Posted: 6/7/2013 9:28:08 AM EDT
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In the past I used to work 6 FM but never 6 SSB.
I ordered up an antenna that is a horizontal loop for the SSB portion and a Vertical whip for the FM portion (switch between the two elements) (and after hearing noting for two weeks I actually got a shipping notice  )
So for those who work 6 SSB where is all the action at? Around the calling Frequency or???? Thank you |
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50.125 is the calling freq. When the band is open, you will hear people up past 50.200
A good place to park is .125, but don't forget to call CQ every once and a while. Don't forget to periodically tune up and down from .125 to .200 or so. The band may be open but no one on .125 Below .125 is for outside the US and Canada. Check out this site http://www.dxmaps.com/spots/map.php?Lan=E&Frec=50&Map=NA&mycall=&myloc=&freq=%E2%88%9D= And sign up for the email alerts so you know when the band is open. There's a bunch more tips that someone will chime in with shortly I bet. |
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Six meters will open when it wants, usually the spring and early summer will bring plenty of E skip. Go Here to check the 6 meter band conditions for CONUS. Monitor 50.125 for activity and check for beacons. There is a Beacon map Here. If there is lots of SSB activity then listen for FM around 52.525. 73, Rob |
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Yeah. What he said.
50.125 is the calling freq. When the band is open, you will hear people up past 50.200 A good place to park is .125, but don't forget to call CQ every once and a while. Don't forget to periodically tune up and down from .125 to .200 or so. The band may be open but no one on .125 Below .125 is for outside the US and Canada. Check out this site http://www.dxmaps.com/spots/map.php?Lan=E&Frec=50&Map=NA&mycall=&myloc=&freq=%E2%88%9D= And sign up for the email alerts so you know when the band is open. There's a bunch more tips that someone will chime in with shortly I bet. CW is between 50080 to 50100. 50100 to 50125 is the DX window so be sure to take a look there. 50125 is the call freq and pretty much if you hear nothing here there isn't a good enough opening for SSB. Do call CQ though, you might get surprised. Been getting activity on 50276 using JT65A using 100w and a loop. Unlike the HF bands 100w for the mode is acceptable. |
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ARRL VHF contest is tomorrow and sunday if you saw the other thread.
Also been seeing a lot of 6m activity on field day. The CQ VHF contest is mid July also, it's 6m/2m only. Previous answers are correct, 50.125 and go up as conditions warrant. Remember with E skip its very common to only hear one side of the convo and dead silence otherwise, so tune slowly. You can also go from a completely dead band to wall-to-wall S9 stations literally in a few minutes. |
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I ordered up an antenna that is a horizontal loop for the SSB portion I hope you mean to make a vertical loop... Horizontal loops are for NVIS, that won't work on 6. Horizontal loop will work perfectly on 6m, horizontal is the usual polarization for SSB/CW on all the VHF bands. Typical VHF loop antennas for quasi-omnidirectional horizontal polarization: http://loopsnmore.com/ http://www.ebay.com/itm/50mhz-50-mhz-6-meter-loop-antenna-/330908450693 E skip or other ionospherically-reflected signals have randomized polarization so if you have a vertical available you can still use it for E skip on 6. |
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A vertical loop fed at the bottom is horizontally polarized. Sounds like some people need to brush up on loops.
ETA. Radiation pattern is broadside to the loop. I hardly think upward and downward is where you want it to go on 6, on 80 sure, not 6. ETA2. OK I see everyone is referring to a halo antenna as a loop? |
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Quoted:
I hope you mean to make a vertical loop... Horizontal loops are for NVIS, that won't work on 6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halo_antenna |
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Well I've been wondering about 6m and do not have an antenna specifically for 6m. SOOO today for giggles and grins I tuned to 6m and hit the tune button on my TS-590S! Low and behold my Mosley TA-53M tuned at about a 1.3-1.4! It may be acting as a rotatable di-pole but it DOES SEEM to be directional!. And Oh Yes it does work! The first call I made was to a guy in California and he responded on my first call! So guess I now have a new band I can actually play on!!
OH NO more antennas!! Sarge |