It could be a 2 mon " 6m sprint". Say May-June for the Northern Hemisphere and Nov-Dec for the Southern. QSO number x Unique Grid Squares = total points.
However I would see an advantage for high ham population density areas like the east coast for NA, perhaps CA on the west coast, certainly Europe. Although it might equalize itself since the midwest in NA tends to have a lot of tropo events not generally seen on either the east or west coast.
And a mountain top significantly increases the line-of-sight distances. Also might be a great opportunity to engage the vhf contesting, hill-topping, and grid dxing crowd.
In reply to M1EYP:
Sorry Tom I did not know about the end date of the 12m challenge but as you can see there is plenty of potential for another challenge once the 12m one expires. I have been watching out for you on 12m psk but alas I can not see your signal. A 6m challenge in vk would be a lonely affair watching VKLogger most of the dedicated 6m ops talk between themselves via the internet rather than over the radio. I run a cq caller on cw most days during the summer and I have worked 3 stations so far for December and heard a couple beacons. My reason for thinking 15m would be a great band is a lot of the dx I have worked from a summit is on 15m.
Christmas was 25c nice sunny day and we had 12c last Monday so no heat wave yet. 73 Stay warm 73 de Ian vk5cz …
I think 15m would be a good choice for “the next” promoted band once the current 12m challenge has completed. My other choice would be 30m but I can see how this might not go down well in Europe and the US as they are restricted on the modes they can use (VK amateurs can use any of the approved modes on 30m).
15m will allow the foundation calls to take part where they and Standard calls are currently EXCLUDED with the choice of 12m.
In reply to M0LEP:
Six metres in VK is only restricted on licence class now - Foundation calls can’t use it at all, Standard calls can only use the top 2 MHz of the band (52-54MHz).
The restrictions due to VHF TV was lifted last week.
Must be the sugar high from Christmas…so here goes:
Actually I would still like to see a year long Six Meter challenge, as six meters is a “local” band 99% of the time in every area of the world anyway. We could create 6M leaders/winners for North America, Australia, Europe, wherever. Track results for each country and/or for each state or province. Thinking of worldwide 6M winners is so…well…Low Band of you guys. This is VHF we are talking about.
I know I can’t compete on Six with Europe or even California from my state, but who cares? Most weeks I work ZERO stations on Six Meters from here in Arizona. ZERO. I/we need to promote 6M…look at the low SOTA QSO numbers. Do we really care who wins or do we want to promote use of a band seldom used? (does anyone actually win in SOTA anyway?)
Face it, Six meters in Australia is different than anyplace else in the world. Same for Europe, same for Arizona. All we need to do is recognize that so we can increase activity in every country.
Just for reference, here is where I’m coming from…I am an active 6M operator…been on since 1965…contesting in VHF contests since the 60’s also. I hold 6M WAS (#167, 1977),6M WAC (1981), and Six Meter DXCC #524 (2002)…127 DXCC worked. So, Bo (Pete in this case) knows Six Meters.
Six is on life support…transfusion anyone? I am open to anything that will bring 6 back to life.
Six is on life support…transfusion anyone? I am open to anything that will bring 6 back to life.
Sorry to hear that, it is very much alive and kicking here - get a good multipath, multihop Es opening here in the season and you can’t find space to call CQ in SSB. On a good day you can get five continents from here, though not usually all in the same time slot, NA and SA usually pop up in the afternoon and evening. I’ve had openings last around the clock on many occasions. Sometimes combined with Aurora, too! Sad to say, I missed this year’s TEP openings to central Africa. For us the “magic band” hasn’t lost its magic! I now look every day for the much rarer midwinter Es openings, no luck so far but I probably have been in the wrong place at the wrong time!
Dead here is pretty normal on 6m. We have had one East-West F2 opening on 6m this whole cycle…back in November…30 minutes to the Caribbean area. A few North-South TE openings each spring and fall…LU, CE, ZL1RS. That’s about it for us on F2/TE this cycle so far.
EU on ES is very rare from AZ but doable…usually EU ES consists of one contact, CT1HZE, on CW in June or July. Sometimes the the Canary Islands or Azores come in. On very rare occasions I have worked multiple stations in EU on one day. June 19-20, 2010 I worked 9H,OE,UX,S5,9A,LA,I,HA,E7,and ON. Have worked PA, DL, I, and OH on other openings. Extremely weak CW always…
ES season is the only hot spot on 6 these days…May thru July is good, but after that everyone turns off 6M and goes back to HF it seems. Europe has lots of DXCC countries to work and that no doubt helps activity, that and 6M still being a new band in that part of the world. Here we go 3000 miles north and work Alaska, 3000 miles East and work Maine, 3000 miles West and work Hawaii, 3000 miles South and talk to the fish.
Anyhow Six meters loss is SOTA’s gain I figure…with six dead I have more time to hike the hills in between VHF contests. C U on 6 some day…never worked G on ES yet.
In reply to M1EYP:
Lebanon or Bangladesh association activations might provide the ultimate challenge for some wealthy, brave enthusiasts?
I might, if I’m very lucky, do some SOTA in Poland near Wroclaw [Vrots-warf] mid- business trip in 2014. For that I would really like to meet some SP SOTA people for joint activations.
15m challenge in a little while would be fine. For 4m I think the challenge ought to involve building the Eden SSB transceiver [one to Google and find the Yahoo group]. I just wish this fine little design had a PCB! It’s ugly bug construction. Perhaps one of you geniuses could work with Ron G4GXO to bring this off?
Merry Christmas and a happy new activation year.
David M0YDH
Yes, the Lebanon OD association launched over 5 years ago, but there has still never been a single activation there. I guess there’s good reason for that.
Bangladesh S2 was progressing towards a launch a few years back but never actually materialised.
I remember when S2 Bangladesh was in the drop down menus of the database a few years ago. Pity the progress stalled as it would be a good excuse to visit my niece, whose husband coaches their national cricket team (ex VK2 batsman of the year).
