6 meter question

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Trainguy1997

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Before I decide to buy a Yaesu 8900R I have just two questions

Are newbies with a tech license allowed to access the 6 meter band?
Does anyone use 6 meters as I don't see a lot of talk about it?

73
 

bharvey2

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the 6m band is open to all licensees for all modes. That being said, there isn't a lot of traffic on it at least in my area. (San Francisco Bay Area) There are a few repeaters available and many enjoy the challenge of working the band via simplex given its every-changing propagation. It is often referred to as "the magic band" for that reason.
 

jim202

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6 meters has always been an interesting band. Problem is today with the appliance operators, the activity has dwindled. The people that don't want to play with older commercial radios lack the effort and interest to get on 6 meters. There is some activity on SSB on the lower end of the band.

There is some activity on the high end on FM with the repeaters that are there. But over the last few years, the proliferation of the newer computers and the poor design of the IP type network equipment and cable TV leakage, 6 meter activity has become a challenge. The data noise leakage from these sources and even some of the newer TV sets has caused the noise floor to raise almost to the point you can't hear anything.

I have been a long time fan of 6 meters and have an old Motorola Syntor X9000 in my truck. Have a couple more in my radio workshop to listen to the activity on the band. There are many band openings or skip as some people call them that go by the way side because there is no one listening to know it's happening.

There are a couple of repeaters in New York state that come booming in here in southern Louisiana frequently. But when you get on and try to raise someone, NOTHING. There is no one home.

The activity will vary with your location. The 6 meter repeaters that use to be on the air are gone in some parts of the country. Problem with this is that the owners of those repeaters never notify the different databases to let them know they are now off the air. So you find all these repeaters still listed that have died. This is even the case with a number of 2 meter repeaters.

But if you keep an ear on the 6 meter band you will hear some activity. I have gotten chewed out a number of times in the DC area for getting on the 50.110 frequency on SSB. The person says that it is the DX frequency and to get off of it. I go back and tell him that there is no one using the frequency and to go pound sand, he doesn't own it. So you also find these control freaks that want to play god and put a bad spin on ham radio.

Hope this gives you a small snap shot into what 6 meters is like today.
 

jwt873

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As mentioned, If you have FM repeater(s) nearby, you can use 6 meters like you would 2 meters.

For SSB and CW, six meters is an amazing band when the sunspot numbers are high. You can work the world. Unfortunately we haven't seen high sunspot numbers for many years.

But, there still is a form of propagation called Sporadic-E As it's name suggests, it happens sporadically... you never know when. (But it's more prevalent in the summer months). You have to keep an eye on the band to catch it. (DX clusters are a good resource). Many people do watch the band and as soon as an opening occurs the contacts start getting made.

One day about 2 years ago, I saw 6 meters so busy, I couldn't find a place to call CQ. There was CW, SSB, RTTY, PSK and other digital modes going strong, Up the band I could work repeaters all over the place.. But, under our low sunspot conditions, it doesn't happen that often

I use DXmaps. QSO/SWL real time maps - NA - 50 It provides a graphical representation of what is going on. Another strategy is to sit on the SSB calling frequency (50.125 Mhz) and listen for stations. You'll find they suddenly pop up out of nowhere.

------
EDIT.. I just realized you're looking at the Yeasu 8900R.. It's FM only, so forget the SSB stuff.. The 8900 is best for repeaters or local simplex contacts. FM simplex, isn't very good for long haul work so it's rarely used.
 
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kj3n

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Before I decide to buy a Yaesu 8900R I have just two questions

Are newbies with a tech license allowed to access the 6 meter band?

Yes, but Techs are not allowed to use FM on 10m. The 8900 is an FM-only radio. It does not do SSB/CW. IMO, it is a waste for a Tech to buy this radio unless you're planning to upgrade to General very soon.

Does anyone use 6 meters as I don't see a lot of talk about it?

Nearly all of the good 6m activity is on CW, SSB, or one of the digital modes like JT65.
 

