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It was late Wednesday evening June 22nd. I couldn't sleep and I had to go to the toilet. Being a 6M-maniac, I had to check if something was happening on the band before I went back to bed. Right away I knew I had to turn on the radio. I was seeing a path open from Europe to Japan. When I got on the radio, I was hearing inband TV, but no signals. After tuning the band up and down for a while, I started hearing JL8GFB. I tried to call, but I couldn't make it. JH7MSB was in too, but he only continued his cq. JH0RNN was spotted and I could hear him, but no luck there either. I alerted LA7HJA and he started to listen. He got through to JH0RNN. A few minutes later, I managed to work JH0RNN for a new grid. JE1BMJ started cqing. I could hear him weak and after a few minutes, he came up and we managed a qso. That was a new gridsquare and a new field. LA7HJA was calling for Japan on 50085, and had a small pile-up going. I could hear several of the stations weakly, but he has a much better take-off that way and I never could get any reply on my cqing. After LA7HJA worked JL8GFB, JL8GFB started calling again. After a few minutes, he came up too and we finally made it. That too was another new gridsquare and field. I managed to work only JH0RNN, JE1BMJ and JL8GFB in this opening. LA7HJA managed 12 qsoes. OY, OZ, EI, SM, G, GM, PA and OH had this special nighttime opening.

I did hear VE8BY/b, but no stations that way. OZ/SM/SP/LA were heard on backscatter and EI was probably in direct. OH9SIX/b and JW9SIX/b were in from time to time too.

Another very special qso I have to mention, was the one where JL8GFB worked VE1PZ, both of them were beaming to Europe. Yet again 6M shows it's magic.

Soundclips:

• JL8GFB 6M CW – Man, new grid and field
• JH7MSB 6M CW – could not hear me
• JH0RNN 6M CW – new grid
• JE1BMJ 6M CW – Han, new grid and field

Sunday June 20th brought another good opening Stateside. I was seeing skips from Europe. I started listening to the north-west, but I coudn't hear anything, so I started calling myself. K3KO was the first one to answer. I continued to call but no DX showed up. I was answered by OY4TN and IB0CW. LA8HGA started calling too, and it turned out that he had better skips then me. He started working into the midwest with TX and KS among others. I couldn't hear anything.

I took a dinner break, and was back an hour later. I started calling and was answered by Terry K4RX in EM70. K4QL followed in FM05. 10 minutes past and finally N5JR in TX answered me. Another surprise followed shortly with N5JEH from NM. A few qsoes later, I got my ODX qso for the day at over 8100km with W3XO/5 in EM00. W5KI kalled in from AR, giving me my third new state. K4XO from TN called and yet another new state. W5IF from OK gave me my fifth new state. A few more qsoes with TX was worked and then N4XM from KY called in, new state number six. My last USA contact turned out to be yet another new state with K5ZK in MS.

A total of 23 qsoes, 10 states (AR, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, NM, OK, TN, TX) and 18 grids (DM65, EM00, EM02, EM03, EM12, EM13, EM13, EM26, EM35, EM36, EM43, EM55, EM56, EM70, EM73, EM78, FM05, FM06) were worked.

LA8HGA and LA7HJA worked further than me to the west with both of them working stations from CA and AZ. LA7HJA even worked WA.

This opening to the US was like no other I have experienced. Hopefully I'll be able to do it again some time. Once in a while, 6M really is the magic band.

Too much is happening right now on the radio, so it's quite difficult to keep up with the posts here. This will be a short one. On June 19th I worked ZA/HA5X on 6M CW. He gave me a new one on 6M LoTW. A few hours later, I noticed K0GU in DN70 was active. I was listening back and forth, and after a while his signal was in. I quickly worked him for another square in Colorado. An hour later I got IB0CW in JN60 for a new grid. On Sunday June 20th, I worked ZC4VJ in KM65. I also got MD6V in IO74, who is also on LoTW. I don't have GD confirmed, so that was a nice one to catch. I tried several times on Saturday, but they didn't hear me. Another big opening appeared later in the day, but that will come in a separate post.

Soundclips:

• K0GU 6M CW in DN70

I had some time off before work last Monday June 14th. It sure paid off. I checked the ON4KST map to get a picture of the 6M openings. It seemed like it at least should be open somewhere. I noticed A92IO was on 107 CW. I tuned in and heard a strong signal. I thought this couldn't be him, but it was. Dave was quickly logged. I checked the tv-transmitters and could hear EP and A6 tv. I decided to call cq dx on CW. After a few minutes I got a nice surprise in A71BR. He answered my call and gave me a new one on 6M (#127). He wasn't as strong as A9, but the important thing is that he is in my log. After I worked A7, I tuned in a spot on UY5HF/P in KN55. He was a good signal and I got him for a new square. EA8/DL3GCS in IL17 was spotted, so I turned the yagi to him. There he was with a good signal and he was logged for yet another square. 6M brings it's magic once again!

Saturday didn't produce many qsoes. I was listening around on 6M, but not much interesting. I did get EA8CBN in IL08 for a new grid.

Sunday had plenty of signals on 6M. The stuff I could hear however, was nothing new, except UY5HF/P in KN55. I couldn't get through to him. EA6/M0DLL in JN20 was worked for a new grid. In the evening I was ready for bed when I noticed OX3KQ being spotted. I turned the yagi and started listening. Sure thing, I could hear him with a decent signal. I tuned around the band to see if I could hear something else. I got a bit excited when I could copy the VE8BY beacon. I've heard this beacon only a few times on 6M. Not long ago I noticed VY0HL was qrv from FP53 and I was hoping he would show. I called a few cq's on CW, but no reply. I got a tip from some guys that VY0HL usually are on 50125. I started calling him, and soon started hearing something on the frequency. It turned out to be Larry and he was working MM0AMW. Larry came up a bit in strength and I managed to work him for a new grid, field and zone. I also had one hop to Iceland. I copied the TF1SIX beacon and worked TF3CY and TF3ZA. Not long after, OX3KQ had a very strong signal and I gave him a call. Sorry for the dupe Jesper.

Soundclips:

• VE8BY beacon 6M – in the beginning of the opening
• VE8BY beacon 6M – later in the opening, slightly auroral
• OX3KQ 6M SSB – very strong this evening
• VY0HL 6M SSB – a nice surprise this evening
• VY0HL working OZ3K