6M Suggestions

[N1ESE]

Seems to be quite a bit of 6M activity, from what I've read, all over this summer.  I actually have an antenna for 6M already up in the air.  However, I have no other 6M equipment presently.  Anyone have any suggestions on transmitting and receiving equipment for 6M  AM?  I probably have a maximum of $400 to spend at the moment but keeping it to a minimum is always best.

[W9GT]

I know this is an AM site, but you would probably be most pleased with a multi-mode rig.  Most of the activity on 6M is SSB and CW.  Occasional AM QSOs can be found around 50.4 MHz.  If you look for a multi-mode rig, there are lots of good ones available cheap.  I run an old IC551D which works great on AM, FM, SSB, and CW.  Produces 80 W out and only cost about $250.  Its an oldie but a goodie.  I can also run a little outboard amplifier driven with about 15 watts and get 150 watts out. 

If you just want an AM rig, look for a Gonset G-50.  They are great rigs and can be found for a similar price, but of course just limited to AM.  I love AM and would like to see a resurgence of AM phone on 6, but the reality is that there isn't a lot of AM on.  We do have a local net on 50.58 MHZ, but they only meet once a month (used to be every day). 

Six is a really fun band and band openings will produce DX that you wouldn't believe possible.  Have fun!

73,  Jack, W9GT

[N1ESE]

Do you want to be on 6M in general and do some AM along with the other modes,  or be on 6M AM only?

Well, I've always been told that most HF rice boxes donut do good on AM so I wouldn't imagine a HF+6 rice box would be any better for AM.  I want decent transmit audio on AM primarily, other modes secondary.  I wouldn't mind investing in a decent AM or AM+CW only 6M rig.

[AF9J]

Hi JT,

Yes and no about rice boxes on AM.  I use a Yaesu FT-301SD (with the optional piggyback booster/amp on it) for 10m AM, and have gotten good audio reports with it (although the way the '301 generates AM is sort of an anomaly compared to other rice boxes [the signal path is completely separate from the SSB & CW signal path - AM isn't generated by unbalancing the modulator]).  For 6m AM, I use a Yaesu FT-620B, that also serves double duty on SSB & CW.  My cost - I got it for only $100 last year at a the Oak Creek swapfest.  It's a fun rig.  If you insist upon an AM & CW only rig, the G-50 as suggested, or the Clegg 66 (the Clegg 99 is OK, but only does about 6W) can be both be bought pretty cheap.  The same holds true for the Lafayette HA-460 (which was made by Kenwood), and the Gonset Communicator IV.
 
73,
Ellen - AF9J

[N1ESE]

Thanks Ellen, I'm not dead set on AM or AM-CW only if I can find an all-mode rig that does proper AM as well.  FT-620B is a decent rig but I haven't seen any of those around in over 10 years, nice find.  Someone emailed me with a Clegg 99'er for sale, I'm thinking about it.  However, as you state, RF output is quite wimpy.

[ka3zlr]

For HF&6 All Mode I have the Yeasu FT-897D it's quite the workhorse when i was on, does 6 no problem..well it does anything with no problem..I like it alot..it was a good investment..great field day rig... For AM i put a switch in it to kill the ALC circuit completely..it's Not hi Fi but with a decent Mike it's Not to shabby...Low power AM..OK..

[N1ESE]

Anyone know much about the old IC-551D 6M all-mode rigs and how they performed on AM?

[Pete, WA2CWA]

There's a FT-620B up on ebay right now. And contrary to popular belief. most modern day transceivers sound very good on AM. There are many that can't tell the difference if you're operating a current(within the last 10 years or so) Icom, Kenwood, Yaesu, Flex rig or a plate modulated AM rig. Let me also point out that on 6 meter AM, especially during a band opening, audio quality (wall-to-wall treetop tall - you sound like you're sitting in my living room) is probably the least important item to worry about. Signal fading, adjacent or same channel interference is common on 50.4 MHz. Almost every 6 meter AM operator drops on or close to 50.4 MHz, and during a band opening, you sometimes can't hear the other 10 operators in your area that are also trying to operate on 50.4 MHz.

