry the signals but not enough to refract them to the surface. 

Sometimes you get lucky such as when I worked VE8CK in DP22 and a number of stations in northern Scandinavia. Of course there are not many stations that far north in North America so it is possible that the propagation is better than it seems. For example, many evenings the VY0SNO beacon in Nunavut was heard here and elsewhere.

Despite my reluctance to operate digital modes I recognized years ago that FT8 is well suited to the types of DX openings we get on 6 meters. When a station has propagation it is noticed immediately and you can call them. This is what I call the ease of discovery. With CW and SSB you would almost never notice them; who has the time and patience to swish the VFO over a large spectrum? 

CQing attracts the attention of a large prospective population of hams that passively or actively monitor 50.313 MHz. Since so many connect to PSK Reporter I can quickly discover where my signal is being heard even if no one replies or I can't hear them. 

I don't "chat" on 6 meters, and rarely on HF either. My interest on 6 meters is almost exclusively to chase DX. Therefore my operating is and will continue to be on digital modes. I have no disrespect for the rag chewers among us, I just have no interest in that kind of operating. To each his own. You are only likely to hear me use CW and SSB on 6 during contests and aurora openings.

Now, on to the DX during this year's sporadic E season.

Once you get over the pole there is a lot of territory to cover -- those circles are 2500 km apart. It is all far away and very enticing for DXers. Openings, if you get them, are typically fleeting. There are surprisingly many such openings that are brief and only to a small area, perhaps a single grid. This is where CQing or continuous monitoring of 50.313 MHz is vital. You might only get one 2 minute opportunity per year. Whether you want to take the time required to catch these openings is up to you.

I posted screen captures of two such contacts: BG6GQE on July 29 and EX9QT on July 13. The map is easily overcrowded so I separated the messages from UK8OM on July 6. We didn't work although I heard him again another day but only one decoded message. I got lucky in all of these and other cases. 

I knew they were on since other stations scattered to the east and south of me were heard either calling or working them at various times. It was often the case that just one at a time could hear and work these over-the-pole stations. It's spotlight propagation in action. It was difficult not to get frustrated staring at a monitor pane devoid of DX signals while seeing others working them.

This contact with southern China on July 19 was interesting. The path over the pole is more than 12,000 km. A moderate but long duration solar flare was in progress at the time. Was it coincidence or cause-and-effect? Although X-ray flares are typically bad for HF propagation, unless severe (X class) there may be little effect at 50 MHz. Occasionally a moderate flare can enhance VHF propagation by temporarily raising the MUF without an excess of ionization that absorbs signals. Was this an example of that?

It is foolhardy to derive a general rule from a single data point. Some will nevertheless make the leap. In this case I suspect that it was no more than coincidence. Many stations this year experienced these brief, long distance over-the-pole openings when the X-ray flux was low. 

VR2KW, who is very close BD7IS, is seen working K1TOL in Maine. I called but failed to work him, and I didn't hear him after that message on the screen (there were a few just before that one). All I know from PSK Reporter is that he went QRT on 6 meters a few minutes later. That was a shame since we don't get many openings like that one.

He and many others were heard this year and not worked. At a similar distance but not over the pole is the Arabian peninsula with many countries I've yet to work on 6. The only new one this year was A7 (Qatar). I had two partial QSOs with HZ and I heard A6 and A9. Very enticing but that isn't enough to put them in my log.

With what appears to be expanded privileges for hams in Russia and Belarus, many stations from both were widely heard this summer. They are far enough that the openings, though numerous, are brief and unstable. I had many partial contacts with EU and R stations until finally completing one with EU1KY, a new one for me. Many of my friends had more luck with both countries.

I worked none of the many Russian stations heard this year but I have it confirmed from previous contacts with stations in occupied Crimea which count for Russia. I'd really like to at least hear a UA9 or UA0 next year. I know that UA9 was heard and possibly worked from VE1 and W1. I have yet to hear a UA0 even though Vladivostok is very close to northern Japan which is often heard here during opening in that direction.

Speaking of Japan, the openings were numerous, unlike last year. I worked many stations in JA and HL, including stations worked in previous years, and many new ones. It is likely that I worked close to 100 Japanese stations this year, in all parts of the islands, including in the Okinawa island chain. I didn't take the time to count them all. What a change a year makes.

I now turn to the DX stalwart for North American 6 meter operators: Europe. The path was open a lot during July. Openings of many hours duration became routine. Even when the easier western Europe wasn't heard there were openings on the more northerly path through Scandinavia into the Baltic states and Ukraine. The longer paths were the most unstable but also the most productive with respect to interesting DX.

Unfortunately there are few countries in Europe I have yet to work. These include 3A, T7, Z6, ZC, OJ, HV and several others. None are easy, even on HF. I've heard some of them but cannot count on working them to boost my DXCC total. The only new one was SV5DKL who I've chased for a while. We had a partial on 50.313 MHz, then made a solid contact when he QSY'd to 50.323 MHz. The QRM on 313 was too intense for reliable decoding of weak signals. A nice problem to have!