K5MPH

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Yes, but Techs are not allowed to use FM on 10m. The 8900 is an FM-only radio. It does not do SSB/CW. IMO, it is a waste for a Tech to buy this radio unless you're planning to upgrade to General very soon.



Nearly all of the good 6m activity is on CW, SSB, or one of the digital modes like JT65.
I agree with kj3n the 8900 is FM only and no SSB on 6 meters thats reallywhere all the action is on 6 meters.....
 

WA8ZTZ

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Had always wanted to give 6M a try and finally bought a MFJ 9406 about 3 yrs ago. My experience so far is that 6 meter activity is "magic" and "sporadic" as has been mentioned and is CW and SSB found at the low end of the band from 50.0 to 50.2. When 6 is "open", man it is open. My 5 watts and a dipole will do the job. The rest of the time, you really need a good antenna system... think multi-element beam, rotor, tall tower to do anything. Unfortunately, lots of 6 meter openings are brief and go unnoticed. FM on 6... unless you know for sure there is activity in your area, IMHO, forget about it.
 

prcguy

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Yes 6m SSB is great fun but depending on where you live FM can be very active also. In So Cal where I live I can key up no less than six 6m repeaters with a 5w handheld and whip antenna on the radio and some are 60+ miles away.

Looking on a repeater list it appears there are 41 6m repeaters within reach of my house, although I've not tried very many of them. There is also a lot of 6m simplex activity on 50.300 here and a weekly AM net on 50.400 that's a lot of fun. I've had a 100+ mi contact on that net from a 550ft hill in my area using a handheld with whip on the radio.
prcguy

I agree with kj3n the 8900 is FM only and no SSB on 6 meters thats reallywhere all the action is on 6 meters.....
 

kj3n

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Yes 6m SSB is great fun but depending on where you live FM can be very active also. In So Cal where I live I can key up no less than six 6m repeaters with a 5w handheld and whip antenna on the radio and some are 60+ miles away.

6m FM activity in So Cal is more the exception, not the rule.

Looking on a repeater list it appears there are 41 6m repeaters within reach of my house, although I've not tried very many of them.

And looking through the online repeater list for my area, there's not a single active 6m repeater in all of Delaware. There is 1 listed on paper, but it doesn't respond to my HT and I'm less than 10 air miles from it.

The other regional list for EPA and SNJ shows that the average for 6m repeaters per county is 1 or less. That's out of 34 counties for EPA and 12 for SNJ.

6m FM activity in and around the Philly metro area is practically non-existent.
 

k9wkj

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i love 6m
ive worked 28 countries and untold grids on 6m ssb
with a 4 element quad at 20ft and less then 50 watts (most times 10) i had a 150 mile range on ssb
and when the band is open, well........
i currently have a Motorola Maratrac in my van (110 watt 99 channel) programmed with all the repeater pairs i can think of (6m has lots of goofy splits) and all the normal simplex freqs
we have a repeater local (40 miles away and several others out further) that has great coverage but i yell on it almost everyday and never hear a soul
once in awhile i can scare up a local on simplex
 

w1kb

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Don't worry about 6 meters as a newbie. If you focus on that band at first you wont be interested in radio. I call it the tragic band, not magic band. Find some locals at ham club, 2m simplex, 2m repeaters, check out DMR, get general and get on HF!


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k7ng

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I agree...
You as a newbie will want to hear a lot and get used to talking 'hamese' to folks you might meet in your area. 2M and 440 MHz FM will get you on local repeaters (AND Simplex, never forget Simplex!). But there's so much in ham radio to explore... Eventually you may want to look at digital voice modes on VHF/UHF, such as D-Star and DMR. But (in my very humble opinion) the keys to the kingdom are on HF. Get used to being a ham but upgrade as soon as you feel up to it. Most HF radios made in the last decade also have 6M, so if you want to explore 6M, it'll be there for you once you have an all-mode HF/6M radio.

My 2 cent advice is find a nice dual band VHF/UHF mobile radio (you are doing the right thing by getting a mobile/base rather than a HT as a starter), and as soon as you know for sure you want to upgrade, go looking for a used HF/6M all-mode radio. You can always listen even before upgrade.

