6m AM

[W9PSK]

Do many of you work any 6m AM?  If so, what rig are using? 

[n2ffl]

Do many of you work any 6m AM?  If so, what rig are using? 

I haven't worked anyone on 6 AM in many years. When 6 is open I'll sometimes take a listen up on AM but haven't heard a peep so far. Last time I worked anybody on 6 AM I was running a Swan 250. That was a long time ago. Running an Icom IC-756PRO now. 100 watts into a extended double zepp cut for 6.

73
Ron
N2FFL

[W1QWT]

During the summer I generally don't get into the shack as much but spring/winter/fall I operate 6 meters AM with a CLegg 99'er. There are a bunch of locals who get on 50.4 south of Boston on Sundays at 5 PM local time. We are spread out over a 40 mile radius and nobody has any trouble hearing my PW 5 watt carrier. On occaison I have worked other stations at a range of 60 - 90 miles.
I do have a Heath Seneca that I am refurbishing for more strap!
However during the summer I spend my spare time at the beach which is only 2 miles away.
Regards
Q, W1QWT

[WB2EMS]

Whenever there are band openings, I tend to make some calls on 50.4, or sometimes when I'm mobile for extended drives. Just to see if I can snag anyone. It's happened a couple of times, but usually it's just me up there. I figure if nobody calls, nobody's going to hear anything. I'm usually using an FT-857 mobile, or a flex 5000 at home.

A couple of us locals get on there from time to time around Ithaca and the southern tier, but as was mentioned, spending time in the shack is more of a fall/winter thing than a mid-summer event.

Would like to see more activity up there, especially now that most rigs include 6 meters out of the box.

[KB2WIG]

6m was open yesterday to a lot 'o places. No one answerd me on 50.4, so I work SSB. Every 1/2 hour or so, I'd call on .400. No one around.

Generally, I'll use the 746 cause its easy to find out whatts on. I usta keep a Lafayette HA 460 with a dipole on 50.400. The Ranger 2 doesn't get used a lot on 6.


klc

[Pete, WA2CWA]

I heard two 4 land stations in QSO yesterday around 50.45 during the band opening. Also heard a 4 land station working a 9 land station on 50.405. With Sporadic-E propagation during the summer months, working distant stations on 6 meter AM is easy to do if you have a decent antenna and not running PW power. As we get into Fall, the ability to use F2-type propagation becomes more common and being able to work easily, West Coast stations, Europe, Africa, and many other points around the world. Good multi-hop Sporadic-E sometimes occurs during the summer allowing the ability to work Europe from the middle Atlantic and Central states.

On 6M AM, I have my choice at the operating position of running a Clegg Thor, Clegg 66'er, Li'l Lulu separate receiver and transmitter, Lafayette HA-460, Icom 756 PRO II, or the Flex 5000. All of these (haven't tried the Clegg Thor) work well with the Gonset 913A amp (single 4CX-250B) or the Johnson 6N2 Thunderbolt (pair of 4CX-250B). Antenna is a 7 element 31 foot boom yagi.

[W1AEX]

I use the Flex 5000A which gives a nice panadapter view of what's up and down the band during openings or even for local simplex contacts.

Rob W1AEX

[W9PSK]

Thanks for the replies.  I have never worked 6m in any mode.  In fact, right now I don't have a radio that goes to 6m.  My 897 had 6m, but I recently sold it.  Part of the reason why I started this thread is because I saw a couple of Gonset 6 meter rigs on Ebay.  I've also seen that Ranger Communications has a 6m only rig that does AM.  I'm guessing that it doesn't do AM very well.  I have a brand new still in the package 2m 5/8 wave Diamond CP22E.  I've read that it can be used for 6m.  I'd like to get something I could set up on 6m as a stand alone station so I don't miss those openings.  I was thinking that if 6m AM was used often enough, one of those Gonsets might be nice to have.  I suppose the Ranger rig would be OK as an all mode 6m rig.

[KB2WIG]

I'd search around fer a SS rig that covers 6m, along with a few other bands. The Ranger Communications rig goes for around $300. Its a bit of money for a mono band.

But I do like its "50 W Antenna Impedance". Might even be Bird Watts.

klc
 

[W9PSK]

LOL  Is there a boo-boo in their advertisement?  It wouldn't surprise me.  It seems that proof-reading has become a thing of the past. 

