1 / 27

SIX METERS

SIX METERS. THE MAGIC BAND. Amateur Privileges. 6 Meters 50.0 to 54.0 MHz All Amateurs except Novices: 50.0-50.1 MHz: CW Only 50.1-54.0 MHz: CW, Phone, Image, MCW, RTTY/Data. Six Meter Band Plan. 50.0 - 50.1 CW 50.06 - 50.08 Beacon Sub band 50.1 - 50.3 SSB, CW

barnabas
Download Presentation

SIX METERS

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. SIX METERS THE MAGIC BAND

  2. Amateur Privileges • 6 Meters 50.0 to 54.0 MHz • All Amateurs except Novices: • 50.0-50.1 MHz: CW Only • 50.1-54.0 MHz: CW, Phone, Image, MCW, RTTY/Data

  3. Six Meter Band Plan • 50.0 - 50.1 CW • 50.06 - 50.08 Beacon Sub band • 50.1 - 50.3 SSB, CW • 50.10 - 50.125 DX Window • 50.125SSB calling • 50.3 - 50.6 All modes • 50.6 - 50.8 Non voice communications • 50.62 Digital (packet) calling • 50.8 - 51.0 Remote control (20-kHz channels) • 51.0 - 51.1 Pacific DX window • 51.24 – 53.18 Repeater inputs • 51.74 – 53.68 Repeater outputs -500kHz Split

  4. Six Meter Band Plan • 51.62 - 51.68 Digital repeater outputs • 51.12 - 51.18 Digital repeater inputs • 52.02, 52.04 FM simplex • 52.2 Test Pair (input) • 52.525 Primary FM simplex • 52.54 Secondary FM simplex • 52.7 Test Pair (output) • 53.0 Remote base FM simplex • 53.02 Simplex • 53.1, 53.2, 53.3, 53.4 Radio remote control • 53.5, 53.6, 53.7, 53.8 Radio remote control • 53.52, 53.9 Simplex

  5. Propagation Modes – 6 Meters • Line-of-Sight • F2 layer • Sporadic E – Single, Mult-Hop, Cloud To Cloud • Aurora • Trans-Equatorial Propagation • Tropospheric Bending (Ducting) • Troposcatter • Ionoscatter. • Meteor scatter • Rain, lightning, ice pellet, aircraft, Scatter • FAI (E-layer field-aligned irregularities) • TE (transequatorial field-aligned irregularities) • Moon bounce (EME).

  6. Line Of Sight Operation • Line of sight (LOS) distance is dependant on the height of the antennas, antenna gain and directivity, transmitter power, and noise figure of the receivers. • Sometimes called the optical distance, LOS is about 30 to 100 miles depending on the fore mentioned items.

  7. F2 Propagation • This is the other biggie for six meter operators but is only experienced at the solar cycle maximums (11 year cycles). It is the most common long distance propagation mode at HF and can also result in some tremendous DX openings on six meters. Hops are typically over 2000 miles in range. • Over the years, observations have shown that for the higher latitudes, with conditions of very high MUF, the best months for 6M F2 skip centers around December.

  8. Sporadic-E Ionization • Sporadic E patches occur ~ 60 to 70 miles above the earth, at about the same height as the regular E layer. • Cover a small geographical region, approximately 6 to 100 miles in diameter. Can be fast moving. • Random relatively short in duration, dissipating within a few hours.  • Causes not fully known. Occurs more often during the hours of daylight, ultra-violet radiation might play some role in its formation. • Some theories suggest that ionization might be caused by wind shear forces associated with rapid wind movements in the ionosphere.

  9. Sporadic-E Seasons

  10. Sporadic-E Variations

  11. SIX METER PROPAGATION MODES

  12. SIX METER PROPAGATION MODES

  13. Grid Squares • The Maidenhead grid-square system, formalized at a VHF meeting in Britain in 1980 and adopted world-wide by the International Amateur Radio Union in 1985, is almost universally used as a locator system by VHF, UHF and microwave operators

  14. More On Grid Squares • An instrument of the Maidenhead Locator System (named after the town outside London where it was first conceived by a meeting of European VHF managers in 1980), a grid square measures 1° latitude by 2° longitude and measures approximately 70 × 100 miles in the continental US. A grid square is indicated by two letters (the field) and two numbers (the square), as in FN31, the grid square within which W1AW, ARRL's Maxim Memorial Station, resides. • Each subsquare is designated by the addition of two letters after the grid square, as FN44IG. These more precise locators are used as part of the exchange in the 10-GHz contest. They measure 2.5 minutes latitude by 5 minutes longitude, roughly corresponding to 3 × 4 miles in the continental US.

