[50mhz] QSO's and Band Openings - Food for thought
Bernie McClenny
bernie at dailydx.com
Thu May 26 06:37:52 EDT 2005
Dave
I take DXing very seriously as I have been doing this since I was 13 years
old. Yes when I was a Novice I had two or three guys that I would call on
the phone and alert them as they likewise did for me. I would agree with
you that there should be an "appropriate mode of operation relative to the
type of opening taking place at any given time." I also agree all Amateur
Radio operators have a responsibility to "be courteous" to other operators.
So far this Eskip season has been pretty good! I hope it continues and that
everyone will do the maximum to promote "goodwill" and good operating
procedures set out by the FCC and the ARRL.
73
Bernie, W3UR
Bernie McClenny, W3UR
Now more than ever - you need The Daily DX and The Weekly DX - to keep up
with the DX news from around the globe!
Editor of - The Daily DX <-- two free weeks http://www.dailydx.com/order.htm
- The Weekly DX <-- free sample
http://www.dailydx.com/weekly2.html
- How's DX
http://www.dailydx.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Dave, K2DP [mailto:k2dp at charter.net]
Sent: Tuesday, May 24, 2005 05:27
To: bernie at dailydx.com; 50mhz at mailman.qth.net
Cc: 'W5GCX (h)'; 'W2GCX'; 'K0BX'; 'W2FLA (h)'; 'Propper, S D'; 'W0GOM';
'AE3T'
Subject: Re: [50mhz] QSO's and Band Openings - Food for thought
Bernie,
Many thanks for your comments,. but you really take this much too seriously
! This an avocation, not a vocation ! Please note that no one in the St.
Louis area who was on the air on December 28th, 2001 and heard the JA's
comming in , went lacking for a QSO. In fact, as many people did for me in
the "good ol' days", we help each other through the pile ups and assist the
smaller local stations in getting through to the DX ! By the way, did you
ever call your buddies across town on the good ol' Land Line to tell them to
get on the air to work a new one ???? That was the level of comarderie in
the 1960's, prior to packet clusters, repeaters, internet clusters, etc and
it would be great to see that type of closeness return to the hobby.
However, as one gentlemen put it in today's comments on the reflector, there
is an appropriate mode of operation relative to the type of opening taking
place at any given time. When I hear a W4 in the "rare" grid of EL95, 96,
etc (South Florida) working the rare grid of EM48 in St. Louis, for more
than an hour, this is not indicative of working "the rare ones." But, to
generalize that all QSO's made on 6 meters during band openings should
consist of nothing more than a grid square and signal report exchange would
be a shame and a great loss of opportunity.
So, just remember that we should all be courteous to all other operators,
and use the spectrum provided to us on 50 mhz, ie: there is life above
50.200 mhz, and all will be well.
73 and best DX to you, wishing you a great "sproadic - " season for 2005 !
Dave, K2DP, St. Louis
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bernie McClenny" <bernie at dailydx.com>
To: "'Dave, K2DP'" <k2dp at charter.net>; <50mhz at mailman.qth.net>
Cc: "'W5GCX (h)'" <w5gcx at sbcglobal.net>; "'W2GCX'" <w2gcx at gte.net>; "'K0BX'"
<k0bx at qsl.net>; "'W2FLA (h)'" <sherman at w2fla.com>; "'Propper, S D'"
<s.d.propper at boeing.com>; "'W0GOM'" <w0gom at qsl.net>; "'AE3T'"
<howardms at lehigh.edu>
Sent: Monday, May 23, 2005 6:59 AM
Subject: RE: [50mhz] QSO's and Band Openings - Food for thought
Ugh! Normally I would let this go but then everyone would just think Dave's
message below is the way things should be. I disagree with almost
everything below. If you want to rag chew do it on HF where the conditions
will hold out much longer. Or work a local on 6 meter ground wave. Now
I've only been on 6 meters just two years so I may not know everything about
the band. But one of the first things I learned is that when 6 opens it is
a fun band and you better work them fast or you won't get in the log. Here
in W3 land the local experts tell me there have only been three extremely
short (minutes) openings to Japan in the last 20 years. I hope I never hear
someone give more than 339 FM19 to a JA during the next opening. Whoever
gives much more than that will be known as a complete lid by everyone else
who wants to work the rare DX station. Martti rarely ever gives any other
info when he's on a DXpedition. However when he is home you are right. On
HF he gives all his particulars. The bottom line is when the band is open
keep it short and think about the guys that you can't hear that are on the
frequency that would like to work the station you are now working. Also
50125 is the starting point. Once you establish the band is open move up
the band and keep 125 clear of QSOs. It's a calling frequency not a rag
chew frequency.
