50MHz (6m) Operation

LINKS

6 and 10 report
Propagation studies pages

DX Zone 50MHz pages
Tons of useful material.

Introduction

The 6m band is new to me but it appears that it is possible to achieve remarkable DX with the simplest of low powered equipment. It is a band that at various times supports most types of enhanced propagation and this is interesting.

It is also a good band for local working as antennas are small and coverage reasonably good. Being 2MHz wide (in the UK at least) there is space for all modes. Some days you can switch on and hear nothing but noise. The next it may be open with Sporadic-E propagation across Europe or even across the Atlantic. At the peak of the sunspot cycle one might hear an Australian station by F2 propagation. When the conditions are right you might chance on a good tropo opening allowing DX contacts across the UK and nearer continent. On yet another occasion you might hear the raspy sounds of an auroral opening. At all times it is possible to hear distant beacons on meteor pings and, if you are suitably equipped, work decent ranges by this mode.

Equipment

My first rig for 6m was the SG-2020 (on 20m) working into a small homebrew transverter down to 6m. This was RX only and I used it extensively last summer during the VHF NFD listening in to 6m satations.  These days I have an FT897 that will run 50W maximum.

To start with the antenna was a Dual Off Centre Fed Dipole operating all HF bands which I extended to 6m  just before xmas I upgraded my homebrew antennas and bought a V2000 triband vertical which acts as a vertical dipole on 6m and a stacked vertical on 2m and 70cms. This is a bit higher up but only just clears the roof top at its highest point.

Operating

I have yet to manage a QSO on the band and I am listening in to see what the band behaviour is like. Some in my club (CDARC) have stated that with a decent triband yagi and 25w it is possible to work most of the world on 6m.
However, I've managed to hear stations across Europe my simple vertical antenna. Unlike some people who can spend hours at the radio my time is limited to a few hours at the weekends and maybe an hour or so on a weekday evening. There have been periods of months when I've not been using my radio at all or I have been concentrating on another band, or on work.

I hear that when an AURORAL opening occurs distant stations can be worked with QRP power and limited antenna. The openings do not last long through. In the summer months the SPORADIC-E season means that all of Europe can be possible for a QRP station.

During a sunspot maximum world-wide contacts can be possible by F2 propagation.