Radio Preppers

General Category => Net Activity => Topic started by: Lamewolf on October 29, 2013, 08:39:08 AM

Title: 60 Meters ?
Post by: Lamewolf on October 29, 2013, 08:39:08 AM
Anyone here doing anything n 60 meters ?  Not much activity there when I listen, thought it might be a good place to congregate in the evenings for a preppers round table.  What say ye ?

Lets all make it a habit to try and check channel 3 (5.357 MHz) around 7pm eastern time each evening for prepper activity !
Title: Re: 60 Meters ?
Post by: Archangel320420 on October 29, 2013, 07:05:00 PM
I don't have a transmitter on 5 Mhz.

Title: Re: 60 Meters ?
Post by: RadioRay on October 29, 2013, 08:46:03 PM
Hey Lamewolf,


Excellent suggestion.  60m is a useful part of the spectrum, with excellent NVIS during daylight hours and fine regional use after dark.  I also find that it's not crowded, which is a real plus.  I am in coastal Virginia and if you wanted to try a test, we could probably try a night time shot.  Propagation software says that  02 GMT is a good time between you and I. Post here if you'd like to arange a test and maybe others can join in.


>RadioRay ..._ ._
Title: Re: 60 Meters ?
Post by: Lamewolf on October 30, 2013, 07:26:25 AM
Quote from: Archangel320420 on October 29, 2013, 07:05:00 PM
I don't have a transmitter on 5 Mhz.

Do you have an HF rig of any kind ?  Most of the HF rigs today can be modified very easy to operate on 60 meters.  For example, I run a Yaesu FT-840 and I modified it and then programmed the five 60 meter channels into the first 5 memory channels.  When I want to work 60 meters, I just hit my memory button and select a channel.  I also have an Icom 703, and 2 Yaesu FT 757s that have been modified and will work on 60.
Title: Re: 60 Meters ?
Post by: Lamewolf on October 30, 2013, 07:41:23 AM
Quote from: RadioRay on October 29, 2013, 08:46:03 PM
Hey Lamewolf,


Excellent suggestion.  60m is a useful part of the spectrum, with excellent NVIS during daylight hours and fine regional use after dark.  I also find that it's not crowded, which is a real plus.  I am in coastal Virginia and if you wanted to try a test, we could probably try a night time shot.  Propagation software says that  02 GMT is a good time between you and I. Post here if you'd like to arange a test and maybe others can join in.

What time is that our time ?  Don't have my utc clock in front of me right now.  Want to try channel 3 this evening Wednesday Oct 30 3013 ?  We can move up or down if the channel is in use.


>RadioRay ..._ ._
Title: Re: 60 Meters ?
Post by: RadioRay on October 30, 2013, 08:52:50 AM
I cannot on Wednesday , but will do that on Thursday at 10 pm Eastern time.

Ray
Title: Re: 60 Meters ?
Post by: Lamewolf on October 30, 2013, 11:01:12 AM
Quote from: RadioRay on October 30, 2013, 08:52:50 AM
I cannot on Wednesday , but will do that on Thursday at 10 pm Eastern time.

Ray

OK, I'll listen for you on Thursday at 10 and I'll also listen this evening around 9 eastern time if someone wants to try a call for me.  My call is KC8AON
Title: Re: 60 Meters ?
Post by: cockpitbob on October 31, 2013, 10:49:21 AM
Can I play?  I've never heard anyone on 60M, but then I hardly ever listen there either.
With kids and Halloween tonight I can't guarantee I'll make it down to the shack, but I just set my watch as a reminder. I'm up in coastal Mass so both of you are about 600 miles away.  That seems a little far for NVIS and a little close for skip, but we'll see. :)
Title: Re: 60 Meters ?
Post by: Lamewolf on October 31, 2013, 12:16:35 PM
Quote from: cockpitbob on October 31, 2013, 10:49:21 AM
Can I play?  I've never heard anyone on 60M, but then I hardly ever listen there either.
With kids and Halloween tonight I can't guarantee I'll make it down to the shack, but I just set my watch as a reminder. I'm up in coastal Mass so both of you are about 600 miles away.  That seems a little far for NVIS and a little close for skip, but we'll see. :)

Sure !  Now if I can just stay awake that long this evening !  Fell asleep in the chair last night.  I'll start listening around 9pm on channel 3, and I have 2 antennas I can try, one vertical the other a multiband zepp.
Title: 60 Meter Test Net - 10pm Thursday (Eastern) 31OCT13
Post by: RadioRay on October 31, 2013, 04:09:29 PM
OK -

I know what you mean about falling asleep.  It's been an 'interesting' couple of days here as well and 'the couch of eternal sleep' is calling loudly to me.  I'll set an alarm.  I assume we won't be wandering the streets dressed as politicians (scary - VERY scary) and might be on the radio.

60 meter band DIAL frequencies (USB) in the United States

                           1                       2                      3                     4                       5
United States    5330.5       5346.5       5357.0       5371.5       5403.5


10 pm Eastern: call on channel one. if it's already occupied, we'll use channel 5 as secondary.



de RadioRay ..._ ._

W7ASA
Title: Re: 60 Meters ?
Post by: gil on October 31, 2013, 04:12:43 PM
Quote60 meter band DIAL frequencies (USB) in the United States

                           1                       2                      3                     4                       5
United States    5330.5       5346.5       5357.0       5371.5       5403.5

What about CW with 550Hz tone?