For me the more interesting aspect of Europe on 6 meters is the propagation study one can do due to the large population of hams and the many 6 meter enthusiasts who, like me, push to find the limits of what is possible. It was fascinating to hear the long openings between all parts of Europe and the west coast of North America, and then further into the Pacific. I am sure the Europeans had a lot of fun with it. I had a big smile on my face as I watched these QSOs taking place. It was delightful.

I posted this pic once before for a different reason. There is nothing remarkable about these QSO traces on Gridtracker. They are just the stations I was copying one day in early June. The map is illustrative of what 6 meter propagation is often like. First, look at the intersecting lines in the north Atlantic Ocean. That is a point of enhanced ionization. It can indeed resemble a point since the area can be exceptionally small. It is how spotlight propagation occurs. 

From my experience I have to think that the briefest and most unstable DX paths rely on exceptionally small areas of enhanced propagation, areas that seem to flicker in and out and move from side to side. You may copy just one distant DX station at a time. Later, you hear a different station. Others in a different location, although nearby, hear different stations or the same ones before or after you do. 

I track what others hear since there is a good chance that I will soon hear the same. Notice on the map that I heard a European station along a track that passed through my location (FN24) but not one in QSO with a US station on a different path that appears to utilize the same ionization patch over the Atlantic Ocean.

It's a little like the flickering of the aurorae. The ionization clouds are not themselves in motion, but the rise and fall of ionization throughout the large zone of enhancement can make it seem so. When others see the flickering of stations I pay close attention since I might very soon have an opportunity. Sometimes I will hear them and sometimes not. It's a part of the magic on 6 meters, despite the occasional frustration.

More common are the short, single hop sporadic E openings in eastern North America as shown on the map. QSOs follow a similar pattern of utilizing a single ionization patch, with lines connecting stations crossing at a small area between them. In the case shown, stations are mostly along a single line. That is deceptive since it depends on what propagation allow me to hear and because my yagi was pointed as southern Europe. As is typical for yagis, I can hear stations directly off the back pretty well but not off the sides. 

Internet activity mapping services will show a more complete picture of global propagation. Others rely on those quite heavily while I do not. I monitor the DX spotting networks to discover where in the world there's 6 meter propagation. That is easy and convenient to check without navigating websites with their many options. All I really need to know is that the band is open and some insight into who is hearing what. All that I then need to do is watch and wait, and occasionally CQ to see if I can attract attention.

There were DX openings in other directions this year, though they were less productive for DX from this part of the world. The map centred on FN24 has been deliberately cropped to highlight the circled target regions. Notice that the directions deviate only a little from an east-west line. That is about the extent of what we can hope for with sporadic E propagation. More southerly directions require F-layer (rare now that the solar cycle is waning) or an assist with TEP. Sporadic E can, at best, bridge to southern hemisphere propagation phenomena. Crossing the equator is therefore not easy except directly south to South America.

The Caribbean is an easy shot for us. The challenge is activity. Several of the many countries in the region are very active while others must wait for the occasional traveller with a penchant for 6 meters during the summer season. Most vacationers from northerly latitudes travel south in our winter, which is not very helpful to 6 meter DXers. We take what we can get! One easy shot that I have yet to work is PJ7 since I was never in the right place at the right time.

All of my Caribbean contacts this season were new stations in countries I've already worked. It's possible I've overlooked one but I'm not going to the trouble of checking. My aim was to work stations in countries that are not confirmed since those earlier stations don't upload to LOTW, or not without payment. I don't do that so I go the route of working others. I'm okay with that but others are more impatient with getting contacts confirmed.

Most of Africa has low activity and few native operators, which is a shame considering its large size, number of countries and large populations. Waiting for DXpeditions is usually our only option. The situation is unlikely to change anytime soon. It's the same on HF though less acute. 

Countries with more activity, such as ZS are too far south to be reachable via sporadic E, too far east for TEP and even a challenge via F-layer propagation at solar maxima. V5, which is not too far away, is easier for us. A few hundred kilometers can make a big difference over these long paths.

This year I heard a few from east Africa, in particular stations in SU and 5Z. Several stations more centrally located were heard and worked by others but not by me. Unlike previous years I did not hear any 7Q stations that have been previously active. Perhaps those young hams are more attracted to HF. 6 meters isn't for everyone.

We have more success to ZL located in an almost mirror-edge position from south-central Africa with respect to my location. Sporadic E and F-layer propagation is not equal everywhere at the same geographic or geomagnetic latitude. There is an acute sensitivity to bearing and latitude with northern New Zealand being easier for us than the south island and the south part of the north island. One evening this July I heard Bob ZL1RS for one hour straight with a good signal working many North Americans. I just listened since I've worked him a few times already. I heard two other ZL1 stations but only briefly.

VK4 is far enough that despite a direction that is more westerly I've never worked them. I have only ever been received there (as shown on PSK Reporter) and heard them a couple of times. Australia would be a new one for me, with VK4 being our best bet due to their location. VE3's to our west, as close by as FN03, were more successful. I've heard that their power limit makes it more difficult for us to hear them than vice versa. Maybe next year or, less likely, during our winter sporadic E season which is their summer season. It's less likely since winter sporadic E is poor at our latitude.

