W6IWI, Tucson AZ

We moved from Arvada CO to Tucson AZ in 2021. An archive of the Colorado station is here. This page describes the current station in AZ.




Favorite band, image from the cover of a recent CRHS Journal, an old Schlitz magazine ad, Solar-Terrestrial Data showing conditions for HF and VHF bands and the MUF for Boulder CO, something about FT8, the W6IWI QSL card, view of W6IWI Mobile. The Optimal Working Frequency is about 0.85 times the Maximum Usable Frequency.

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The call letters W6IWI were first used by Kauko Hallikainen in the 1930s (1933 license, 1937 ARRL membership). See the 1934, 1936, 1937, and 1938 Amateur Radio Callbook. The 1930s QSL card was similar to that shown above (I may still have one of the originals somewhere). By 1952, the call had been reassigned to Carson Donaldson in Inglewood CA. He held it through 1977. I acquired the call in 2016. Prior to that, I held the call WA6FDN, and prior to that, WN6FDN. The WA6FDN license was first granted in 1969, with WN6FDN in 1968. WA6FDN shows up in the Summer 1969 Callbook. In December 1969, I took the exam for the First Class Radiotelephone License with Radar Endorsement at the FCC office in San Francisco. That license was later replaced by the FCC with the General Radiotelephone Operator's License. NL7XM offers a great service. He has over 100 years of Radio Amateur Callbooks and will find the first appearance of your callsign in the Callbook. For a reasonable cost, he'll provide certified copies of these pages verifying that the callsign was held by the particular person on this date. This is what he sent me for WN6FDN and WA6FDN.

WN6FDN started with a Heathkit DX-60 transmitter and a National NC-300 receiver running CW on HF. WA6FDN used a Viking Ranger transmitter running AM, CW, and RTTY on HF. RTTY used a Teletype model 15 printer (also see a slow motion video of a model 15 in operationg), and a model 14 typing reperf and transmitter distributor. W6IWI now uses an SEA 245 with a Dentron Clipperton-L amplifier running RTTY, CW and SSB into a Zero Five 30 Foot Flagpole Antenna. VHF and UHF FM are covered with a Baofeng UV-5R and a Wouxun KG-UV-6X. The Wouxun KG-UV-6X normally drives a Diamond X50A vertical antenna at home. Mobile info is here.

HF Station Details

Click in a box in the block diagram for more details.

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W6IWI HF Activity

The table below shows recent contacts logged on qrz.com.

RBN Report

The table below is generated by a PHP script that pulls JSON data from the Reverse Beacon Network, parses it, calculates distance and bearing based on latitude and longitude, then shows data for the last 100 spots. Frequency changes greater than 1 kHz or time changes greater than 1 hour are shown in bold. The Rx links link to the QRZ page for the station. The SNR links link to a graph of signal to noise ratio versus time for that receiver, mode (CW or RTTY), and band (data limited to 100 spots from RBN)

The background color is green if the distance is greater than 3,000 miles. The Relative Distance column has a * for every 200 miles.


RBN Data for W6IWI, lat/long 32.233624, -110.870743 as reported by RBN.