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Thanks for the replies.  I have never worked 6m in any mode.  In fact, right now I don't have a radio that goes to 6m.  My 897 had 6m, but I recently sold it.  Part of the reason why I started this thread is because I saw a couple of Gonset 6 meter rigs on Ebay.  I've also seen that Ranger Communications has a 6m only rig that does AM.  I'm guessing that it doesn't do AM very well.  I have a brand new still in the package 2m 5/8 wave Diamond CP22E.  I've read that it can be used for 6m.  I'd like to get something I could set up on 6m as a stand alone station so I don't miss those openings.  I was thinking that if 6m AM was used often enough, one of those Gonsets might be nice to have.  I suppose the Ranger rig would be OK as an all mode 6m rig.

The G-50's on ebay are not a bad rig to run on 6 meter AM. I've had several over the years. Good audio but the rig runs very hot. All of my G-50's drifted all over the place even after several hours of operating. The Ranger you mentioned is not a great rig for AM. 2 meter 5/8 wave verticals will load on up on 6 meters especially if they are mounted on the roof of a car or truck. Probably wouldn't be a great "home" antenna. Most of us on 6 meters run horizontally polarized antennas but if the band opens up great, a 75 meter inverted vee will work too. Sporadic E ionization tends to move or shift, so having a rotatable beam helps. Obviously, an all mode rig has lots of advantages over a single mode rig. A lot depends on your budget, willingness to repair if you buy something that's been sitting around for 50 years, space considerations, etc.

[kb3ouk]

Unless you are working ground wave, its not gonna matter whether the antenna is horizontal or vertical because the polarization of any skywave is gonna be all over the place after it gets reflected and comes back down.

[W9PSK]

Thanks for the replies.  I have never worked 6m in any mode.  In fact, right now I don't have a radio that goes to 6m.  My 897 had 6m, but I recently sold it.  Part of the reason why I started this thread is because I saw a couple of Gonset 6 meter rigs on Ebay.  I've also seen that Ranger Communications has a 6m only rig that does AM.  I'm guessing that it doesn't do AM very well.  I have a brand new still in the package 2m 5/8 wave Diamond CP22E.  I've read that it can be used for 6m.  I'd like to get something I could set up on 6m as a stand alone station so I don't miss those openings.  I was thinking that if 6m AM was used often enough, one of those Gonsets might be nice to have.  I suppose the Ranger rig would be OK as an all mode 6m rig.

The G-50's on ebay are not a bad rig to run on 6 meter AM. I've had several over the years. Good audio but the rig runs very hot. All of my G-50's drifted all over the place even after several hours of operating. The Ranger you mentioned is not a great rig for AM. 2 meter 5/8 wave verticals will load on up on 6 meters especially if they are mounted on the roof of a car or truck. Probably wouldn't be a great "home" antenna. Most of us on 6 meters run horizontally polarized antennas but if the band opens up great, a 75 meter inverted vee will work too. Sporadic E ionization tends to move or shift, so having a rotatable beam helps. Obviously, an all mode rig has lots of advantages over a single mode rig. A lot depends on your budget, willingness to repair if you buy something that's been sitting around for 50 years, space considerations, etc.

Hmmm.  The antenna I am talking about is a 9' base station antenna.  You're saying it wouldn't be all that great on 6m?

[kf4qkr]

I use a Ranger RCI-5054 DX on 6 meters and it works great on AM. It works good on SSB too. It only does about 15 [bird watts] on SSB and about 8 watts of carrier on  AM. It has a power output control that comes in handy when I drive my home made sweep tube amp that does about 150 [bird watts].Now this thing does not have broadcast audio but it does have good communication audio. The CBers love the the twin brother of this rig ,the 10 and 11 meter Ranger because it also works good on AM.I got mine a few years ago so it was a little bit less expensive than 300 bucks.

[W9PSK]

Yeah, I was thinking the 5054 probly sounds about like a CB sounds, which isn't necessarily bad but isn't quite the same as what you get out of AM on ham rigs. 

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Hmmm.  The antenna I am talking about is a 9' base station antenna.  You're saying it wouldn't be all that great on 6m?

Almost anything would work. It all depends on how good you want it to work. A lot depends if you just want to work local stuff (if there is any) or want to reach out and maybe work the world on 6 meters.

[W9PSK]

Hmmm.  The antenna I am talking about is a 9' base station antenna.  You're saying it wouldn't be all that great on 6m?

Almost anything would work. It all depends on how good you want it to work. A lot depends if you just want to work local stuff (if there is any) or want to reach out and maybe work the world on 6 meters.

