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
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50.0 - 50.1
50.06 - 50.08
50.1 - 50.3
50.10 - 50.125
50.125
50.3 - 50.6
50.6 - 50.8
50.62
50.8 - 51.0
51.0 - 51.1
51.24 – 53.18
51.74 – 53.68
CW
Beacon Sub band
SSB, CW
DX Window
SSB calling
All modes
Non voice communications
Digital (packet) calling
Remote control (20-kHz channels)
Pacific DX window
Repeater inputs
Repeater outputs -500kHz Split
Six Meter Band Plan
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51.62 - 51.68
51.12 - 51.18
52.02, 52.04
52.2
52.525
52.54
52.7
53.0
53.02
53.1, 53.2, 53.3, 53.4
53.5, 53.6, 53.7, 53.8
53.52, 53.9
Digital repeater outputs
Digital repeater inputs
FM simplex
Test Pair (input)
Primary FM simplex
Secondary FM simplex
Test Pair (output)
Remote base FM simplex
Simplex
Radio remote control
Radio remote control
Simplex
Propagation Modes – 6 Meters
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Line-of-Sight
F2 layer
Sporadic E – Single, Multi-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).
Line Of Sight Operation
• Line of sight (LOS) distance is dependent
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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.
F2 Propagation
• This is the other biggie for six meter
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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.
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.
Sporadic-E Seasons
Sporadic-E Variations
SIX METER PROPAGATION MODES
Mode
Times
Equipment
Range
Line of sight
Any time
10W and small
antenna
0-30 miles
Sporadic E
Sporadic but
typical
seasonal
times
10W and small
antenna
600 to -1,500 miles
single hop;
2500+ miles double
hop or multi hop
F2
Depends on
SFI, A and K
solar indexes
10W and small
antenna
at max sunspots up
to 10,000 miles
Aurora
Sporadic
10-100 W and a
beam
250-1200 miles
SIX METER PROPAGATION MODES
Meteor scatter
WSJT, FSK441
JT43.
Any time, but
10-100 W and a
especially
beam
during the
seasonal meteor
showers
500- 1500
miles, longer
during meteor
showers
Ionoscatter
Any time
500+ W and
12dB+ beam
600 to 1200
miles
EME
Dependent on
moon transit
times
1+ kW 18 dB
beam
Up to 10,000
miles
10W and small
antenna
2954 miles or
4754 km ....a
new world
record on 2M
TROPOSPHERIC Temperature
BENDING
inversions
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
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.
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.
Six Meter Beacons
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
Prefixes
• A (AA-AL), e.g., AC6V, AD6VI
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K (KA-KZ), e.g., KM6MW, K6GO, KM6XA
N (NA-NZ), e.g., N6KI, NN6X, NN3V
W (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
Awards
• WAS 48 plus Alaska and Hawaii
• VUCC – Work 100 Grid Squares
• DXCC
• Six Meter Clubs offer awards
• SMIRK
• Worked all District SIX’es
Working The Six Meter Band
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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.
Working The Six Meter Band
• When you make a contact – give your call,
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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.
Six Meter Signal Reports
• Given in the RST System e.g., 59(9) +
your Grid Square e.g., DM13
Logging
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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
QSL Card Format
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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.
QSL Card Format
• Contest name and contest exchange number if
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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.
QSLing – Getting The Card
• Your QSL card should include, your
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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.
Going Mobile On Six Meters
• Know what grid square you are in.
• The ArtSci Repeater Guide is a must for
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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