TimeRxFreq (kHz)SNRModeSpeedRx LocationDistance and BearingRelative Distance
2000z 09 DecAC0C-1 14083.9 35 dB RTTY45 bpsLouisburg, KS1632 km (1014 miles) at 59.6 degrees*****
2000z 09 DecK9LC 14083.9 15 dB RTTY45 bpsRockford, IL2227 km (1384 miles) at 53.7 degrees******
1959z 09 DecWE9V 14083.8 21 dB RTTY45 bpsBristol, WI2309 km (1435 miles) at 53.7 degrees*******
1959z 09 DecKE3BK 14083.9 33 dB RTTY45 bpsMountain House, CA1149 km (714 miles) at 305.3 degrees***
1959z 09 DecK6FOD 14083.9 32 dB RTTY45 bpsSouth Pasadena, CA706 km (438 miles) at 289.1 degrees**
1959z 09 DecW6YX 14083.9 39 dB RTTY45 bpsStanford, CA1182 km (734 miles) at 302.2 degrees***
1959z 09 DecN6TV 14083.9 30 dB RTTY45 bpsSan Jose, CA1141 km (708 miles) at 302.1 degrees***
2203z 08 DecK9LC 14083.9 19 dB RTTY45 bpsRockford, IL2227 km (1384 miles) at 53.7 degrees******
2203z 08 DecKE3BK 14083.9 26 dB RTTY45 bpsMountain House, CA1149 km (714 miles) at 305.3 degrees***
2203z 08 DecWE9V 14083.8 26 dB RTTY45 bpsBristol, WI2309 km (1435 miles) at 53.7 degrees*******
2203z 08 DecWV4P 14083.9 21 dB RTTY45 bpsSavannah, TN2116 km (1315 miles) at 75 degrees******
2203z 08 DecW6YX 14083.9 45 dB RTTY45 bpsStanford, CA1182 km (734 miles) at 302.2 degrees***
2203z 08 DecVE7CC 14083.9 12 dB RTTY45 bpsMaple Ridge, BC2120 km (1317 miles) at 336.1 degrees******
2203z 08 DecK6FOD 14083.9 37 dB RTTY45 bpsSouth Pasadena, CA706 km (438 miles) at 289.1 degrees**
2203z 08 DecAC0C-1 14083.9 44 dB RTTY45 bpsLouisburg, KS1632 km (1014 miles) at 59.6 degrees*****
2203z 08 DecN6TV 14083.9 26 dB RTTY45 bpsSan Jose, CA1141 km (708 miles) at 302.1 degrees***
2353z 05 DecVE7CC 14083.9 15 dB RTTY45 bpsMaple Ridge, BC2120 km (1317 miles) at 336.1 degrees******
2353z 05 DecWV4P 14083.9 26 dB RTTY45 bpsSavannah, TN2116 km (1315 miles) at 75 degrees******
2352z 05 DecK9LC 14083.9 26 dB RTTY45 bpsRockford, IL2227 km (1384 miles) at 53.7 degrees******
2352z 05 DecKH6LC 14083.9 18 dB RTTY45 bpsKeaau, HI4652 km (2891 miles) at 264.3 degrees**************
2352z 05 DecAC0C-1 14083.9 39 dB RTTY45 bpsLouisburg, KS1632 km (1014 miles) at 59.6 degrees*****
2352z 05 DecN6TV 14083.9 17 dB RTTY45 bpsSan Jose, CA1141 km (708 miles) at 302.1 degrees***
2352z 05 DecKE3BK 14083.9 33 dB RTTY45 bpsMountain House, CA1149 km (714 miles) at 305.3 degrees***
2352z 05 DecWE9V 14083.8 35 dB RTTY45 bpsBristol, WI2309 km (1435 miles) at 53.7 degrees*******
2352z 05 DecW6YX 14083.9 40 dB RTTY45 bpsStanford, CA1182 km (734 miles) at 302.2 degrees***
2220z 05 DecWV4P 14083.9 17 dB RTTY45 bpsSavannah, TN2116 km (1315 miles) at 75 degrees******
2220z 05 DecW6YX 14083.9 43 dB RTTY45 bpsStanford, CA1182 km (734 miles) at 302.2 degrees***
2220z 05 DecK9LC 14083.9 22 dB RTTY45 bpsRockford, IL2227 km (1384 miles) at 53.7 degrees******
2220z 05 DecAC0C-1 14083.9 36 dB RTTY45 bpsLouisburg, KS1632 km (1014 miles) at 59.6 degrees*****
2220z 05 DecKE3BK 14083.9 38 dB RTTY45 bpsMountain House, CA1149 km (714 miles) at 305.3 degrees***
2220z 05 DecN6TV 14083.9 21 dB RTTY45 bpsSan Jose, CA1141 km (708 miles) at 302.1 degrees***