I would also have to agree, if this is your first 6 meter rig, to get a multimode rig. If for no other reason, it allows you with every little effort, to tune down to the SSB portion to check out what the action is and where it's coming from. If you only have a 6 meter AM rig, you could spend lots of your time in "lonely town". In a few years, the sunspots will return in quantity, the MUF will rise consistently to 50 MHz, the F2 layer will be buzzing with ionized particles, and 6 meters will be wall to wall worldwide 24/7 for a number of months each year. Nothing more exciting then working CA stations with S9 plus signals and then getting called by European stations off the back of the beam when only running 85 watts on SSB.

[Opcom]

Any mode, 6M is a great band, much under-rated for fun. A ricebox is OK to use, I have used both an Alinco DX-70 and a Icom IC706 with good results as far as how they sound, and if you want to use tubes, it's sometimes possible to find an old 50 watt mobile low-band VHF TX rig to glean parts from. There are also a few heathkits floating around like the HW-10 6-Meter "Shawnee" Transceiver that would do 6M AM at about 10 watts I believe and has separate tuning for TX and RX. There is also the HA-10 6-Meter Linear Amplifier that uses two 6146's to make 70 watts. The Clegg 99'er tranceiver covers 50-52MHz by VFO and also can use a crystal plugged into the front panel.

If you want to build something, I have an output tank (pi-net) from a low band VHF transmitter on the shelf begging to be used. Two 807's were the finals at 500VDC, but the tank is built well enough that it could certainly take 100% mod. If you would like the tank circuit, I could let you have it for postage. It's just a couple variable caps and a coil on a small panel but they are the right size already if you short a couple turns off the coil to bring it from ~40MHz to 6M. A Clegg 99'er is also available, if you have an interest in any of it, please PM me. This stuff is certainly not as modern as the FT-620!

[ka3zlr]

Anyone know much about the old IC-551D 6M all-mode rigs and how they performed on AM?

I had the 551,

 They preformed like any other rig of that era from riceland, tight audio, low power,  poor design on cooling, etc...But on 6 communication quality audio is the order of the day...Um, the 551's have an inherent disability also, there is an IC in those that it escapes my mind at the moment the location in the VFO or the synthesizer circuit that, well it has a mind of it's own so to speak, I had one for well over 6 years and worked flawlessly, then that IC went and the rig was no use to anyone..there's no replacement.. sometimes one can reset the rig and it'll come back, it was a flaw on their part, but over all in all mode I Liked the Rig...So..that's my 2 cts.

73.

[N3DRB The Derb]

no one cares about audio Q on 6. They're hunting states and grid squares on slopbucket. So did I a long time ago, I got 30+ states, and a couple countries (besides Canada)

if you do wanna go 6am, a G50 into one of those big Gonset amps using the 4x150 for 6 and 2 often come up for next to nothing. The amp will do 300 watts slopbucket and about 75 carrier all day long. The G50 can be mortified to do hi fi AM, but no one will care except you. They are decent rigs and tend to keep on working. they also tend to be found in excellent condx.

Hell, I'm talking myself into wanting a pair. 

another option is the Clegg Zeus/Interceptor combo. These are a lot more rare an pricey.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

no one cares about audio Q on 6. They're hunting states and grid squares on slopbucket. So did I a long time ago, I got 30+ states, and a couple countries (besides Canada)

if you do wanna go 6am, a G50 into one of those big Gonset amps using the 4x150 for 6 and 2 often come up for next to nothing. The amp will do 300 watts slopbucket and about 75 carrier all day long. The G50 can be mortified to do hi fi AM, but no one will care except you. They are decent rigs and tend to keep on working. they also tend to be found in excellent condx.

Hell, I'm talking myself into wanting a pair. 

another option is the Clegg Zeus/Interceptor combo. These are a lot more rare an pricey.

The Gonset amp you refer to is the 913A. It was designed to mate with the Gonset 910A, "Sidewinder", 6 meter transceiver. The 913A only takes around 5 watts for full output. You really don't want to mate the G50 with this amp. There's no bang for the buck. Last 913A I saw on ebay went for around $250. As we go up the cycle, the demand for these amps and other rigs, probably will go up and probably so will the pricing.

[W9GT]

We do have a local net on 50.58 MHZ, but they only meet once a month (used to be every day). 

Hey Jack --

I've a buddy that lives in Huntertown and he said there's a weekly net on 6M, I think on Wed nites. Maybe it's the one you reference, and I'm just remembering incorrectly.

