Fall 2002 Issue

Secrets of Internet Spotting and The Tree Beam Revealed!

In the Spring 2002 issue of CQ VHF, WB2AMU’s article on 2001’s great 6-meter F2 propagation covered the propagation patterns that occurred and the stations he was able to work. This month he focuses on some of the tools and tactics used by him and others in working this F2 propagation.

By Ken Neubeck, WB2AMU

The experienced 6-meter operator surely knows how fleeting 6-meter propagation is! The nuances of some modes, such as sporadic-E propagation, with regard to duration and timing are well known to anyone who has operated on 6 meters for any significant period of time. In contrast, the recent F2 season observed over the fall/winter months of 2001–2002 presented a bit of relief to most operators, because the openings were easier to spot and their longer duration provided the operator with the luxury of time.
There were certain tools and techniques, however, which helped make it easier to work the F2 season. These included the use of internet spotting and the availability of a portable 6-meter setup that could be operated from one’s vehicle. Let’s look at some of these tools and techniques.

The Value of Internet Spotting

Since the peak of the last sunspot cycle, the internet has been a great tool used worldwide. A number of chat pages and DX spotting pages have been developed (similar to the original packet clusters of a decade ago), and these pages are great for spotting DX on the ham bands. Some of these sites are tailored specifically to the 6-meter operator.
We certainly know how difficult it can be to spot openings on the band, even when we are sitting in front of a rig for an entire day. These spotting sites are a big help. The four sites which track 6-meter propagation specifically on a daily basis are as follows:

• http://6m.dxers.info/chat/
• http://www.eham.net/DX/
• http://oh2aq.kolumbus.com/dxs/50.html
• http://dxworld.com/50prop.html

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