My new foray into SDR, the SDRPlay 1B and a Dell laptop. Still learning.
New E/W G5 at 50 ft.
As a six meter frequenter, I very often post spots on six. Sometimes I’m identified too. In this case spotting EU and the Carribean.On June 13, 2016 from 1305Z to 1648Z we had an epic opening to EU on the “Magic Band”, 6 meters. I worked 57 stations and 7 new countries. Was quoted in the weekly ARRL K7RA sunspot report. Also on March 17, 2015 from 1857Z to 2315Z was an epic Aurora event. Worked 21 stations, 10 different states and Canada. The sound of the Aurora was awesome, very strong flutter. My first major Aurora event.
Another aurora event on April 23, 2023 the KP was well into the 7’s and if it wasn’t cloudy we may have seen aurora? Anyway I worked 13 stations, 7 states and Canada from 1946z to 2055z. All with the beam headed due North.
On June 7, 2017 was another epic opening on 6M. I have never seen the band lit up like that before. NA working NA, mid-west NA working EU. I worked 32 NA stations (wasn’t hearing EU) and 2 new states (Idaho and Wyoming). All signals were strong. Mid-west was working JA too, so was EU. Wall to wall stations 2230Z to well beyond 2359Z.On August 4, 2018 we had another epic opening on 6M from the east coast. From 2129z to 2254z EU stations were coming in on FT8. So many I had to scroll the receive window. I worked three new countries, SV9, E73, YT9. Heard many more I couldn’t work. 4X, OD5, ZB, LY, OZ, TK, UT7. Not quite as good as the June 13, 2016 opening which lasted over 3 hours. But very good. Sometimes it is very hard to work DX on FT8 when there is a lot of QSB. It’s luck to catch the signals right. This opening was solid though with signals as high as +10.June 8, 2020 from 1000z to 1924z 6M “the Super Magic Band” was open to EU, AF, and Carribean from here FN42.With my bent M2 6M5XHP (from a Tornado on May 15) at 40 ft. I worked 4 new countries (ZB2GI, Z32KF, TA1BM and J35X) and printed 5 more that I didn’t (OD5KU and ET, 6W1TA, 4X4DK, A92HK, 5B60AIF). At 1916z worked J35X.This is the longest I have ever seen the “Super Magic Band” open.Here we go another EPIC opening on the magic band. June 4, 2021 beginning at 0948z and continuing thru 1900z the band has been open to EU. Having 103 countries worked and confirmed (DXCC), it’s harder to work new one’s but I did work GJ6WRI, very soon after confirmed for #104. Overall I worked 36 contacts and 14 countries. Wow!!! Thanks to LOTW and K1JT (FT8) for all of this fun!
The opening on July 14 2021 from 0930z to 1900z here in MA yielded me 7 new countries including Hawaii. Now 49 of 50 for 6M WAS. I worked OD, 9K, YL, 4X, 5B, SV5. Now at 121 worked and 120 confirmed. Waiting to send FR4OO to ARRL. See card on main page. This opening was the best I have ever seen. EU all day log, so many decodes in FT8 you had to scroll. FT8 on 313 and 323. Signals were strong and stable, not much QSB. Which made it easier to work. This day goes down in the books as the best ever opening on the magic band.
Station Equipment @ K2KA
Past Radios