The old Fort Wayne Area 6 Meter AM Net used to meet every night on 50.58.  In the last few years, several of the old timers that had been on the net since the early 50's passed away and the net went away with them.  I heard that recently the net started up again...don't know any details about what night, but it was only once a month, now it may be once a week.  I have not participated in the revived net, so don't have any details. 

Back in the late 50's thru the late 60's there was a ton of activity on 6 AM.  We had the net every night (hosted by Bob, W9PMT SK) and had fox hunts once a month with the old IMO group.  It was great fun, but gradually died off.  Now the transmitter hunts are on 2M and 440 FM.

73,  Jack, W9GT

[W9GT]

Anyone know much about the old IC-551D 6M all-mode rigs and how they performed on AM?

I had the 551,

 They preformed like any other rig of that era from riceland, tight audio, low power,  poor design on cooling, etc...But on 6 communication quality audio is the order of the day...Um, the 551's have an inherent disability also, there is an IC in those that it escapes my mind at the moment the location in the VFO or the synthesizer circuit that, well it has a mind of it's own so to speak, I had one for well over 6 years and worked flawlessly, then that IC went and the rig was no use to anyone..there's no replacement.. sometimes one can reset the rig and it'll come back, it was a flaw on their part, but over all in all mode I Liked the Rig...So..that's my 2 cts.

73.

Never had any such problems with my '551D..A few times I noticed it didn't reset the processor or ? on power-up and I just turned it off and on and it came right back.  The receiver can stand a bit of souping-up and I use an external preamp on it, but most of the time it isn't needed anyway.  Overall, I have been very pleased with mine.  For a '70's or early 80's vintage rig, it works quite well.  They are still very much sought after...see them for sale all the time on Ebay.  YMMV

73,  Jack, W9GT

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Actually Jack, I would think if they were that sought after, you wouldn't see that many on ebay unless hams are dumping them for some of the newer HF/6M transceivers on the market today.

A real great multimode 6 meter rig is the Kenwood TS-600. Mostly decrete parts (resistors look like resistors, caps look like caps. etc.) and analog dial. It has a good front end on the receiver and transmitter can put out from 0 to 12 watts (front panel control). I've had one since the late 70's and still use it on occasion during band openings and Field Day. On AM, the receiver is wide, and with a decent external speaker, the AM receive audio is not bad.

[AF9J]

I agree Pete.  The TS-600 is a good rig, as is its sibling - the TS-700.  If there was some decent 2m AM around here, I wouldn't mind getting a TS-700 or an FT-221 (I had one a couple of years ago, and sold it like a dufus).  They're a little weak on receive, but a pre-amp or a Mutek upgrade receiver front end kit (if they ever REALLY start making them again [the company always claims they're on the verge of restarting production]) helps out a lot with these cool analog dial VHF transceivers.

73,
Ellen - AF9J

[N1ESE]

Thanks for the input folks.  I think I'm going to try and find an FT-680 or a TS-600.  I really likes the looks of the FT-680 and it will match the FT-101E I am thinking of getting.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

I agree Pete.  The TS-600 is a good rig, as is its sibling - the TS-700.  If there was some decent 2m AM around here, I wouldn't mind getting a TS-700 or an FT-221 (I had one a couple of years ago, and sold it like a dufus).  They're a little weak on receive, but a pre-amp or a Mutek upgrade receiver front end kit (if they ever ever REALLY start making them again [the company always claims they're on the verge of restarting production]) helps out a lot with these cool analog dial VHF transceivers.

73,
Ellen - AF9J

The TS-700S and 700SP have switchable preamps built in plus digital dials.

The TS-600 can be made even mre sensitive by replacing front end MOSFET's with some of the new low noise MOSFET's and then doing a simple alignment.

[W9GT]

Actually Jack, I would think if they were that sought after, you wouldn't see that many on ebay unless hams are dumping them for some of the newer HF/6M transceivers on the market today.

Wow Pete.  Seems like you really enjoy verbal jousting and tweaking me!  Well, I don't own stock in ICOM and I don't have a supply of old '551Ds for sale.  I only wanted to express my satisfaction with my old radio and the good performance that I have enjoyed with mine, perhaps in contrast to the bad experience that another person had related.  I also have noticed the fact that IC 551Ds seem to turn up on Ebay frequently and, perhaps I should have gone on to say that I have seen many of them go for far more than I paid for mine.  Perhaps, not too much to be assumed from that, except for the possiblity that prices may be inflated on Ebay...a fact that we all observe regularly.  I have had a good experience with my radio which may or may not be useful info when considering purchasing something for 6 M.  There are lots of great old rigs available out there.  The point remains that it is a viable choice to consider purchasing one of the older transceivers to get on the band.

