VE3EN 6m Blog (6meters.com)

Early Sporadic Es continue to impress. During the evening of May 14th the VE4VHF/b beacon in Manitoba was in 599+++. I noticed on the cluster that VE6ZT in Alberta spotted the VE2RCS/b beacon, also located in my grid square FN25. He is also active on the ON4KST 6m Chat Group, so I asked him to listen for me on 50.095 CW. Sure enough he answered my call and had a great 599 signal. He is located in grid DO21. Shortly after working him I worked VE4MR on CW, also with a huge signal. With a great first hop in place, a second hop formed about half hour later. Suddenly an always enjoyable west coast opening was underway. Stations worked were N7NM, K7CW, KE7V, NN7J and VE7DAY all on CW, followed by VA7FC on CW. Signals were in and out for an hour and I also got to work VE3XTI in grid EN29, Kenora, Ontario. Fun opening!

A nice little DX opening towards the Caribbean and South America was brewing, but unfortunately I was on my way out the door. I managed to work a couple of DX stations before I had to leave. First I worked KP4EIT in Puerto Rico at 21:14 UTC, followed by PJ4NX in Bonaire at 21:25 UTC. This Es season is getting off to a good early start.

A nice opening today including my first double hop Es contact to the west coast this season. A couple of pretty good Es clouds in just the right positions provided for a path from the east to west. I was a little bit off the main signal path, but I did manage to work WA6KLK in CM89 California. Most of my contacts were of the single hop variety towards the 4/8/9 call areas.

A nice opening between North and South America this afternoon on 6. Unfortunately for me I was outside of the main pipeline and did not hear a single signal (up until this post). Many contacts made between CE,LU,CX and many locations within the USA.

The morning of Wednesday May 8th is starting off with a minor single hop Es opening in the eastern half of North America. Will see what the rest of the day will bring us.

6m has sprung to life here in North America the past 3 days with numerous single hop Es openings, plus a couple of nice South American DX openings. Yesterday evening I got home around suppertime to find the band open to Chile and Argentina with decent signals. Stations I worked were CA3SOC, CE3KX, CE3FZ and LU8MB. Always lots of fun to work that far south on the magic band.

The BZ component of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) is currently tipped south this evening and minor geomagnetic activity is being detected. Some aurora contacts have been made here in the northeast. Some of the stations heard here were VE2XX, VE2DLC, KK2I, VA3DX, N8LX and VA3DX.

Just like every other year it seems, Europe is getting into the sporadic Es a little earlier than North America. The past several days Europe have had some decent openings within the continent. It shouldn’t be much longer until NA starts to see some activity. I find that normally after the 2nd week of May is the point in time things start to happen here.

This blog has been very quiet, however I look to get it restarted as of right now. The Unofficial start to Sporadic Es season in the northern hemisphere is symbolically May 1st. A few openings are known to take place before this take, however the bulk of the E openings, including DX typically begins later in May.

Stay Tuned!

After getting home after band practice, I turned on the radio to find a large opening towards the Pacific Northwest. Things towards that direction has been fairly quiet so far from here in FN25. It was nice to work some of my 6m friends form the Left coast that I have not heard since last year. All stations worked were from British Columbia, Washington, Idaho and Montana. The stations included VE7SL, KE7V, KI7BP, KB7Q, W7ID, VE7XF, VA7FC and N7NW. The contact with KB7Q yielded myself a new grid square DN48 in Montana.