Got The Urge To Work Some Aurora

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Things are ripe for some aurora activity on 6, 2, and maybe even 10 meters. Turn the beams to the north; flip the receiver to CW and do the "sand shuffle". 

No beam, just turn towards the North and wave your arms (it won't do anything but at least you'll feel useful).

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Decent aurora activity and, I think,  some Sporadic E thrown in.
From Jersey, heard some Western U.S. and Canada through the aurora on CW.

[WD8BIL]

Aurora flutter on Russians coming in on 20M CW during the contest.!

[KA3EKH]

Anyone ever done six meter AM via Aurora? Know how bad CW and sideband sound when bounced off the norther light and would wonder what would happen to an AM signal?

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Back in my early 6 meter days, AM/CW rigs was pretty much what we had to use. While difficult, if you did it enough times, you could use AM (you knew what to listen for). CW was easier, and later on, SSB worked too. Obviously, audio quality wasn't even on the list of stuff to shoot for.
2 meter and above aurora activity was a lot rougher on SSB so CW was mainly used.
Today, digital modes are "the thing".

Also note that power and antenna gain both played an important part in VHF aurora activity success. 25 watts into a dipole generally didn't cut it for aurora activity.

[KB2WIG]

P,

So, my Ha460 and Saturn 6 loop isn't going to work ??

Klc

[Pete, WA2CWA]

P,

So, my Ha460 and Saturn 6 loop isn't going to work ??

Klc

Maybe, if you were operating marine mobile in Hudson Bay.

Obviously, 6 meters can have multiple propagation activities going on at the same time.
I can remember talking to a local friend who I worked with on 6 meters around 11PM EST. We both had just finished  working several stations through an aurora happening. While we were in QSO, a KL7 station broke in on ssb with very aurora type audio. Quick signal reports and he disappeared. Then another KL7, then another KL7, etc. I believe I worked a total of five KL7 stations in roughly 5 or 10 minutes and then the band was quite other then for my friend and myself.

[KB2WIG]

Maybe ice fishing on the bay.....
I had a dipole stapled to the siding and would be able to work Mi, Wa and Ca.... not in a long, long time.

The efT8 seems to have killed voice comms on 6 meters.

KLC

[Pete, WA2CWA]

I only use an eft to transfer money 

No one is forcing anyone to use a digital mode.
Some might even question the validity of a supposed contact.
On 2 meters and above, I might use a digital mode.
I don't recall ever using a digital mode on 6 meters or below.
And I have a microphone.  And I like to talk into it.
The world is full of lazy people.

[KL7OF]

I remember struggling to make a 6 M Euro contact during the 70s cycle. 
Swan 250 C second hand.  some CW and surpress that carrier for SSB.  Still have the rig.. never worked EU.  Haven.t worked any SSB or AM 6M other than the odd E skip caught on the scan for quite a while......Gear has upgraded but my mind set is Voice modes.....

[AJ1G]

Well, during the big geomagnetic storm last spring, the eFT8 crowd didn?t do very well, the auroral Doppler shift was too much to deal with. OTOH CW ruled!  Although every one sounded like they were running King Spark.  I worked over 40 stations from up in the Canadian Maritimes to down in VA, and out to Minnesota.  Lots of Midwest stations.  The Minnesota contact was none other than fellow AMer Steve, K0SF!

Used a little homebrew 2 element beam at about 40 feet and 100 watts from an Icom 7300.  Most of the contacts were made early in the storm, at the height of it, conditions here were poor was wondering if maybe the all the action was going on further to the south, and my location in CT was ?behind the curtain?.