[Elecraft] 6M CW

[Edward R Cole]

Comparing 6m to 17m is not very fair.  My impression of 17m is its an 
extension of 20m in nature and use.

Some regard 6m is our lowest VHF band; others as the highest HF 
band.  IMO it is neither.  I find line-of-sight propagation quite 
inferior to 2m and even 70cm.  As a band with ionospheric effects 
they are so rare that it hardly qualifies as a propagation mode (Of 
course you would have to withstand 355 days of no propagation to the 
ten or less that we get up here in Alaska to appreciate my comment).

So ... when the band opens, "everyone" wants to work DX, and that is 
"me".  So I get a back-to-back string of QSO's from 20-30 stations in 
CA.  I worked CA on the first contact so after the band closes, I 
have worked one state.  Or 35 JA stations call; same result one 
country worked.  Would I enjoy exchanging a few more items other than 
call, name, RST and grid?  Not going to happen because I am DX.

Rag chews on 6m are with fellow Alaskans over a 30-mile radius when 
the band is closed.

So six meters is - short and fast!  If you are looking for a rag chew 
go down in freq to HF or up to 2m.  If you want 24-hour DX, don't 
expect it on 6m.  6m is days of boredom interrupted by minutes 
chaos.  It is what it is.  And that is why we love it - and hate it.

Oh, well I usually don't have to wait for a station to call me - so 
that is something.


73, Ed - KL7UW, WD2XSH/45
======================================
BP40IQ   500 KHz - 10-GHz   www.kl7uw.com
EME: 144-600w, 432-100w, 1296-60w, 3400-fall 2010
DUBUS Magazine USA Rep dubususa at hotmail.com
======================================