| Author |
Message |
    
Znut
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 07, 2003 - 10:32 pm: | 
|
Well, I waited for someone to bring this sort of thing up. As you all know, not too long ago Copper Electronics began offering a new radio known as Ranger's RCI-5054DX. Here's the "skinny" folks.
All the modes we need from 50 Mhz to 54 Mhz. The only other things needed are a Technician Class amateur radio license, and an antenna.
Many of you are familiar with the RCI-2950 series of radios. This 6 meter rig will be no stranger to you.
Anyway, there are some Copper forum people who operate on 6. On our behalf I would like to try to start a thread. I think everyone on the forum would enjoy hearing about some activity on the "Magic Band" if some people share some of their experinces here. After all, six meters is the first practical step into DX on the ham bands, and now it is a natural for many 11 meter operators, especially those who like ALL modes (SSB, FM, AM, and digital).
Well?
Znut |
bruce
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 08, 2003 - 4:57 am: |
|
I loaned mine to KV4** and he is working DX with it ..... last night he said something about if i wanted it back i had to pry it out of his cold dead hands! Guys Dayrl realy loves it and so do I its a great radio and as soon as I get through selling my house Ill get time to get my 6 meter station back up ZNUT is right ive been on 6 for close to 40 years and hold SMIRK # 70 and in the mid 70's built and ran WR4ANA 53.55 largo. Right now i have 52.525 in the car great band! |
Bulldog
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 08, 2003 - 9:38 am: |
|
Hey guys check outyahoo groups, psk_vhf_uhf_hamradio. Great group of hams there, trying to promote digital on uhf and vhf. Mostly on 6 meters, with psk31 and meteor scatter. |
Alsworld
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 08, 2003 - 4:45 pm: |
|
Znut, give us all the low down skinny on 6 meters. Yes my license will take me there but I have no radio/antenna yet. I want to know what I am missing.
Digital? please explain.
DX very clean when it's open?
Straight talking max distance (yes I understand obstacles and results will always vary. Average?)
I listen to 10M a lot but have not studied my code in awhile and do not have the certificate to talk (yet), but that is most of what I can compare 6M to.
Please enlighten us compared to 10 band. Is there any TVI type interference associated with 6M?
Hmmmm, I'm intrigued.
Alsworld |
bruce
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 08, 2003 - 6:37 pm: |
|
Alworld 6 is much like 10 except the openings are far less now on the up side antennas are 1/2 the size and the use of high power is not needed if the band is open and because a 3 elm beam can be turned by a tv rotor most people have at least a small beam. TVI can in some places be a problem but most people are on cable. |
Znut
| | Posted on Thursday, January 09, 2003 - 6:38 pm: |
|
Hey there Alsworld.
Let's see. I have operated 2 digital modes on 6. SSTV (slow scan television), which is nothing more than sending pictures over the air on SSB at a fairly decent but reliable baud rate. Sounds a little like an old commodore or TI modem but you get a picture that looks great, in a couple of minutes. The other I've tried is PSK31. This mode is on SSB (upper sideband on 6) and you send text back and forth. When you get used to it (which I haven't messed with it too much yet) you basically type text in chat fashion and modern versions of the software keep up with the keying and you hardly realize when you are transmitting and receiving because it transmits and copies faster than you can type.
The DX is very clean. Once the pileups start everyone kind of spreads out to different freqs and begins callin CQ. 50 to 54 megahertz is a bunch of bandwidth. My 3 element beam is good for about 50 to 52 under 2:1 SWR and I still make contacts with 25 watts the whole time the band is open. Another thing is that most openings are localized. For instance, I'm in GA and have talked to stations concentrated around say Vermont and upstate NY; or Missouri and Illinois, you get the picture. Folks with BIG stations with killer beams DX often, even when the cycle is down.
