I am a 'lifer' DXer. Any band. Mostly CW. After 9 band DXCC & 355 worked, 6m is a new quest. 6m is like 160m. Windows . Grayline on 160m & windows of short duration on 6m. If I want to chat I go on SSB mostly & talk to local hams.
Being in NW TN EM 56 during the summer season we get 15-30 min. window a few days a month to Japan. I managed to work Japan once last yr. & 2 weeks ago. On CW as SSB is too difficult. Weak signal work. No time to chat even if that were possible with the QSB & short window. We've had two good openings to Europe this summer. They last from 1 to 3 hr.s then gone. You workem' contest style to give others a chance.6m will open to narrow areas for short durations. It will open to say Italy for 30 min.s then the propagation shifts to France for a bit and so on & so on. Sometimes it opens to one area only then fades away. 6m is not HF. Sunday was a great DX day. Today the band was dead all day til evening then open to W7 & VE7 for an hour then POOF! Who knows about tomorrow. You take what you're given.
160m is the same. You get 30 min.s of grayline DX to somewhere. That's all. No do overs. You wait til tomorrows grayline to try again.
Today on 6m I had a good 10 min. CW QSO with Steve VE7SL. It was about DX & our K3s & 6m & 160m antennas. It doesn't happen often but it does happen.
I have been very pleased with my K3 on 6m. I use a homemade 5 el yagi @ 55'. In yesterdays 6m Es I worked country #70 & 71. My K3 is doing it's job. I have no complaints about the receiver quality on 6m. I'm not using the additional pre-amp.
6m is not HF. Guys who don't DX, chase grid squares as you would chase counties or states on HF. Even those who aren't DXers or contesters will probably be able to tell you what states they've worked on what band. Even tell you they've worked a few DXs too.
Each band has it's points. You can't make the band fit you. You use the band as it is.
Just my thoughts
K9IL K3 #2626
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