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Author Topic: 6m Long Path!?  (Read 327 times)

AE4AN

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6m Long Path!?
« on: June 17, 2022, 07:54:00 AM »

Something just happened that I would have thought impossible.

Home qth is coastal VA. I just caught IW9HII transmitting out of Sicily on 6m. He had a strong signal, but I was only running barefoot on a Hexbeam. I tried to grab his attention for a couple of minutes, but he couldn't hear me, so I gave up and turned the antenna south to try for the Caribbean. And IW9HII's signal improved. I sat in my chair for a couple of minutes, thinking variations of "Naw, no way." Then I shrugged, spun the rotator to 220, and called him. He got right back to me with a fairly strong signal report.

What the heck? Flux is 147 right now, and while that's good I wouldn't think it nearly enough for long path propagation on 6. Anyone else having such weird luck right now?

Maybe it's just magic. Or a wormhole in the atmosphere. I'm still pretty shocked.
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AK5B

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Re: 6m Long Path!?
« Reply #1 on: June 17, 2022, 08:09:42 AM »

That's great!  Reminds me of Cycle 23's double peak March and April of 2002.  I worked 85 DXCCs mostly between that period and November of 2003 on 6 meters when I lived in KH6.

Almost all were via the long path over Antarctica.  I got a 20 over 9 signal report from Costas, SV1DH as well as attaining 6m WAC while I was there.  The Magic Band IS!

73,  Jeff, AK5B (ex-NH7RO)
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KC6RWI

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Re: 6m Long Path!?
« Reply #2 on: June 17, 2022, 10:00:29 AM »

Just asking, what freq and what mode? Fm?
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AE4AN

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Re: 6m Long Path!?
« Reply #3 on: June 17, 2022, 10:12:39 AM »

FT8 (of course; sigh).
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KC6RWI

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Re: 6m Long Path!?
« Reply #4 on: June 17, 2022, 11:05:27 AM »

So many talking about fm openings on 6, I should have
guessed thats to far for fm.
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WA3SKN

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Re: 6m Long Path!?
« Reply #5 on: June 17, 2022, 12:59:45 PM »

Quite possible!  Its a magic band!  Break out the mic and try some SSB!

-Mike.
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AK5B

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Re: 6m Long Path!?
« Reply #6 on: June 17, 2022, 01:06:57 PM »

Just asking, what freq and what mode? Fm?
   

Not sure who you're asking but all of my QSOs were and still are ssb---I will never consider any of that digital crap, period.
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N4PY

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Re: 6m Long Path!?
« Reply #7 on: June 17, 2022, 03:26:50 PM »

I think he was running remote with a transmitter somewhere in the Caribean or southern US.

Carl N4PY
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AE4AN

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Re: 6m Long Path!?
« Reply #8 on: June 17, 2022, 04:27:34 PM »

I think he was running remote with a transmitter somewhere in the Caribean or southern US.

I'd like to think he wasn't, but it's such an oddity that I suspect you're right.
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KD7RDZI2

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Re: 6m Long Path!?
« Reply #9 on: June 18, 2022, 03:12:20 AM »

There are great openings between Europe and the US on 6 this month. I mean for SSB and CW even with marginal setup on one of the two sides (I mean less than 100w and less than a dipole)
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