2220z 05 DecWE9V 14083.8 31 dB RTTY45 bpsBristol, WI2309 km (1435 miles) at 53.7 degrees*******
2220z 05 DecKH6LC 14083.9 15 dB RTTY45 bpsKeaau, HI4652 km (2891 miles) at 264.3 degrees**************
2323z 03 DecVE7CC 14083.9 14 dB RTTY45 bpsMaple Ridge, BC2120 km (1317 miles) at 336.1 degrees******
2323z 03 DecK9LC 14083.9 15 dB RTTY45 bpsRockford, IL2227 km (1384 miles) at 53.7 degrees******
2323z 03 DecWE9V 14083.8 27 dB RTTY45 bpsBristol, WI2309 km (1435 miles) at 53.7 degrees*******
2323z 03 DecN6TV 14083.9 16 dB RTTY45 bpsSan Jose, CA1141 km (708 miles) at 302.1 degrees***
2323z 03 DecWV4P 14083.9 22 dB RTTY45 bpsSavannah, TN2116 km (1315 miles) at 75 degrees******
2322z 03 DecAC0C-1 14083.9 35 dB RTTY45 bpsLouisburg, KS1632 km (1014 miles) at 59.6 degrees*****
2322z 03 DecW6YX 14083.9 35 dB RTTY45 bpsStanford, CA1182 km (734 miles) at 302.2 degrees***
2219z 03 DecN6TV 14083.9 14 dB RTTY45 bpsSan Jose, CA1141 km (708 miles) at 302.1 degrees***
2219z 03 DecVE7CC 14083.9 13 dB RTTY45 bpsMaple Ridge, BC2120 km (1317 miles) at 336.1 degrees******
2219z 03 DecWV4P 14083.9 22 dB RTTY45 bpsSavannah, TN2116 km (1315 miles) at 75 degrees******
2218z 03 DecWE9V 14083.8 29 dB RTTY45 bpsBristol, WI2309 km (1435 miles) at 53.7 degrees*******
2218z 03 DecAC0C-1 14083.9 29 dB RTTY45 bpsLouisburg, KS1632 km (1014 miles) at 59.6 degrees*****
2218z 03 DecW6YX 14083.9 40 dB RTTY45 bpsStanford, CA1182 km (734 miles) at 302.2 degrees***
2218z 03 DecK6FOD 14083.9 33 dB RTTY45 bpsSouth Pasadena, CA706 km (438 miles) at 289.1 degrees**
2218z 03 DecK9LC 14083.9 17 dB RTTY45 bpsRockford, IL2227 km (1384 miles) at 53.7 degrees******
0018z 30 NovWV4P 14083.9 24 dB RTTY45 bpsSavannah, TN2116 km (1315 miles) at 75 degrees******
0018z 30 NovN6TV 14083.9 16 dB RTTY45 bpsSan Jose, CA1141 km (708 miles) at 302.1 degrees***
0018z 30 NovVE7CC 14083.9 15 dB RTTY45 bpsMaple Ridge, BC2120 km (1317 miles) at 336.1 degrees******
0018z 30 NovK6FOD 14083.9 43 dB RTTY45 bpsSouth Pasadena, CA706 km (438 miles) at 289.1 degrees**
0018z 30 NovAC0C-1 14083.9 35 dB RTTY45 bpsLouisburg, KS1632 km (1014 miles) at 59.6 degrees*****
0018z 30 NovKE3BK 14083.9 34 dB RTTY45 bpsMountain House, CA1149 km (714 miles) at 305.3 degrees***
0018z 30 NovWE9V 14083.8 30 dB RTTY45 bpsBristol, WI2309 km (1435 miles) at 53.7 degrees*******
0018z 30 NovK9LC 14083.9 26 dB RTTY45 bpsRockford, IL2227 km (1384 miles) at 53.7 degrees******
2356z 29 NovWV4P 14083.9 22 dB RTTY45 bpsSavannah, TN2116 km (1315 miles) at 75 degrees******
2356z 29 NovN6TV 14083.9 14 dB RTTY45 bpsSan Jose, CA1141 km (708 miles) at 302.1 degrees***
2356z 29 NovKH6LC 14083.9 16 dB RTTY45 bpsKeaau, HI4652 km (2891 miles) at 264.3 degrees**************
2356z 29 NovWE9V 14083.8 28 dB RTTY45 bpsBristol, WI2309 km (1435 miles) at 53.7 degrees*******
2355z 29 NovK9LC 14083.9 24 dB RTTY45 bpsRockford, IL2227 km (1384 miles) at 53.7 degrees******
2355z 29 NovAC0C-1 14083.9 42 dB RTTY45 bpsLouisburg, KS1632 km (1014 miles) at 59.6 degrees*****
2355z 29 NovK6FOD 14083.9 42 dB RTTY45 bpsSouth Pasadena, CA706 km (438 miles) at 289.1 degrees**