[VHFcontesting] 50 MHz DX Conditions, a month too late

[Richard Zwirko]

Well, 6 Meters provided us a pleasant surprise today with the SSB
signal of ZD7MY on St. Helena Island booming in on 50.118 MHz.  
Thanks to AA1K for the putout on the DX Cluster for the alert. 
ZD7MY was in the K1HTV log for 6 Meter country #145.  ZD7MY was an
honest S9+10 at this FM18 Maryland QTH using a 6el yagi on the roof 
at 30 feet. His signal was into the northeastern North America
(VE9, W1, 3 & 4) from around 16:30Z until at least 17:10Z when 
I had to QRT for work.

A number of other stations in the mid Atlantic also worked ZD7MY
including W3ZZ, N3DB, N3II, W4TJ and a K4 station in VA running 
only 10 Watts.  It would have been nice to have the enhanced 6M DX
conditions on the VHF Contest weekend in September.  But other than 
some interesting WSJT and SSB M/S QSOs, 50 MHz condx were rather 
dismal at K8GP on Spruce Knob in WV during the contest.

Hopefully, in the next month or so, the sun will a produce a bit more of
the stuff that 6 Meter DX is made of. Its sure been an interesting solar
cycle and it seems like it isn't over yet. 

73 de Rich - K1HTV
dz at voa.gov

-- 
Richard Zwirko (VOA/BMM) - K1HTV                         Voice of America    
Wilbur J. Cohen Building, Room 2165                      Technical Support 
Washington, DC 20237                              Broadcast Operations Div. 
dz at VOA.GOV                                                 +1 202-619-1314