6M DX OPENING

June 19, 2020 will be a date I will not soon forget! What an opening we had on 6M...
and here is the rest of the story!!!

On June 18th, 2020 6M was open early to EU from Indian and off to work I went. What happened later in the evening was amazing!

Japanese stations were decoding on FT8 about 2000z here (when I started listening).
Mind you, my station is still being put together and my 6M amp was in route from OM Power, but had not arrived yet (still has not )....I have a 9L6 Yagi on a 42 foot boom at 128 feet between my 5L20 and 2L40 Moxon and running about 80 watts through 170 feet of LDF5 7/8" hardline... 

When Japan starting peeking at +05 I thought I would have a chance! I had worked JAs on 6M on CW from VA and MA before, but being new to the midwest, this would be my first FT8 QSO with a JA station. MAN the started rolling in and the "Waterfall" was packed full of stations!

At 2217 I worked JF8QNF for my first FT8 contact with a RCVD signal report of -11! WOW! 80 watts and I get that? Come on amplifier! Hi Hi. Well, I managed to work 8 JAs in a row and was simply amazed. Not a new country, but oh what fun. Then I saw HL3GOB,  BA4SI, AND BV6CC decode! What? China and Taiwan on 6M? WHOA!!!

I called and called and called but to no avail....
THEN at 0057z I see my BA4SI responding and gave me a -21db while he was -17db. He had actually peaked earlier at -03db, but THERE it was... and soon after I got my RR73!!!! THAT was amazing... again on 80 watts!!!!

Then moments later I worked HL3GOB for yet another new one!!! I never did see BV6CC again after two decodes drom him.

Talking to those with multiple antennas locally, it would appear the arriving angles were very low, like below 5 degrees or so. Those with high antennas appeared to hear these stations better!

I am in the process of changing things around on top of this 55G tower and was considering taking down the 9L6 at 128 feet and replacing it with another 6L10 to have a four high stack of 10M yagis on this tower, but I think I am going to opt to keep one HIGH 6M asset on this tower. When done in the next few weeks, This 9L6 will reside at 147 feet or 11 feet above the 2L40M Moxon at 136 feet.

I am currently building two 10L6 yagis on 51 foot booms that will be in a 40/68 foot stack on the next tower and I also have 7L and 8L yagis on other towers.

6M is indeed a magical band..but you MUST be there when it happens!

I was very glad "I WAS THERE" on June 19th 2020!!! WOW!

73 and God Bless,
Jose N4BAA

HAM RADIO WIDOWS and HAVING A PLAN

Hello!

In the past few months I have been asked to help widows to remove their husbands' towers etc.
I have helped dozens of widows over decades and there has been one very glaring fact!....

They may have spoken about life insurance policies and "life after me"...HOWEVER.....
They did NOT have a plan on how to handle the HAM RADIO stuff.

Folks, this is a no brainer..>AND equally as important as the 'other" important issues that goes with the planning for death discussions. In fact, in all cases, the widows were under the impression their husband's efforts were excellent and their towers and "associated" equipment world class... Well, in every case they were NOT even close.

Installed correctly? NO! Installed safely? Most often NOT! In fact, these widows had zero clue as to what the REAL status of their husbands' station was. How or why would they? SO, after death, they need real help!

This what we can ALL do to help with life after we leave this earth. ---- HAVE A FREAKIN' PLAN !!!! and I mean a WRITTEN one! But before that ....it starts before that. It starts with when you install your tower, your equipment...anything that has to do with your station.

1. Install you towers per Rohn Specs!
    A. Proper spacing of guy anchors (Distance from tower AND type of guy AND tensions).
    B. Don't over tighten your leg bolts! THIS IS A PAIN IN THE ASS to get undone!
    C. LUBE your tower sections when installing putting them together...This is HUGE!!!!

Taking down a tower is EASY as long as it was installed correctly. When hams "CHEAP OUT" and try to cut corners, they are playing with fire. Yesterday, when we arrived on site to take down a tower.... 80+ feet of Rohn 45...Tilt over to boot, guys only out 37% of the tower height, rusted, guys all dilapidated, guy anchors WAAAY sub standard etc.... Had it not been for a fellow ham with me who said he would climb, I would have told the widow, NO HELL NO! And left..... but after a LOT of brute force etc.... we got enough sections down to cut the last 40 feet and let if fall. All sections good to use again...but his should have taken 1/2 the time.... So, efforts (or not knowing) how to put up a tower turned into an ALL DAY affair. Geez!

So...after you have done the right thing and installed things correctly... develop a WRITTEN plan on what EXACTLY your wife is to do after you pass.

1. WHO to contact about disconnecting your station.
2. WHO to contact about taking down your tower.
3. WHO to contact about selling your items and approximately what you paid for them.

If you ONLY have a plan for those items...YOU WILL BE AHEAD OF THE CURVE!!!

It is a terrible thing to see a widow crying because she feel so overwhelmed with about the HAM RADIO stuff that YOU left them with...

Does this sound good to you? God I hope not!

So, take some time and take some action....your wife will love you even more for it!

73 and God Bless,
Jose
N4BAA