[SixClub] PSK31 on 50.290

[lzavadil at embarqmail.com]

The most popular digital mode on Six Meters is FSK441, part of the WSJT 
suite used for meteor scatter.  There is a random hour on Saturday mornings 
at 0900 (Eastern Time) on 50.260, most of  the rest of the time QSOs are 
scheduled on the Ping Jockey web site.
I have been working digital on Six for several years and have worked Joey on 
PSK31, but have found that PSK31 suffers a lot from multi-path.  Olivia (and 
probably Contestia) work much better on Six, but even those modes have 
problems some times.  Over a few years of skeds with W3CY over a 100-125 
mile path, we have found that Olivia will work at about 35-40W if SSB works 
at 100W between us, but some days even that has a problem.
I have seen some posts on the WSJT reflector about a group trying JT65a 
(another WSJT mode originally intended for EME) on 50.290, but have never 
heard the mode on Six.  I have used JT6M (another WSJT mode, now replaced by 
ISCAT) for tropo scatter on Six a couple of times.
Bottom line, I have made PSK31 and RTTY contacts on 50.290 during Es 
openings, but when the band is full of SSB signals it is hard to remember to 
check 50.290, but occasionally there are signals there during an opening. 
If the band is not open, you will probably not hear anything but white noise 
but if you start to hear activity on 50.125, then it might be worht making 
some PSK31 noise on 50.290.

-- 73 -- Les, W4FRA