‰  NOW 35 WPM  ‰  TEXT IS FROM SEPTEMBER 2017 QST  PAGE 94‰

THE WORLD ABOVE 50 MHZ  JON JONES, N0JK, N0JK ARRL. ORG  THE RISE OF WSJT
THIS SUMMER HAS BROUGHT ABOUT DRAMATIC CHANGE FOR OPERATING ON 50 MHZ.
JT65 DIGITAL SIGNALS ARE BACK THIS SUMMER ON 6 METERS.  AFTER MAKING AN
APPEARANCE DURING SOME JANUARY ES OPENINGS, JT65 AND ITS RELATIVES WERE
STILL A NOVELTY ON TERRESTRIAL 50 MHZ SPORADIC E DURING APRIL AND EARLY
MAY.  I SAW SOME PEOPLE USING MSK144 ON ES, BUT SOON THEY FOUND JT65 WAS SO
MUCH BETTER.  STARTING MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, JT65 EXPLODED.  THE BIG EUROPE
AND JAPAN OPENINGS FROM NORTH AMERICA THE FIRST WEEK OF JUNE SHOWED A RAPID
EVOLUTION TO JT65.  BY FATHERS DAY, JT65S DOMINION OVER 6 METERS WAS NEARLY
COMPLETE.  A REPORT I RECEIVED BY GEORGE HALL, N2CG, REVEALED THIS ON
FATHERS DAY 2017, THERE WAS AN ES OPENING FROM THE US EAST COAST TO THE
CARIBBEAN AND NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA REGION THAT BEGAN AROUND 2145Z,
ACCORDING TO SPOTS ON THE DX SPOTTING WEBSITES, AND IT LASTED FOR ABOUT 2
HOURS.  LOOKING AT THE DX SPOTS BEING POSTED DURING THIS OPENING, I COUNTED
ABOUT 80 JT DIGITAL MODE SPOTS VERSUS 20 SSB AND CW MODE SPOTS.  LAST YEAR
DURING A TYPICAL 6 METER ES OPENING, THIS WAS THE EXACT OPPOSITE, WITH
ABOUT 80 SSB AND CW SPOTS VERSUS 20 JT DIGITAL MODE SPOTS BEING REPORTED.
SO, IT LOOKS LIKE THE JT DIGITAL MODES HAVE MADE A VERY STRONG AND DOMINANT
ROLE ON WORKING 6 METER DX AND IN SUCH A SHORT PERIOD.  GEORGE WAS NOT THE
‰  END OF 35 WPM TEXT  ‰  QST DE W1AW  ƒ