K7NG, Half Century of Ham Radio and still haven't done it all (but trying)
 

k8krh

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In Southern INDIANA there is one in LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY patched to a 2 meter repeater, other than that no others, WB9FHP was putting one up in PAOLI, INDIANA, all I know.
More 2 meter packet activity than 6 meters, I wouldn't waste your money.
POB/K8LEN
 

jbantennaman

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As the proud owner of two Yaesu FT 8900R transceivers, I can honestly say that I only made a couple of 6 meter FM contacts with my transceivers over the past 6 years.

Unfortunately, most new hams forgets the basic principals instituted by previous generations, which was to find someone knowledgeable to help them get their start, after getting licensed.

In the old days ( Tubes ) - when you purchased a transceiver, you didn't just hook it up to an antenna and transmit. Transmitting involved putting up a special antenna for each band you desired to operate on.
HF transceivers did not include 6 meters, 6 meters was done by purchasing a special 6 meter VHF only transceiver, or by using a transverter that converted 10 meters to 6.

Sometimes a certain model CB radio could be converted to 6 meters, and most communications before 1960 was AM not SSB, which required a product detector - a more complex circuitry then the Superheterodyne AM radios of that era.

In those days, there was very few repeaters and FM was not yet in vogue.

FM and Repeaters ruined amateur radio - from the standpoint - of getting people to purchase expensive equipment, install large antennas, and operate on more then just a repeater - usually augmented by a handheld radio.

When band conditions permits, 6 meters, any mode can be a lot of fun.
6 meters requires the user to watch for band openings - usually after a solar flare, a High solar flux, high sun spot numbers - usually over 150, during the times around the equinox, and during meteor showers.

Unfortunately we have lost a whole generation of 6 meter operators to - as others has labeled them - Appliance Operators. It's hard to get someone to buy something or do something more when they are already getting what they wanted - someone to talk to, and local communications - from their handhelds and a repeater.

Putting up a 6 meter FM repeater does not solve the problem!
Repeaters are for morons that only wants to make the minimum investment.
A handheld on 6 meters with a rubber duck antenna won't ever perform as well as even a 15 watt Ten Tec 6N2 - all mode transceiver.. Maybe it was 25 watts - I don't remember anymore.

As others has advised, unless you plan on upgrading to General, your money would be better spend buying a different transceiver, or maybe a HF radio - since most new HF radios includes 6 meters today.

I paid a premium price for my 8900R - probably $125 more than what it sells for today.
The exchange rate of the US Dollar has increased in the past 6 years.
I can't sell my used 8900R for even as much as what a new 8900R sells for today.
Even if someone was interested, no one is willing to spend more than $250 for a dual band transceiver.
The Chinese has killed the amateur radio market with their rip off cheap transceivers.

The 8900r is only good if you have someone locally interested in buying a similar product, putting up a Tri Band antenna - such as the Diamond V2000 antenna, and monitoring for long periods of time, listening to the transceiver in VFO mode to listen for other FM users and band openings.

Programming in just a couple of repeater frequencies really doesn't do this transceiver any justice.
Most repeater directory's are out of date and the repeaters exist on paper only.
The repeater owner, usually holding on to the coordination - so no one else can get it, and so if 6 meters comes back, they will own a pair that they can use to put a repeater back on air.

I don't look for 6 meters FM to ever come back, and unless more handheld manufacturers includes 1,25 meters - the 222 band probably will die. I don't know of a single 1.25 meters repeater within 100 miles of my domicile.

I don't even hear people on 10 meters unless there is a band opening.
I don't hear anybody on 10 meters FM unless there is a band opening either!
I only ever hear about 1 of 4 repeaters when there is a band opening.

California, Dallas Texas, Puerto Rico is the only 10 meters repeaters I have ever worked...
Its not really even worth putting up an antenna or trying to work them when you can only hear them a couple of days a year... Most times, even when you can hit the repeater, there isn't anyone monitoring the repeater to talk to.
 

jhooten

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it is a waste for a Tech to buy this radio unless you're planning to upgrade to General very soon..

