[Elecraft] Advice on 6 meters...

Wed Feb 26 18:23:35 EST 2014

First, I never said I only operated the top 3kHz on CW...nice try. 
Second, the "lots" of activity I mentioned was during specific band 
openings. I have been on 50MHz, intermittently, since 1961, including 
operation from North Dakota, which is the definition of desolation when 
it come to working stations when the band is closed. I accomplished 
6-meter WAS from there more than 30 years ago.

I did say the beacons do not impact 50.080-50.100 which is where most CW 
activity takes place, with occasional CW signals just above 50.100. In 
fact, you can find beacons down to almost 50.000 but they are *very* 
widely spaced. My use of 50.097 from HC was just an example of one 
operating instance.

Jack, W6NF/VE4SNA

On 2/26/2014 11:31 AM, WILLIS COOKE wrote:
> Jack, your idea of lots of CW and mine differ quite a bit.  If your CW 
> is concentrated in the top 3 Khz of the CW band and you willingly give 
> up most of the band to beacons and don't even miss the bandwidth you 
> are not my kind of CW affecionado.  I do at least venture down to 
> 50.090 for my CQs and much to my surprise I sometimes get an answer. 
>  I made it my goal to get some activity for the Straight Key Century 
> Club anniversary celebration this January and I was able to make 3 
> contacts during the month on 6 meters and one non "SKCC contact.  But 
> I  only have a 21 meter high tower and beam and a KW on 6 meters.  If 
> five contacts in a month in only two states, all ground wave is not 
> very little, we have a definition problem.  In comparison I made 452 
> CW QSOs on all bands and 90 on 160 meters.
> Willis 'Cookie' Cooke, TDXS DX Chairman
> K5EWJ & Trustee N5BPS, USS Cavalla, USS Stewart
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *From:* Jack <vhfplus at gmail.com>
> *To:* elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> *Sent:* Wednesday, February 26, 2014 12:58 PM
> *Subject:* Re: [Elecraft] Advice on 6 meters...
>
> Sorry, Willis, but the beacons are operated in a narrow range of
> frequencies well below the normal CW DX frequencies of 50.080-50.100MHz.
> From Ecuador I heard many beacons from South and Central America, the
> Caribbean and the US, and none of them were anywhere near my operating
> frequency of 50.097MHz. Roughly 2/3 of my QSOs were CW and the remainder
> SSB so the statement "there is very little CW" is absolutely untrue.
>
> Jack, W6NF/VE4SNA
>
> On 2/26/2014 10:45 AM, WILLIS COOKE wrote:
> > Phil, 6 meters is vacant most of the time except for locals.  When 
> it is good, it is mostly E skip with occasional F skip.  Some of us 
> who have more than 200 countries on all bands except 160 and 6 like it 
> for the challenge, but figure on a lot of tuning for an occasional 
> opening.  There is very little CW, but there is some around 50.090 to 
> 50.095.  Most of the CW band is clobbered by beacons when the band is 
> open.  A large portion of the stations on 6 meters have Technician 
> operators who do not do code often.  If you find yourself tuning 10 
> meters during the sun spot nulls, you will find 6 meters much like 
> that during the sun spot peaks.  A four or five element beam will make 
> 6 meters look like 10 with a dipole or a vertical when the band is 
> open.  Most QSOs will not even exchange names, just grid codes and 
> usually don't even bother with 59.  In spite of all this, I still like 
> it and operate it some.  It is much more interesting to me than
> >  RTTY or PSK and one of the few CW stations you hear there will be 
> K5EWJ.  So if the lower bands bore you and Digital bores you even 
> more, then maybe 6 meters is your game.
> >
> > Willis 'Cookie' Cooke, TDXS DX Chairman
> > K5EWJ & Trustee N5BPS, USS Cavalla, USS Stewart
> >
> >
> > ________________________________
> >  From: Phil Hystad <phystad at mac.com <mailto:phystad at mac.com>>
> > To: elecraft <Elecraft at mailman.qth.net 
> <mailto:Elecraft at mailman.qth.net>>
> > Sent: Wednesday, February 26, 2014 12:08 PM
> > Subject: [Elecraft] Advice on 6 meters...
> >
> >
> > I have seen some comments recently about six meters and I have never 
> operated six meters.  I don't really have a descent antenna for six 
> meters, just my 80-meter (ladder line fed) dipole or my hex beam that 
> I can at least tune to six meters.
> >
> > The band is always dead quiet with the small exception of some noise 
> spikes here and there but very rare.
> >
> > Question:  is there any activity for six meters that I should invest 
> in a nice multi-element 6 meter bean antenna?
> >
> > My most dominant operating mode would be CW but maybe some SSB from 
> time to time.  I have no idea what's there as this band has always 
> been blank to me.
> >
> > 73, phil, K7PEH
> >
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