6-meter Magic Band question

Good info and good write up. I run 5 elements.. (not wide spaced) at 48 ft and 100 watts. Been having fun on 6 ssb. No DX yet but I'm just getting going on 6. No digital for me either. Already planning for next summer projects. Another tower.. This may include a 6 element lfa at 70 ft and a kilowatt to feed it. We will see how things play out...

I run a 5 element 6M5X M2 at just 55' & just a Kilowatt but I manage to work anyone I can hear with ease.I started on 6 meters in 1994 & it's always been my Favorite Band Preriod.

W4KVW
SIX-SHOOTER

BJ radionut said:

I was asked this question privately; thought may be of interest to others.

"I'm thinking about trying 6m and was curious if you know of any above average or excellent websites I should read. Kind of looking for an all-inclusive site and figured that if anyone knew, it'd be you. "

6-meter band - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

6 Meter Ham Band Activity & Its Propagation Modes Explained

This article is about how to keep tabs on 6 meter ham band activity and understanding the propagation modes contributing to the action.

www.hamradiosecrets.com

Six Meters: An Introduction

Transequatorial Propagation — Six Meter Magic - K5ND

Yesterday, April 11, provided some real six meter excitement working FT8 QSOs with several stations in Argentina via Transequatorial Propagation (TEP). It was interesting, as is often the case on six meters, that most of the stations were near Buenos Aires — with almost a pipeline into Dallas...

k5nd.net

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E-skip, tropospheric ducting and other VHF propagation phenomena – Engineering Radio

www.engineeringradio.us

VHF Propagation Map

aprs.mennolink.org

All inclusive, guess not. Hope this helps a little. I started 6 meter's maybe 10 years ago...Rotatable/Scrap Aluminum Dipole at like 40 ft..... (Good cheap Eskip antenna) worked all over the US/North America with 100 watts...then 3 element HB... then add 400 watts and pre-amp...then Obsession kicked in ...next few years multiple antenna changes ...changes in power...now running HB KW amp and 6 element wide space/25ft Boom @ 40ft....The quest for the grids is addicting.
Over the next few years of cycle 25, 6 meters will continue to improve. When 6 opens a "coat hanger" will work
I would rather have good++ antenna (4 element wide space/5 L-LFA etc.) and 100 watts @(35-50ft best Eskip height) ... rather than 1000 watts and a Moxon at 20ft
I operate only conventional modes SSB/AM/FM/CW ... no digi!
All the Best
Gary/W9FNB

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Thank you that’s a good analogy about how it works. I always wondered.

6Meter I run a Ramsey 6 meter kit for a couple years back in 1993? was alot of fun back then and made a few scheduals around Noon when I could leave the shop and go for lunch.
I would find a high spot and operate in Gainesville Florida. Then 6 meter faded away into the abius.
Last fall I found a Kenwood TS 590S on ebay and bought it. As advertised There was no speaker audio and it lites up?? so I bought it reading reviews on Eham for cheap. It arrived well protected and looked very nice. after applying 12 volts. It lit up ok I connected a hank of wire in the antenna jack still nothing. Oh no!! Well I have many external speakers and a heil pro head set. Like the dummy I am. I turned off the radio and plugged the headset into the ear phone jack on the front of the unit installed the ear pieces over my ears and switched it on. trying to find the volume control on this new radio I knew NOTHING about. I threw the head set across the room and turned the radio off. I then found the AF control which was at full to the right. Well it has Plenty Pluss Pluss AUDIO.
Last fall was busy for me and June 29th I had a heart attach. wound uo in one hospital and was shuttled to a bigger VA. Three weeks later They came in to my room and carted me to the operating room took my heart out and took veins out of my legs to bypass 4 problems a quad bypass performed.
After couple months of rehab I got strong enough to dig a ditch from the tilt over mount to the house and had a friend with bucket truck mount the two pullies and my repaired Alpha delta parellel wire dipole at 35 feet on a couple trees.
My neighbor W4IT encouraged me to try the 6 meter AM net tonight. WOW I got good reports and the receive mode works like they were in the same room.
I'm a happy camper now!!!
Old Barney KD4IPN

I had a bunch of fun with 6M AM years ago with a dipole up 25ft. Then came a TS-820S/R-820/TV-506/TV-502 setup. I worked a LOT of 6M SSB with that station.

Current fixed-station capabilities on the band are an FT-901DM w/ FTV-901R, FT-980 w/ FTV-901R, FT-726R w/ 6M module, IC-7200 and a TS-660. Plans are to put some kind of amp inline with whatever I'm using as a transmitter.

If I can get the towers I want, one will have a set of stacked loops for 6, 2, 222 and 432. The other gets a directional antenna for 6 in addition to its HF array.

I know of at least two NEOH area hams whose entire operating regime focuses on 6M. When I'm around the shack a receiver is kept on 50.125 just in case,

Thanks for reply. I did check in on the AM net last night had a good time talking there with good signal reports. I may try tomorrow 1-14-Wed. on the SSB net at 7:00 EST. If I wake up in time.
I am using 100 amp hour LFPO4 battery which the first battery has lasted three weeks of intermittent operation. Terminal voltage never dropped below 13.2 volts.
I just switched over to the second battery and put the first one back on charge.
Old Barney KD4IPN

N8YX said:

I know of at least two NEOH area hams whose entire operating regime focuses on 6M.

Click to expand...

I have just recently gone all-in on 6m phone with new antenna. Glad I did.

7 3

Almost ten years ago, I was diagnosed with cancer. I proceeded to sell off all my ham station equipment. In that equipment was an HF w/6meter transceiver and a home brew 1.2KW 6 meter amplifier. I've been in remission for over 6 years now, so I'm in the process of rebuilding my station.. I'm in the process of putting up a tower. Plans are to get back on 6 meters.. No deadline in place as I am approaching my 83rd birthday and work progresses slowly..