Ground/direct wave communication? Outstanding. Because of the manageable size of the antennae and the lack of overcrowded "channels" you can expect 50 to 100 miles with 10 to 25 watts and a 3 element yagi. This is based on my experience with my RCI 5054dx and a 3 el. beam 25 feet off the ground! By the way, my beam is 5 1/2 feet long by approx. 10 feet wide and over 1 and 1/4 wavelengths high!
Watch out for the neighbors if you run power on 6! It will wipe out cable channels 17 - 19 if you have overhead utilities. And forget 49 mhz cordless phones (which are all but extinct.) I have little problem with my 5054dx. I have hooked it to my Shooting Star 225 and got out; unfortunately I had to deal with a lynch mob after. The little CB kicker is a little dirty on 6.
I'll email you some pic's I got off the air on SSTV.
Znut |
bruce
| | Posted on Friday, January 10, 2003 - 7:56 am: |
|
YEP got on 6 last night with Dayrl who is using my 5054dx. Even though im only 2 miles away and had a 8/1 swr it was nice to get back on now to get my antennas working nothing like 6 its in the blood! |
Znut
| | Posted on Saturday, January 11, 2003 - 3:52 pm: |
|
Bruce,
Are you going to stack those halos and stick 'em up about 50 feet? You mentioned you have 2 of them. That may be enough gain for us to catch a duct some morning on sideband.
I sent Alsworld some SSTV pics I've rec'd. I'm waiting for him to get on the forum and comment. I wish I could post some here, but the files are too big. Maybe Al can forward them to some of you if you ask him nicely, or I could send them too, I guess. I didn't save the email I sent him though.
I want to put up a vertical for FM operation. It may be practical to put a beam however because 6 meter FM is scarce around except for truckers (I hear more drivers actually communicating on 2 and 6 meters than I would ever have expected before I got my ticket, esp. 2 meters.) That way I could get into some Atlanta stations and repeaters.
Znut |
bruce
| | Posted on Saturday, January 11, 2003 - 9:30 pm: |
|
Znut i ran in the early 70 4 stacked squailos they were stacked 9 foot apart a total stack of 27 foot! Great antenna since untill my tower went up 3 years later and then i could get above them i was pin down by the pine trees no room to turn even a 3 el beam. Now as for 6 fm i still use my mosley DI-6 ant 5/8 wave but many companys make antennas that work fine EVEN the better discones do a good job! if you have the money build a 4 by 4 or 3 by 3 3or4 vert and 3or4 horz beam it will work wonders on fm when i was very active on 6 fm i had a pair of hygains 4 elm beams one vert on 52.5 and one horz on 50.2 on the same boom I used only the elms from one ant at 45 foot!
Bruce |
Znut
| | Posted on Sunday, January 12, 2003 - 3:43 pm: |
|
Bruce,
Well? When are you gonna get that boomin 6 meter station back in operation?
Znut |
bruce
| | Posted on Sunday, January 12, 2003 - 7:34 pm: |
|
as soon as my other house is sold and we move all ouer stuff here it goes on the market this week im on with a discone which is doinf fairly well |
bruce
| | Posted on Monday, January 13, 2003 - 12:42 pm: |
|
anyone wanting to give it a try e-mail me
wa4gch@yahoo.com |
Alsworld
| | Posted on Monday, January 13, 2003 - 10:24 pm: |
|
Znut,
your pictures came through great! It's just that I am on the road this week so hence my lack of responses. I have to perform an inspection out here in California where I'm at now, so computers are borrowed (my laptop has no dialup internet). If someone has e-mailed me asking, either my wife has downloaded it or deleted it as spam. I will be back home late Saturday night (1/18/03) so an e-mail Sunday or later and I can forward Znut's e-mail if that is okay with you Znut. Neat stuff for sure!
Alsworld |
bruce
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 14, 2003 - 3:17 pm: |
|
Jan 18 is the VHF contest so warm up your radios and if you dont have a ham license your scanner
give a lissen
6 meters SSB- 50.110, 50.125
6 meters FM- 52.525
2 maters SSB- 144.200
2 meters fm 146.520 |
|