Disagree. It still gives them three bands they can use, is cost competitive with other 6/2/.7 meter triband radios, is smaller than many others, gives some incentive to upgrade, and will serve you for your entire ham "career".

There is a reason 6 is called the magic band.
 

Token

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Disagree. It still gives them three bands they can use, is cost competitive with other 6/2/.7 meter triband radios, is smaller than many others, gives some incentive to upgrade, and will serve you for your entire ham "career".

I was thinking the same thing. What other radio on the market gives you 6/2/70cm, cross band repeat, and dual receivers for anything like this price? For only a very few dollars more than a competitive dual bander you get 4 bands, three of which a Tech can use. If sometime in the future the owner upgrades to General then the 10 meter FM section of the band becomes usable. 6 meters may be sparsely used in your area, or it may be used regularly. As for me, I use 6 meters pretty much daily. When the band is open I have made cross country contacts, when the band is not open it works great for simplex talk around.

T!
 

prcguy

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I've had a Yaesu FT-8900 for over 5yrs and even though it rarely sees 10 or 6m use, I love it. Its fairly easy to program and I everything works very smooth and predictable. I also have a TYT 9800 which is similar but it has a few annoying quirks and it takes a back seat to the Yaesu.

I also use the 8900 in cross band repeat mode a lot which enables me to use a handheld around town to keep in contact with friends on a 2m simplex frequency. Without the 8900 feeding a Comet GP-9 on my roof a handheld alone would never cover the range I get when going through the 8900 in repeat mode.

I'll occasionally use the 8900 testing a few local 6m repeaters and I've used it a few times going through a local 10m repeater and also a 10m repeater in upstate NY from my house or truck in So Cal. Its a proven great performer and having a few extra bands that don't get used much is not a problem for me.
prcguy
 

jbantennaman

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As I said before, the technical side of amateur radio is being lost, or replaced with appliance operators that operates, but doesn't really understand what happens when they press the microphone button or hears someone on their radios.

FM works on the principal of Capture Effect.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capture_effect

It takes a much stronger signal to receive an FM signal than a SSB signal.
That is the reason why SSB is preferred over AM or FM, along with the fact that SSB takes up less bandwidth.

As far as claims of being able to set up Cross Band Repeat and walking away from the radio, and using it to cross band repeat your handheld, I think you need to read the Part 97.
It is not as simple as that.
If you read the rules - and this rule is covered in your Technician Class License Exam - you cannot just set up a radio and walk away.

You need to have a licensed control operator at the control point, or a second radio that can control the Yaesu 8900R that can turn the radio off if it has a problem - such as being stuck in transmit, harmful interference, having someone else operate on your transmit frequency - and causing problems, etc.

Each radio needs to transmit an ID every 10 minutes, not just you and your handheld radio.

The other way around it is to have a controller connected to the radio - much like a repeater, that is connected to a Private Line Telephone with an unpublished phone number, that can control the radio.

I think that the problem with new hams is that they learn the rules just long enough to get the license and then they chuck the rules out the window and they believe that they can just do what they please - just because the radio offers this option. That is what gets us into trouble.

Even when you have a 2nd radio on a frequency above 222 Mhz for control purposes, you need to contact the local repeater coordination council, because the frequency you chose, which might sound quiet, may in fact be a frequency designated for the control purposes of another repeater.
There is all kinds of things that you need to learn when you get involved with repeaters and cross band repeat.

And NO - a 50 watt mobile 6 meter transceiver will not always talk further than a 2 meter radio with the same sized - 1/2 wave mobile antenna.
All effective communications is Line Of Sight!
Anytime you place something between the transmit and receive antennas, it can and will block reception.

Depending upon the time of day, day of the year, or time of season, solar cycle, and location, propagation may or may not be enhanced.
I recently read an article that exposed the fact that the terrain in Pennsylvania is challenging, even for mountaintop locations, trying to get coverage over a large area of even just one county.

Digital modes such as D-Star just doesn't work well here!
For me, my money would have been better spent buying an Icom 7100....
All band, all mode, and 100 watts...
 

