[ADXA] 60m and some addendum info

[HamOP]

Joel posted a good read on 60m .. I got on the band the first day it was allowed on July 3, 2003 when we were limited to USB and 50 watts. Then CW came along and power went to 100 watts radiated power at the antenna, and our 5 channels then started showing CW approval at 1.5kc above the SSB channel fixed frequencies. SSB is UPPER SB. Slowly the nightly rag-chewers quit griping about DXers covering them on channels 4 and 5 and they politely went down to channel 2 and 3 mainly. We had some harmony. It was a slow process. But when the conditions were good for DX and we started looking at the sunrise time for the eastern DX stations, things were even better because the nightly chatters were in bed or had stopped their chat by 7-8PM..

I am now bringing up FT8 and those associated modes. RTTY was in the initial ARRL charts on modes and channel frequencies. FT8 had not yet arrived on the scene. RTTY was OK on USB channels because it was basically an USB frequency mechanism of its digital signal creation.  Other digitals were then were put on our SSB channel  3 as they arrived. Keep in mind the power allowed is ERP 100watts from the antenna. So many guys DO run 200-500 watts still today .  Now FT8.. When you try to work CW on channel 3 (5358.5) you are covered by the oscillations of FT8 and CW is useless. On our USB channel 3 (5357), it also is covered by some variable audio signals of FT8. So channel 3 is almost useless to the nighttime chatters who have complained to the ARRL for years. 

FT8 mode, among others early on, was initially instituted as a means of being able to hear weak stations in the -20 to -5 dB range  when we could not even hear CW. BUT, in CW narrow bandwidths and RTTY being narrow too, you can start hearing those modes OK at -5 db using narrow CW at 500 to 250 cycles widths. The problem is that FT8 by NA users running 100 (+) watts are S9 at times and for sure in the + dB column here to us NA operators … READABLE.  Should we run CW during ‘readable’ times and only FT8 if IN-audible? No. It is an individual’s preference in our hobby, and it works well on upper bands, like 20m, where there is agreed to ‘separation’ of a few KCs from each other involving RTTY and sub-audible FT modes. 

Most FT8 is not sub-audible in the NA area where 100 watts is being used.. CW can go anywhere in those digital ranges, but we don’t usually. We have hobby agreements on other bands. NO way on 60m because we are FIXED on a frequency for USB, CW and Digital. The useless channel 3 for SSB and CW is why the ARRL is supportive even moreso for a VFO allocation and 15 w ERP on a sub-band situation like EU, etc. Keep in mind, the programmed in FT8 modes vary a lot and you find DXers moving 1-3 KC away to work FT on supposedly 5357 only. And too much power causes audio distortion to those FT modes.  It is NOT simple segregation of modes, especially on 60m. European country band plans and frequencies are really mixed and they have to work cross channel BUT I hear them transceive and out of their allocated range many times.

We see a similar situation on 7mc for example . A DX station below 7125 and listening for NA 7125 "up”.. Way too many get right on 7125 which is OUT of the band on LSB. The correct place to call on LSB for NA is about 7126.5. On USB you can go to the lowest frequency, like on 20m @ 14125, no problem. Sometimes we all need to refresh our memory on LSB and USB and what it the correct freq to be on at the band edges!  Anyway Joel, that’s my take on things and sorry to take up email space but some things do require rehashing.. Perhaps an ADXA forum with a quick 10 minute talk sometime at one of our meetings??
San  K5YY

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Sent from Mail for Windows 10

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