Gil.
Title: Re: 60 Meters ?
Post by: RadioRay on October 31, 2013, 04:36:05 PM
The KX3 is a true CW transceiver in that - unless you set it otherwise - it's dial frequency is the ZERO BEAT of the transmitted frequency.  The rules for 60m say that CW must be center channel.  SSB transmits UPWARD from zero beat on upper side band; hence the difference in dial setting.

Here is a chart with both center and dial frequencies.

CENTER(CW)    DIAL (USB)
5332.0 kHz    5330.5 kHz    Channel 1
5348.0 kHz    5346.5 kHz    Channel 2
5358.5 kHz    5357.0 kHz    Channel 3
5373.0 kHz    5371.5 kHz    Channel 4
5405.0 kHz    5403.5 kHz    Channel 5

Believe me, this can be a sticky question. Other rigs may just put the CW into the SSB mixer as a tone and that becomes messy, with dial setting +- side band -v- sidetone offset math and all that nonsense.  I have many war stories about the radios with a 2,000Hz CW tone so that the freq of 5555KHz on their dial was actually 5557KHz on a station R-390A for zero beat. (Set R-390A BFO for the tone YOU want to receive).  "You're off frequency!"...yet magically at sked time, there was our contact - go figger. 
----------------
Hey lieutenant, what's you job title? 

"I'm the watch officer". 

Then WATCH!"
----------------



I agree - it's a pain and each manufacturer seems to use a different 'standard' as to where they place the carrier.



de RadioRay ..._ ._



Title: Re: 60 Meters ?
Post by: gil on October 31, 2013, 04:47:57 PM
Thanks Ray!

It would be easier for me to put up an antenna for 60m than 80m, so...

Gil.
Title: Re: 60 Meters ?
Post by: RadioRay on October 31, 2013, 10:05:29 PM
Nothing heard other than CW on both channels with mostly CQing

Later: talked with Raybiker and CockpitBob up on channel five. So, it's a good start. Also met  fellow named Greg from Ohio.
Title: Re: 60 Meters ?
Post by: cockpitbob on October 31, 2013, 10:14:59 PM
I hear half a ragchew on 5.371.5.  Haven't listened long enough to catch a call to see where he is.
Title: Re: 60 Meters ?
Post by: cockpitbob on October 31, 2013, 10:17:46 PM
OK, now I hear RadioRay at 4 by 5.
Title: Re: 60 Meters ?
Post by: cockpitbob on October 31, 2013, 10:25:19 PM
RadioRay and I just had a short QSO on 5,403.5, ;D but we were only getting about 50% copy both ways :(  so we gave up after a few partial exchanges.  Yes, this was USB.  As Ray pointed out, CW would have been 100% copy.
Title: Re: 60 Meters ?
Post by: RadioRay on October 31, 2013, 10:37:29 PM
Thanks for hopping in, Bob.  It's good to begin testing for more net type activity.  60m USED to have a rule that calling CQ more that a few times was considered hogging the channel, because if you're calling and nobody answers after about the third alteration, then let someone else on. So - with the guys taking-up two different channels in CW (one CW contact per channel...  :-[    ) it only left three channels. 

This is the one weak point of 60 meters.  We once had 5371.5 SSB occupied continuously when the band would go longer, from roughly 4:30 in the afternoon until about 7 in the morning because of a QSL card hunter who would turn his "voice keyer" ON and call continuously - I assume sitting there in the chair waiting for a reply.  His only replies were his call, name signal report and to send him a QSL - that was it.  Polite e-mails were sent and he simply informed us that he had more cards than we did, so who are we to question him?  OK - got it. However, after a couple of months nothing more was heard from him. Whether the Radio Mafia got him or he finally enough cards, I do not know. Crash might remember this guy.  I was living in Idaho at the time and 60 m was our NVIS party line (without the party) as soon as condition into Arkansas came in, this card collector's voice repeated the same call, all night long until well past sunrise.    ::)



de RadioRay ..._ ._

Title: Re: 60 Meters ?
Post by: Archangel320420 on October 31, 2013, 10:45:21 PM
I hear vvv's
5403.5 Khz
Title: Re: 60 Meters ?
Post by: Archangel320420 on October 31, 2013, 10:47:05 PM
CQ DE K0OD DX K
Title: Re: 60 Meter Test Net - 10pm Thursday (Eastern) 31OCT13
Post by: Lamewolf on November 01, 2013, 08:04:24 AM
Quote from: RadioRay on October 31, 2013, 04:09:29 PM
OK -

I know what you mean about falling asleep.  It's been an 'interesting' couple of days here as well and 'the couch of eternal sleep' is calling loudly to me.  I'll set an alarm.  I assume we won't be wandering the streets dressed as politicians (scary - VERY scary) and might be on the radio.

60 meter band DIAL frequencies (USB) in the United States

                           1                       2                      3                     4                       5
United States    5330.5       5346.5       5357.0       5371.5       5403.5


10 pm Eastern: call on channel one. if it's already occupied, we'll use channel 5 as secondary.



de RadioRay ..._ ._

W7ASA

Sorry, fell asleep again but that was a good thing.  A storm that knocked the power off at 2 am woke me up and I couldn't go back to sleep after that.  I guess I fell asleep somewhere around 8:30 so I got around 5.5 hours sleep last night.  I'm not a night person and I get up around 5:30 every morning to get ready for work.  I arrive at work around 7am and get off at 5pm so I'm dog tired in the evenings, so maybe we should try it Saturday evening - I don't have to go to work Sunday so I could stay up later then.  I'll start monitoring channel 1 around 9pm eastern Saturday and give a few calls starting at that time.  If that channel is busy, I'll move up one at a time.