  15. When Do We Have Propagation • Monitor the lower TV channels (not cable). Indications are bars and interference patterns and even a complete take over of the channel by a station hundreds of miles away. • Check the beacons - 50.06 to 50.08 MHz • Check the DX packet clusters • Monitor 50.125 MHz • Check the Propagation and Aurora reports. High sun activity may signal openings.

  16. Six Meter Beacons

  17. Six Meter Equipment • Antennas can be small – 4.5 feet for a quarter wave. • Power is no way as critical on 6m as HF. 25 Watts will do fine if you have propagation • Lots of multi band rigs available – IC-706, FT-100D, Kenwood TS-2000, TS-480 Series

  18. Prefixes • A (AA-AL), e.g., AC6V, AD6VIK (KA-KZ), e.g., KM6MW, K6GO, KM6XAN (NA-NZ), e.g., N6KI, NN6X, NN3VW (WA-WZ), e.g., W6AM, W6ASP • KL, AL – Alaska KH6, AH6 - Hawaii • VAA-VGZ Canada   (Also CF-CK, CY-CZ, VO, VX-VY, XJ-XO) • XAA-XIZ Mexico  (Also 4A-4C, 6D-6J) • 335 DX Entities on ARRL DXCC List

  19. Awards • WAS 48 plus Alaska and Hawaii • VUCC – Work 100 Grid Squares • DXCC • Six Meter Clubs offer awards • SMIRK • Worked all District SIX’es

  20. Working The Six Meter Band • Check The Packet Clusters • Check the beacon sub band • Tune receiver to 50.125 MHz • Lightly squelch the receiver to stop noise • If nothing heard on 50.125, tune above and below • Occasionally call CQ on 50.125 giving your QTH and Grid Square • Read a book surf the web, yak on 2M, the band can be dead for long periods of time and magically spring to life.

  21. Working The Six Meter Band • When you make a contact – give your call, signal report, grid square, and name. • Log the contact, someone can ask for a QSL, years after the fact. • Quickly turn QSO back to the other station to get these essentials, propagation can quickly change on 6M. • Ask and give QSL info i.e.; QSL NEVER, QSL Mutual, QSL SASE. • Carry on with the QSO if mutual.

  22. Six Meter Signal Reports • Given in the RST System e.g., 59(9) + your Grid Square e.g., DM13

  23. Logging • Date and Time (UTC) • Frequency or Band • Mode • Time Off (UTC) • Reports – sent and received • QSL Via Direct __ Manager ___ E-Mail ____ • Contest Serial Numbers • Optional Items are: • Power • QTH of Station Worked • DX Operator’s Name

  24. QSL Card Format • Your callsign, name, address, country, zip code, and E-mail address. • Use an E-mail address that is independent of your provider (e.g., amsat.org, arrl.net, hotmail, yahoo mail, etc.), so that your card does not become obsolete if you change providers. • Callsign of the Amateur Radio Station contacted, callsign of the QSL Manager if applicable. • Date and time of contact. This is the UTC date. Since various countries use different notations (i.e., 10/1/99 or 1/10/99 for October 1, 1999) it is best to spell out the month followed by the day. Many use roman numerals for the month e.g., March = III. • Band or frequency of contact. Mode of operation, SSB, CW, RTTY, etc. • Signal report exchange – in the RST system.

  25. QSL Card Format • Contest name and contest exchange number if applicable. • Check boxes for “Please QSL” or “Thanks for your QSL”. • Your signature. • For a general all purpose card you can add information used for awards, such as: • 10/10 Number for 10-meter contacts. • County, province, prefecture, oblast, or parish. • Grid square • Zone – both CQ and ITU • Your awards, especially those that count for reciprocal award working • DX Clubs you belong to. Many offer awards for working a specified number of club members.

  26. QSLing – Getting The Card • Your QSL card should include, your callsign, QTH, Grid Square, Signal Report, Freq/Band, Mode, Time in UTC (never local time) • Since a lot of Tech class operators are on 6M, they may not have QSl cards or even care to collect them. Ask QSL Mutual. • Customary to include an SASE for rare states, RI, WY, and grid squares. • In dire extreme, make up a QSL card for the station that doesn’t have any, mail with SASE and ask them to sign the card.

  27. Going Mobile On Six Meters • Know what grid square you are in. • The ArtSci Repeater Guide is a must for this – shows grid squares vs cities and highways. • A Rover is going from grid square to grid square and can often give a very rare grid square contact

More Related