[50mhz] JT65A QSO's on 6m

[Lance Collister]

Hi Ed,

You asked (on my other computer) how long a JT65A QSO takes on 6m EME.  If the 
polarity is reciprocal for both stations, it takes 4 minutes.  The contact is 
complete when one station receives final RRR.

HOWEVER, it is rare that both stations copy each other at the same time.  The 
polarity between the stations is usually mismatched by physical geometry and/or 
Faraday rotation (which usually eventually causes the polarity to rotate around, 
but there also can be long periods when the polarity seems to be "stuck").  The 
smaller one or both stations are, the less "margin" they will have to make up for 
a mismatch in polarity, and the more perfectly they will need the polarity to line 
up for them and for the other station.  In addition, if one or both stations are 
horizon-only, they must have polarity at least line up for one of them when the 
moon is in front of one of their ground gain lobes.  So, as you can see, many 
things have to be right at the same time. And on the low frequency of 6m, you have 
the added hurdle in that geomagnetic activity can easily scatter the signals off 
course (even if the MUF is well below 50 MHz) and eliminate signals of ANY 
polarization from making it to their destination.   As a result, it may take over 
an hour to work through the simple exchanges required each way for an EME 
contact...or it may never happen at all that day.

As if those were not enough challenges, you also have the effects of orbital 
Degradation, which are very significant on 6m.  So, you will see considerably more 
difficulty during most days of the month.  However, on those days when the 
Degradation is lowest, the geomagnetic activity is low, and the polarity is 
reciprocal for you, real magic can take place!

Most often, 6m EME does NOT provide the instant gratification of an ionospheric 
contact on HF.  It requires planning, time and patience.  But the rewards are 
truly gratifying when it all comes together ;-)

More information about 6m EME can be found on my website below.

GL and VY 73, Lance
-- 
Lance Collister, W7GJ (ex: WA3GPL, WA1JXN, WA1JXN/C6A, ZF2OC/ZF8, E51SIX, 3D2LR)
P.O. Box 73
Frenchtown, MT  59834  USA
QTH: DN27UB
TEL: (406) 626-5728   URL: http://www.bigskyspaces.com/w7gj
LIVE MESSENGER CHAT: w7gj at hotmail.com  SKYPE: lancew7gj
2m DXCC #11, 6m DXCC #815

Interested in 6m EME?  Ask me about subscribing to the Magic Band EME email Google 
Group!
(or click on the link at the bottom of my web page above)