In between there is a lot of water. We had several good openings to Hawaii but otherwise the expanse of the Pacific Ocean was a desert this summer. There were stations on 6 meters that were not heard by me.

Robots

As more stations move to 6 meters so do the robot operators. I've even seen longtime ops opt to become robots. They can do what they like as far as I'm concerned, however I don't like what they do to my operating. They pollute my monitor screen so that I have to scroll back to see if I missed any DX, they call me, relentlessly, no matter how directional my CQ messages, and they occupy spectrum with their endless CQs during DX openings.

WSJT-X improved (which I use) has a blacklist function with which I manage some of the problem. To my dismay its limit of 12 stations is no longer enough. Maybe I should put in a feature request to make the blacklist of indefinite length, which is a sad testament to what is seen on the bands. For now I replace calls when a new robot creates a major annoyance and hope that the ones I had to delete don't return. Unfortunately most do.

DXCC & VUCC and other awards.

As I've mentioned a few times in the blog, I don't chase awards. I like to count and chase DXCC entities on 6 meters as on HF yet I've never applied for DXCC. Most others that I know feel differently and will apply for DXCC and VUCC awards on 6 meters. I check what confirmations show up on LOTW (Logbook of the World) but don't otherwise care about QSLing. If I want to confirm a country and a worked station doesn't upload to LOTW I'll work another and hope that they upload.

Despite my aggressive disinterest in chasing awards my DXCC total on 6 meters now stands at 156 worked and 146 confirmed on LOTW. While I didn't bother to count at the end of the 2025 season, I'm pretty sure that I've worked 10 new ones this year. That's a larger annual increase than I've seen in the past few years. It's a combination of good conditions and more activity.

Although I barely pay attention to grids my VUCC total is now 969, which is getting close to the 1000 milestone that many strive to reach. It's likely I'll reach 1000 in 2027 if the trend in my accumulation of grids continues, even though the accumulation is mostly passive. 

I've written about FFMA (Fred Fish Memorial Award) where the objective is to work every grid in the continental US. Although I don't pursue it since I don't chase grids, a friend of mine does. I keep his needed list close by and if I hear one he needs I let him know. He's worked many new ones as a result. 

Often I'll work them as well since, if he still needs it, the grid is rare and attractive in a way. FFMA is tracked on LOTW and my count is rising as a result of helping a friends. However, I don't track what I need so I'll never reach the 488 grids required. The rare FFMA grids that I find for my friend and work myself contribute to my VUCC progress.

I occasionally receive a request to work someone that needs FN24. It usually has to be an off-air request since when I'm working DX that's all I'll work. I don't often work others in North America unless they're on the other side of the continent. Although there are other stations in FN24, Canadians and Americans alike, it appears that my signal is the best, so I'm they one they usually chase. I recall being surprised to learn that I count for FN24 in FFMA despite not being in the US.

I no longer use auto-answer on WSJT-X. It was a useful convenience feature in the first few years I operated FT8 but it has become a hindrance. So many non-DX stations, robot or not, call me when I explicitly specify CQ DX, CQ EU or other directives that I only respond to stations I manually select. It's a little more work but worth the effort. Real operators (not robots) might try once or twice before realizing that I'm serious, which I'm okay with since we all like to play the odds. However, it is not okay when robots persistently follow me around and never stop calling. That's an excellent way to be added to my blacklist.

I want to mention a trend that keeps growing: stations operating remote on 6 meters to gain a propagation advantage. This is seen most often with western US stations renting one of the super-stations in Maine. For awards like DXCC this is permitted as long as they remain in the same country. I find it odd to hear well-known west coast station signing FN64 during European openings. I don't object to the practice but it isn't something I'd do. I don't take awards as seriously as others so I am not too concerned how they go about it.

The end

There was a geomagnetic storm at the end of July that wiped out 6 meters. Propagation never recovered. I had only a handful of DX contacts in August and nothing especially interesting. I don't know whether the storm was responsible for the end of the sporadic E season or if it was merely coincidental. It was time.

I am okay with the season ending since July was so wonderfully productive. It became an opportunity to get out of the shack more often and enjoy the August weather. When the band is hopping it is difficult to wander too far away because I'm afraid I'll miss a rare opening. Nevertheless, during the season I monitor most of the day and I'll often leave the rig running overnight with the yagi pointed north just out of curiosity of what might come through.

While difficult to predict now that the solar flux is in decline, we could see a resurgence of DX on 6 meters from mid-September through October. That will mostly be to South America which, while nice to see, is unlikely to turn up any new countries for me. There are only a few that I need from that continent and they're rarely activated or without operators active on 6. 

For that reason I don't have high expectations for the fall. I don't expect to work any new countries on 6 meters until 2027. I'm fine with that since I have so many other things to do, including quite a lot of tower and antenna work, and of course the fall contest season. CQ WW SSB isn't far off. I have no excuses to get to work on those projects now that the sporadic E season is behind us.