[50mhz] 6m Point-to-Point Distances?

[Lance Collister, W7GJ]

Hi Art,

D layer scatter signals on 6m are quite reliable for paths in the 600-1100 mile range 
between well equipped 6m stations.  That is one of the special characteristics about 
propagation on the "Magic Band" ;-)  That is why you often see reports of QRO 
stations with high gain antennas being received regularly by stations that far away.  
There is an ERP threshold, though, below which such signals are not audible, which is 
why it is not at all unusual for barefoot stations to be unable to answer big 
stations they hear on this propagation mode.

When JT65 was introduced, I was curious to know if its extra sensitivity ( 10-15 dB 
compared to CW) could be used to "level the playing field" between big stations and 
barefoot single yagi stations.   I ran some skeds with stations 700 - 1200 miles away 
and found that we could very easily and repeatedly complete JT65 contacts with each 
of us running under 100w and a single yagi.

GL and VY 73, Lance




On 3/2/2015 7:12 PM, Art Roberts wrote:
> Back when I was first licensed (1960) and started working 6 meters, I was
> living outside Denver and South of the National Bureau of Standards. The
> Bureau was working on  a project that ran at 49.5 MHz  They had eight 5
> element yagis at around 30 feet, all lined up and aimed at a station outside
> Chicago, that had the same setup. They were investigating tropo scatter, and
> if they could maintain constant contact with a KW station and this antenna
> setup. From my memory, it seemed to work as hoped. We could hear the Chicago
> station occasionally with our limited antennas.
>
> I think my 72 year old memory has this right.
>
> Art
> W1AER
> Tariffville, CT
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: 50mhz [mailto:50mhz-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Ofqrv at kd4e.com
> Sent: Sunday, March 01, 2015 6:52 PM
> To: 6m;6meter at yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [50mhz] 6m Point-to-Point Distances?
>
> Questions:
>
> What's a reasonable expectation of 6m mobile-to-mobile direct communications
> @ 25w - 50w?
>
> How does that change if one station is fixed and the antenna is at 30-35'?
>
> What about two fixed locations w/antennas both at 30-35'?
>
> I've read about repeaters using 6m as a backbone but what about control
> signals and/or digital modes, must that be at 220 or higher?
>
> I used to know this stuff but you know, lack of use, and all that ... surely
> not age!  ;-)
>
> Thanks - David KD4E
>
>


-- 
Lance Collister, W7GJ
(ex WA3GPL, WA1JXN, WA1JXN/C6A, ZF2OC/ZF8, E51SIX, 3D2LR, 5W0GJ, E6M, TX5K, KH8/W7GJ)
P.O. Box 73
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Skype: lanceW7GJ
2m DXCC #11/6m DXCC #815

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