For those of you who agree with Dave's comments below my name is Bernie
McClenny. I've been a ham since 1977 I live in Glenwood, Maryland (FM19).
I use an FT-847 and a commercial solid state KW with the C3I 7 element 6
meter beam up 115 feet. The weather here today is 65 and mostly cloudy. I
have 300 feet of hardline going from the rig to the antenna. If you want
more info I'd be glad to work you on HF where we can carry out a rag chew.
73
Bernie, W3UR 59 FM19
Bernie McClenny, W3UR
Now more than ever - you need The Daily DX and The Weekly DX - to keep up
with the DX news from around the globe!
Editor of - The Daily DX <-- two free weeks http://www.dailydx.com/order.htm
- The Weekly DX <-- free sample
http://www.dailydx.com/weekly2.html
- How's DX
http://www.dailydx.com
-----Original Message-----
From: 50mhz-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:50mhz-bounces at mailman.qth.net]
On Behalf Of Dave, K2DP
Sent: Monday, May 23, 2005 04:10
To: 50mhz at mailman.qth.net
Cc: W5GCX (h); W2GCX; K0BX; W2FLA (h); Propper, S D; W0GOM; AE3T
Subject: [50mhz] QSO's and Band Openings - Food for thought
It occurred to me today while listening to a nice "sporadic-e" band opening
to Florida from the mid-west, that folks are so keen on running pile ups,
that they are failing to keep the "ham" in ham radio !!!!! Conditions were
solid for better than an hour and yet when in QSO with a particular station
in Florida, the only words I could get this OM to utter were "5x9, EL 96"
!!!! This was disappointing in that each QSO on 6 meters, is an opportunity
to meet another ham who has precisely the same interests and high degree of
patience and persistence that you do, just validated by the mere fact that
you are both 6 meter enthusiasts !!! While achieving WAS or DXCC on the HF
bands might take an active amateur 12-24 months, this might represent a life
time endeavor for a 6 meter amateur !!!!!! Those of us who are avid 6 meter
enthusiasts are a fraternity within the fraternity of Amateur Radio ! Let's
at least take the time to introduce ourselves to one another by name and
provide a little bit of information about ourselves such as our actual QTH
(we don't address snail mail to EL 96 , do we ?), etc. After all, even
during the outstanding DX openings on 6 meters to JA in December , 2001, we
had the time to exchange our "handles and QTH" and still work plenty of
stations. As another example, listen to world renowned DX-er, Martti Lane,
OH2BH, when he runs a pile up on 20 meters ( not a contest) and note the
courtesy that he extends to each amateur he works by introducing himself as
Martti and giving his QTH, etc, in addition to the signal report of the
station he is working !!!! Let's have fun on the air and let's enjoy those
great 6 meter band openings when they occur, but let's also take the time to
get to know one another better. Friendships make amateur radio the great and
strong hobby that it is.
Thanks for the bandwidth, 73 & c u on 6 meters.....Dave, K2DP (ex-WB2PMP),
University City, MO
Moderator: Ray Brown, KB0STN
_______________________________________________
50mhz mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/50mhz
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/faq.htm
Post: mailto:50mhz at mailman.qth.net
Moderator: Ray Brown, KB0STN
_______________________________________________
50mhz mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/50mhz
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/faq.htm
Post: mailto:50mhz at mailman.qth.net
More information about the 50mhz
mailing list