60 Meters ?

[Lamewolf]

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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 !

[Archangel320420]

I don't have a transmitter on 5 Mhz.

[RadioRay]

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 ..._ ._

[Lamewolf]

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.

[Lamewolf]

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 ..._ ._

[RadioRay]

I cannot on Wednesday , but will do that on Thursday at 10 pm Eastern time.

Ray

[Lamewolf]

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

[cockpitbob]

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.

[Lamewolf]

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.

[RadioRay]

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

[gil]

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

What about CW with 550Hz tone?

Gil.

[RadioRay]

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 ..._ ._

[gil]

Thanks Ray!

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

Gil.

[RadioRay]

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.

[cockpitbob]

I hear half a ragchew on 5.371.5.  Haven't listened long enough to catch a call to see where he is.