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I though some of you might find this interesting .
During my first year as a ham, I used to chat with Ed on 6 meters and He taught me a great deal about propagation on 6 meters. I didn't realize till years later that I had been taking to a 6 meter pioneer.
http://www.uksmg.org/content/w2idz.htm
A great pioneer...
Thanks for the heads up.
Will be intersting to see this year what i can do with the 5 element beam and 100 watts in it ;)
Do you monitor 50.110?Quote:
Originally Posted by PA5COR
Wonder when/if we will start getting some F-2 openings Cor?
Should I find a 4M module for either an FTV-901R or an FT-726R, I'm game for an attempt at some 6-to-4M transatlantic duplex ops...if the bands will cooperate.
Maybe one of our across across-the-pond members will keep an eye out for such at your boot sales. :pray
Normally in our region it is 50.150, though i tend to check your region 50.110 regularly, as well the DX cluster for activity.
Last few years worked French Guyana, Dutch Suriname, missed just Curacao, but worked all Europe, Russia,North Africa, Israel.
Had a few small openings during the winter, just Europe, due to the cold snap of 12 weeks we had here, quite uncommon...
Normally the F2 season starts around end March early April, to the end of September here.
I'm already listening in if i get the beacons louder as normal.
( old fashioned i know...)
The 5 element antenna is at 45 feet above ground, very low loss coax on it, N connectors.
Works like a charm, when there are openings, i can get along with the better guy's with stacked antenna's and more power.
Free take off to the USA/Canada, just cows grazing "under the antenna" till the horizon. ;)
Would be a hoot if we can get back working you guy's on 6 meters.
Openings can pop up all unexpected, last 10 minutes till days, be on 6 when the band opens.
:cheers:
Quote:
Originally Posted by w2amr
I remember the last couple of cycles, the best F-2 openings always seemed to be in the fall.Quote:
Originally Posted by PA5COR
I don't mind to keep an eye out, though the chance to find one are very slim indeed.
Most countries here now got their 70 MHz slot, so the run on transverters did already happen.
The later transceivers all have 6 meters build in.
Making your own would not be much of a problem, that is how i started on 23 cm's and on 70 cm's, and my first 6 meter rx/tx was the Yaesu FT 757 GXII with homebrew transverter with 10 watts out first, i made a 150 watt P.A. the year following the build of the transverter.
But after more then a decade i realized that 100 watts in a good directional beam ( 5 or 6 elements) is lots better as my first homebrew 3 element beam.
My ( 1998 then new) FT 847 with Collins filters did just that, decent on H.F. good on 6 and up to 70 cm's.
Certainly after adding a reference Xtal oven ( stability) replacing the band switch diodes with BAT85 Schottky diodes and some more modifications, including new Hemt fets in the front ends for 6 - 70 cm's.
I ditched 23 cm's, still have the transverter and antenna, but not active there anymore.
In fact i got a brand new FT 847 on standby, never used, latest batch made.
We had an AM net here on 6 meters for some time, my FT 100 with Xf117A AM 6 Kc filter did very fine there.
But that net just withered away, the new generation kids just uses their sets in SSB and digital modes...
Not much CW or AM left.
:yes:
Quote:
Originally Posted by N8YX
One spring I set up a 6 meter Gonset Communicator in work, just before the start of the sporatic - E season. I listend to 50.400 AM all summer and didn't hear anybody.
6 and 2 meter AM was a blast in the 70's...
I wouldn't know, I was busy pissing my money away at the drag strip.Quote:
Originally Posted by WØTKX
I had a 4 element yagi for 6, but the mast broke and it had a hard landing. All I have now is an old Saturn 6 halo up at 30', and fed with 9913. The rig is a 706 Icom.
I have nothing in the air for 6 at the moment but that's due to change in the next year or so. Looking at putting 5 elements horizontally and a gain vertical for the FM repeaters. Maybe a halo of some sort as a spotting antenna.