The Next Adventure?

When I began to get back into amateur radio in the late fall of 2019, CW was the initial focus. I had enjoyed working code before becoming inactive and it was fun reawakening those neural pathways. Within a month or so of working on the code, my speed was in the 13-15 WPM range -- a far cry from my previous 22 WPM, but good enough to get back on the air. 

I think there were a small number of CW QSOs before I discovered FT8, which seemed pretty cool! True, FT8 isn't a conversational mode, but it makes a lot of sense in the nadir of the sunspot cycle. Also, when combined with tools like pskreporter.info, you rapidly gain an understanding of propagation, power, and antenna directivity. It's a lot of fun. 

This week I qualified for WAS and DXCC on FT8, and the shininess seems a little less now. Having proved to myself that these milestones are obtainable with a little discipline and thoughtfulness, there's a definite sense of "now what?".

Besides still aiming for VUCC on 6 meter FT8, on HF I'll probably head back to CW. I like dittybopping more than talking, although SSB on Field Day was a whale of a lot of fun. For sure FT8 will be a staple, because variety is the spice of life.

Six Meters: The Magic Band

While I've never dipped a toe into VHF beyond 2m or 70cm FM, the weak signal modes above HF have always intrigued me. A tweet this afternoon alerted me to a 6m opening, so I decided, just for giggles, to see if I could hear any FT8 signals. I've only got an end fed long wire (EFLW) antenna, a 117 foot long wire with a 9:1 unun (the MyAntennas EFLW-1K), which I love but had limited expectations for on 6m.

In fact, I heard signals. Six meters was alive!

Well then, I just had to try transmitting. The antenna tuned up just fine, and on my first day ever on 6m, I managed to work 11 grids in 7 states -- using a 117 foot EFLW antenna.

That's why they call it the Magic Band. I'll be putting up a dedicated antenna soon.