I'm thinking both.  I've read that it really doesn't take much when 6 is open, so that's why I decided to go ahead and use the CP22E.  I originally bought it for another purpose, but that plan never materialized.  I was gonna just sell it, but then I read that it could be used on 6. 

At any rate, I need to figure out which direction to go in on a radio, but I still have some time before I will have the money anyway.  Getting a boat anchor station for HF put together is at the top of the list on projects I want to get done.  It's starting to look as if I will be able to go to Huntsville Hamfest this year, so who knows what I will come home with from there. 

[Opcom]

Pitiful me, trying to listen with a 10 watt Heathkit Shawnee mobile rig on 120VAC but it has a decent receiver.

I have very little noise at 50MHz here. Bad reception on the HF dipole but occasionally get some 6M SSB signals on the Antron A-99 CB vertical at 13FT above the ground. No AM or I'm not listening at the right times.

The wire dipole is rotten for 10M and 6M, that is to say it is very hard to match it with either the customary storebought tools or a home made coupler.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

If you plan to operate 6 meters, a lot of patience and time are generally required. It's not the type of band that you flip on and find half-dozen QSO's going on all the time. Typically, with no band opening, the band is generally void of signals, except for beacons, some occasional cable leakage, or a TV oscillator running astray. Typically, with no band opening (of whatever type and there are several), your only propagation is via ground wave. Even located where I am in central Jersey with an easy shot to metro NY and New England, and down to the Philly area, I generally don't hear many QSO's going on (3 in an evening is a lot). Pop open a band opening, and local stations all come out of the woodwork. Some band openings can be minutes long, hours long, and even days long. And it's not unusual for two stations to maybe be only separated 20 to 40 miles and one hears the band open up and the other hears nothing. I recall a posting on another forum where a ham living somewhere in Utah or Idaho listened for 6 months before he heard his first 6 meter station. 6 meters, for what it is and how it tends to operate, is not the casual ham's dream band but it's a lot of fun if you have the time and the patience.

[W9BHI]

I have an FT-950 and when I tune around on 6 meters I find that there are dozens of birdies coming from god knows what in my house or in the neighborhood.
A while back there was a HF contest and I worked 20 or so guys on SSB.
Other than that time, I never hear anybody on 6.

W9BHI

[KM1H]

If you want it all in one box Id consider a Valiant II which has decent power on 6.

Couple that with a NC-300/303 or one of the HQ-170 family. Converters for either when needed are common but be aware the Nationals have a unique IF if you want to use the dial scale. Otherwise just use one with a 10M output and mentally do the conversion or change the crystal.

I use a Clegg Zeus TX at 125W out of high level AM and Interceptor B RX and have no problem finding AM most evenings around 9 or anytime the band is open. Having a 8el yagi at 60' and living on a hilltop helps. OTOH Ive worked 2-5W stations 60-100 miles away using a low 80M antenna, old mobile loop and even a mag mount inside the house. When the band is wide open anything will work.

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

Like Carl, I run a Clegg station also. Though it's not currently on the air due to lack of a proper aerial. In the realm of classic tube gear it's tough to beat.

While living up north, 6m was virtually non-existent unless you lived on a mountain top or planned a sked. Perhaps as much due to the terrain as lack of activity overall. Though the serious guys always kept a receiver active so they could pounce on the openings when they came. The Venus got used on SSB a bunch of times but no AM where I was.

It seems like one of those bands a lot of folks would like to operate, myself included, but never seem to get to. There used to be a fair amount of activity in southern NH to Boston, and an active group around Schenectady. Back around 2006-2007 there was an uptick in activity with the NE crowd when 75/80m was going long early in the evenings.

[W9PSK]

Man, you don't mess around, huh?  Old radios, a big old heavy metal desk, an old style office chair.  I've heard of selling out the whole route, but you have taken the cake! 

[Opcom]

I guess it is not a casual band. I had other ideas because I have guy's logbook from the 1950's and it is full of hundreds of entries for 6m AM - seems like day after day or like flipping a switch.. - and he was running 50W I think.

[KM1H]

Nice Clegg station Todd.  Id get that PS/modulator off the flor though. Ive mine on a short wood table under the table used for the modern HF and 6M station; it also supports the remote PS for the LK-500ZC. Those vintage desks are to the side, one for 2M and up and the other for 2 of the vintage HF stations.

I guess I'll have to take some photos the next time I clean up the station, I have 2 of those desks and chairs but I think of them as contemporary