73,  Jack, W9GT

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

A real great multimode 6 meter rig is the Kenwood TS-600. Mostly decrete parts (resistors look like resistors, caps look like caps. etc.) and analog dial. It has a good front end on the receiver and transmitter can put out from 0 to 12 watts (front panel control). I've had one since the late 70's and still use it on occasion during band openings and Field Day. On AM, the receiver is wide, and with a decent external speaker, the AM receive audio is not bad.

I had the 2m version of this years ago, picked it up at a hamfest in the late 80s/early 90s for a then-whopping $375. Very stout box, boards mounted over and into other boards. Mine had continual problems with those PITA little via-type sockets where they mounted to other boards: they required frequent re-seating. No doubt a problem with other sets of the same era and design.

Other than that, it was a pretty cool rig. Never got the matching speaker or VFO for it. AM took over my interest not long after finding it. And I got sick of re-seating the boards.

The Zeus/Interceptor pair are nice for 6 and 2 AM, but you'll need the matching Venus or a Drake TR6 etc for tube-type 6M SSB work. Plenty of gear out there, bound to get more desirable as conditions improve.

[N1ESE]

Well, IC-551D's sure are selling for a pretty penny on eBay that's for sure.  Been watching one here for a few days and it has sky-rocketed to $405.00 will over 2 days still remaining.   

[N3DRB The Derb]

i am rather depressed that rigs from teh 80's are now described as 'old rigs' . 

[AF9J]

Well, IC-551D's sure are selling for a pretty penny on eBay that's for sure.  Been watching one here for a few days and it has sky-rocketed to $405.00 will over 2 days still remaining.   

Yep,

I'm glad I got my FT-620B when I did.  You'll notice that with a lot of the older VHF/UHF multimode gear (prices being steeper than expected), unless they're real lemons.  Many amateurs don't want the DC to daylight jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none rigs.  The specialized VHF/UHF stuff usually has better receiver sensitivity.  I noticed this when I had my FT-897D.  It was OK on 6m. Compared to the killer FT-736R I used to have, or even the Kenwood TR-9130 I once had, it was mediocre on 2m.  On 432, it was downright deaf compared to my old FT-736R, or even the Yaesu FT-790R Mk II I had for a couple of years.  Another reason the older VHF/UHF multimodes are fetching steep prices, is due to the fact that many amatuers have older HF rigs that don't have VHF/UHF capability.  The don't want to get rid of the rigs, or buy another HF rig.  So,  they get an older VHF/UHF multimode rig.

73,
Ellen - AF9J

[N1ESE]

The FT-620B I've also been watching is presently at $255 with a day remaining.  Not bad (yet). 

[Pete, WA2CWA]

A real great multimode 6 meter rig is the Kenwood TS-600. Mostly decrete parts (resistors look like resistors, caps look like caps. etc.) and analog dial. It has a good front end on the receiver and transmitter can put out from 0 to 12 watts (front panel control). I've had one since the late 70's and still use it on occasion during band openings and Field Day. On AM, the receiver is wide, and with a decent external speaker, the AM receive audio is not bad.

I had the 2m version of this years ago, picked it up at a hamfest in the late 80s/early 90s for a then-whopping $375. Very stout box, boards mounted over and into other boards. Mine had continual problems with those PITA little via-type sockets where they mounted to other boards: they required frequent re-seating. No doubt a problem with other sets of the same era and design.

Other than that, it was a pretty cool rig. Never got the matching speaker or VFO for it. AM took over my interest not long after finding it. And I got sick of re-seating the boards.

The Zeus/Interceptor pair are nice for 6 and 2 AM, but you'll need the matching Venus or a Drake TR6 etc for tube-type 6M SSB work. Plenty of gear out there, bound to get more desirable as conditions improve.

I still have my Kenwood TS-700S. Never had a problem with having to re-seat any boards. Tuning got a little erratic years ago, and I had to lube the VFO cap in the box.

Hey, the Venus does AM too.