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Six Meters
- Thread starter Riverman
- Start date
https://www.qsl.net/n1irz/sixmeter.html
Six Meters: An Introduction
What is Sporadic E?
Sporadic-E (also known as Es) propagation is probably familiar to many low-band operators as the summertime "short skip" on 10 meters. It is also responsible for most of the long-distance (600km and greater) contacts on the 6-meter band. Sporadic-E is a type of ionospheric E-layer reflection caused by small patches of unusually dense ionization. These sporadic E-layer "clouds" appear unpredictably, but they are most common over the US and southern Canada during the daylight hours of late spring and summer. Sporadic-E events may last for just a few minutes to several hours; a given event usually affects only small areas of the country at any one time. During June and July, signals propagated by means of sporadic-E ionization may be heard on 50MHz for several hours a day on more than half the days. Sporadic-E is observed on 144 MHz less than a tenth as often as on 50MHz. Signals are often remarkably strong, allowing 50 and 144MHz stations running 10 watts, and often much less than that, to make contacts 1500 km and longer with relative ease.
Other closely related propagation modes are sometimes confused with temperate-zone sporadic-E. Long duration meteor scatter is often difficult to distinguish from true sporadic-E. When the MUF is just below 50MHz, for example, random meteors may elevate the MUF to a useful level for a few tens of seconds at a time. At times, such scatter simply evolves into solid sporadic-E propagation and may serve as an early warning of E-skip conditions.
http://www.uksmg.org/content/sporade.htm
http://users.belgacom.net/hamradio/imagic.htm
The Magic Band
50 MHz
http://www.n5pa.com/ham.vhfuhf.php
Six Meters: An Introduction
What is Sporadic E?
Sporadic-E (also known as Es) propagation is probably familiar to many low-band operators as the summertime "short skip" on 10 meters. It is also responsible for most of the long-distance (600km and greater) contacts on the 6-meter band. Sporadic-E is a type of ionospheric E-layer reflection caused by small patches of unusually dense ionization. These sporadic E-layer "clouds" appear unpredictably, but they are most common over the US and southern Canada during the daylight hours of late spring and summer. Sporadic-E events may last for just a few minutes to several hours; a given event usually affects only small areas of the country at any one time. During June and July, signals propagated by means of sporadic-E ionization may be heard on 50MHz for several hours a day on more than half the days. Sporadic-E is observed on 144 MHz less than a tenth as often as on 50MHz. Signals are often remarkably strong, allowing 50 and 144MHz stations running 10 watts, and often much less than that, to make contacts 1500 km and longer with relative ease.
Other closely related propagation modes are sometimes confused with temperate-zone sporadic-E. Long duration meteor scatter is often difficult to distinguish from true sporadic-E. When the MUF is just below 50MHz, for example, random meteors may elevate the MUF to a useful level for a few tens of seconds at a time. At times, such scatter simply evolves into solid sporadic-E propagation and may serve as an early warning of E-skip conditions.
http://www.uksmg.org/content/sporade.htm
http://users.belgacom.net/hamradio/imagic.htm
The Magic Band
50 MHz
http://www.n5pa.com/ham.vhfuhf.php
I've loaded up my doublet on 6m and made a few contacts over the last few years. It's mostly dead. There is a local 6m repeater that I've never heard anyone on.
And basketball. And soccer. And hockey. And hair.
Think I’ll pass on 6 meters. The driver of the patience truck never was able to find my house.
Think my time will be better spent trying to talk you out of your Browning Mark III.
You are over a year late since I Sold it at least that long ago.I sold it really Cheap as well.
SIX-SHOOTER
There's a 6 meter repeater near me. It's linked to a VHF and UHF repeater. Everyone else in the area clings to the repeaters it's linked to. I cringed the day they linked it. Back in the 70's and 80's, local 6 meters was the schnizzle.
Put a few frequencies in a scanner and let it roll. When you hear something, jump on 6. In my early days of fire/ems, we were on low band. Once we started hearing other agencies (many around the world) I knew to get on 6. Watching TV alerted the band was up also.
My six element 6m yagi made a wonderful TV antenna for channels 2 and 3. I could swing the antenna around and watch several stations on the same channel just by using the antennas azimuth. I remember watching a station out of Chicago numerous times as well as out of Toronto and Boston when the band was open.
I haven't been on six since a freak wind storm blew a tree down on my 5 el beam, a couple years ago. I need to get some aluminum tubing and piece it back together.
I have a handful of 6M capable rigs, but my favorite is my Kenwood TS-600.
I have a handful of 6M capable rigs, but my favorite is my Kenwood TS-600.
When I was a young boy, I got excited seeing anything other than the 3 stations we normally got.
LOL
Three here too. And one of 'em was fuzzy.
My Grandma lived on top of a big mountain (as I call it) in Lincoln County, WV. She had a big communications tower that the County put up. She got a small rental fee and free TV. I don't remember the details if it was cable or whatever. Anyhow, this was late 60's. I remember turning the knob and seeing all these different stations. I'd sit there and watch TV all day. It was unusual, as she was a mountain woman. She had an outhouse and a well that had the best tasting water. She cooked on a wood fired stove. I went hunting with her numerous times. She still hunted up in her 70's. She divorced my grandpa before I was born, but she was truly self sufficient. My mom was a little more modern, but she also hunted. Mom, dad, uncles and my grandma taught me everything about hunting, trapping, fishing and processing game and livestock. I have 3 older sisters, but only the oldest hunted. I miss those days. My current wife is a hillbilly. She used to hunt with me, but she still skins and cooks what I bring home. My son only likes to fish.
Warning: Thread Hijacking Ahead! Even if it is my thread.
Free TV?
Those were the days.
Miss 'em.
Your grandma was quite the woman. And you've got some great memories to cherish.
My grandma was a devout Baptist. I used to play Parcheesi with her on a homemade board. She always made me read some Deuteronomy before playing.
My Granddad just sat in front of the fire, drinking coffee from a saucer and listening to some guy on his transistor radio talking about wheat and cattle prices. Which was odd because he never was a farmer or rancher. He was a blacksmith.
Lol, just an occasional random reminiscent thought. My Grandparents were Southern Baptist. Definitely couldn't sleep during those sermons.
During winter storms we would pick up a station out of Toronto.
Clear weather, was nothing.
Saturday nights had blue movie's after 11pm
Being a kid you would pray for a storm Saturday night
Clear weather, was nothing.
Saturday nights had blue movie's after 11pm
Being a kid you would pray for a storm Saturday night
- No one is chatting at the moment.