The 2011 running of the ARRL June VHF QSO Party saw a record number of logs submitted. This year, 1243 logs were submitted for this contest, breaking the record set in 2010 of 1202 logs. “Six meters has been in excellent shape for the June VHF QSO Party for four of the past five years,” explained ARRL Contest Branch Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X. “It’s clear that when the ‘Magic Band’ is in great shape at the start of the contest, we see more participation with more logs submitted. As a 6 meter fan, I hope this trend continues in the years to come.” 

With the exception of 2007, the ARRL June VHF QSO Party has seen upwards of 1000 logs submitted each year since 2006; in 2007, 860 logs were received, down from 1052 the year before. Kutzko said one of the contributing factors to the popularity of the contest is that more HF transceivers now include the 6 meter band: “When hams buy new HF rigs that include 6 meters, we see them having a go on the band -- sometimes for the first time, other times it’s like revisiting an old friend from their past. These hams are having a blast on the band and it sure is contagious. When you add that to the improved propagation, it’s no wonder we’re seeing an upswing in the popularity of 6 meters.”