Token

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As I said before, the technical side of amateur radio is being lost, or replaced with appliance operators that operates, but doesn't really understand what happens when they press the microphone button or hears someone on their radios.

FM works on the principal of Capture Effect.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capture_effect

It takes a much stronger signal to receive an FM signal than a SSB signal.
That is the reason why SSB is preferred over AM or FM, along with the fact that SSB takes up less bandwidth.

Capture Effect is specific to competing signals. When two FM signals are present the stronger of the two will capture the receiver, and potentially the weaker signal will not be heard at all. When only one signal is present there is no Capture Effect, so I am not sure what you mean when you are saying FM works on the Capture Effect.

It would be more correct to say that FM can suffer from Capture Effect when multiple signals are present, not that it "works on the principal" of Capture Effect since there is NO Capture Effect if only one signal is present, and it is clear that FM can still work when only one signal is present.

Capture Effect is one of the reasons Aviation still uses AM. In AM, when two stations transmit at the same time you can often hear that there was more than one present, even if one is relatively strong compared to the other. With FM the stronger station would completely "Capture" the receiver, and you might not even be aware of the weaker ones presence at all.

As far as claims of being able to set up Cross Band Repeat and walking away from the radio, and using it to cross band repeat your handheld, I think you need to read the Part 97.
It is not as simple as that.
If you read the rules - and this rule is covered in your Technician Class License Exam - you cannot just set up a radio and walk away.

You need to have a licensed control operator at the control point, or a second radio that can control the Yaesu 8900R that can turn the radio off if it has a problem - such as being stuck in transmit, harmful interference, having someone else operate on your transmit frequency - and causing problems, etc.

You most certainly can walk away from a radio. "Control operator" just means you can shut it down in a timely manner if required, there is NO requirement that you be within XX feet of the radio to be a control operator. If I set up a cross band remote in the house and while monitoring it walk out on the back porch to take in the sunset, or out to the garage to clean the mower, I am still the Control Operator.

Using a cross band repeat enabled mobile to bump your .5 Watt , 0 dBi gain antenna, handheld to the output of your 50 Watt, 7 dBi, mobile 60 feet away is not a problem. Of course you can't set a cross band up in a remote location, like a hilltop if you are not in the area, and leave it, without a control link. But in general that is not what people do with mobile radios that are cross band capable.

Each radio needs to transmit an ID every 10 minutes, not just you and your handheld radio.

The source of the audio to ID does not matter. If I set up a remote on 70 cm and 2M, and access the 70 cm side sending "W6XYZ, Remote", then I have just IDed the cross band on 2M, if I hit the 2M button on the handheld, so I am now transmitting on the 2M freq of the cross band, and ID the same way, I have just IDed the 70cm side of the cross band. As long as both sides of the cross band get IDed there is not an issue. The issue is when folks talk on the handheld and ID, even for the remote, but the local link (typically the higher frequency end) never gets IDed. That does happen a lot, and that is contrary to the rules.

And NO - a 50 watt mobile 6 meter transceiver will not always talk further than a 2 meter radio with the same sized - 1/2 wave mobile antenna.
All effective communications is Line Of Sight!
Anytime you place something between the transmit and receive antennas, it can and will block reception.

Line of sight only ah? So, there is no knife edging, no reflection, nothing like that?

I can tell you I use 6 meter simplex every day while commuting to and from work. On 6 meters my wife and I have near continuous contact, with only a couple of very small dead spots (about 2 miles total of a 35+ mile drive), and I drive over a range of hills 1700 feet higher than my home or work location. From my work I cannot see my house, there is a hill in the way, but I can talk to home on simplex on 6 meters. I cannot do the same on 2 meters or 70 cm. And on the commute the dead areas on 2 meters are more like 8 or 9 miles of a 35+ mile drive. 70 cm simplex has almost a combined 12 mile dead area on the same commute.

The point is not that 6 meters is better for this, I can point to other situations when 2 is clearly better. The point is that the bands DO act a little different, and in my specific situation 6 meters is more dependable. If I did not have 6 and did not try to use it I would not know that.

T!
 
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