Does anyone actually use 6 meters?

[OkieBoyKJ5JFG]

There are no 6 meter repeaters in the whole state of Oklahoma, and I have scanned the 6m band for a couple of months, but I haven't heard a word. Is 6m sort of an "orphan" band which doesn't get much use, or am I just in a 6m desert?

 

[nd5y]

How are you scanning it? What modes? What kind of antenna?

I used to work 6 a long time ago but I don't have anything that covers HF or 6 m now.
Most of the activity is (was?) around 50.110 and 50.125 USB.
FM on 52.525 wasn't as popular as SSB but there used to be a lot of repeaters on other bands with remote bases on 52.525.
Now FT8 is popular and I think they use 50.313 and 50.323.

 

[vagrant]

I use 6m for contesting and with FT8 when the conditions are right, or even when they are not. We have two 6m repeaters around here with a third planned. Also, summertime is best for sporadic E. May - August is a good time.

What antenna are you using for 6m? How efficient is it or do you need a tuner?

No need to scan the 6m band. Just scan FT8, SSB and FM call frequencies.

 

[Omega-TI]

There are no 6 meter repeaters in the whole state of Oklahoma, and I have scanned the 6m band for a couple of months, but I haven't heard a word. Is 6m sort of an "orphan" band which doesn't get much use, or am I just in a 6m desert?

Most stuff on 6m is simplex, so set your radio on 52.525 Mhz and set the squelch accordingly, you never know when someone will put out a call. Also, mid summer is good for rare sporadic E events around May to June, but this year will be the solar maximum, if I'm not mistaken so July should be about as good as it gets for 6 meters. As always, toss out your callsign at least once or twice a day, someone may get back to you.

I've had a few 700 mile QSO's back when I still was into it.

 

[K9KLC]

You mean 6 meter FM or 6 meters in general? What are you using to scan? What kind of antenna? I can guarantee you there's all kinds of stuff going on on 6 meters perhaps, not what you're wanting to hear but there is activity on 6 out there.

 

[K6GBW]

There was a time about six years ago when a group of friends and I all had 6 meter radios. We used it simplex all around town. But then the big antennas started to get annoying. We tested simplex range with 2 meters and guess what? It worked just as well and was a lot more convenient, so the six meter radios slowly started to disappear.

 

[K9KLC]

There was recently a month long ham radio "event" called Winter Heat, that was simplex only on FM and digital voice. (again simplex only). There were two 6 meter frequencies included in this event and roughly 14, 200 contacts were made between the two frequencies. Yes some people worked the same people every 24 hour period daily but, point is, yes 6 meters is used. We still use it in the off time, just for giggled and grins because we can.

 

[vagrant]

I found a photo of you before your switch to 2 meters.

 

[MikeinDestin]

If you can't always be near your 6M radio leave an FM broadcast radio on, tuned to a fringe frequency. Even in your car. When you hear activity, go for it.

 

[W4AXW]

I'm in the process of building a Yagi for 6m right now. If you're looking for 2m-like traffic on repeaters and all that you probably won't find it. Unless you find locals around you there may not be much rag-chewing. If you SSB you just have to wait for that rare Es opening. I like the band and don't mind waiting for openings plus I have some locals.

 

[kk9h]

I think much of the 6M CW, SSB and FM activity has shifted to FT8 due to its great weak signal capabilities. I have found those three modes to be very quiet even when the band is open and many FT8 QSOs are taking place. So I usually leave FT8 running on my station when I’m not using it and have been alerted to several really nice openings, with some of them very short lived, by seeing stations suddenly appear on my screen. I have even worked Mauritania and Japan with my 90 watts to a halo that way.

 

[AK9R]

There is a ragchew/tech net on a 6m FM repeater near me every Thursday evening.

A friend recently achieved Worked All States on 6m from central Indiana using mostly CW and FT8.

 

[kg4ehv]

Also listen to 50.145 USB.

 

[bill4long]

There are no 6 meter repeaters in the whole state of Oklahoma, and I have scanned the 6m band for a couple of months, but I haven't heard a word. Is 6m sort of an "orphan" band which doesn't get much use, or am I just in a 6m desert?

During summer there can be tropospheric ducting, just like 10 meters. Also, 6 meters is very cool for bouncing off of auroras when they are strong. For daily ragchew, 6m meters is probably not going be of much use in most areas.

 

[AK9R]

For daily ragchew, 6m meters is probably not going be of much use in most areas.

Ssshhhhhh...you'll cut into sales of all those cheap, Chinese clone Yaesu FT-8900s. Once people figure out that there's nobody to talk to on 6m and their license doesn't allow them to talk at all on 10m FM, they'll question their buying decisions.

 

[spongella]

When TV was analog, watching channel 2 (54 - 60MHz) was a way of knowing when the 6m band might be open.

 

[jhooten]

There ragchew/tech on a 6m FM repeater near me every Thursday evening.

A friend recently achieved Worked All States on 6m from central Indiana using mostly CW and FT8.

I need four here in Central Texas. Closest La, most distant Hi. Ct and De have been worked several times each with no confirmations.

There are a few repeaters listed in the Austin area. Have not been able to bring any of them up.

 

[K6GBW]

I always thought that if I lived in the desert, like up in Mojave, that 6m would be good. The big antenna wouldn’t matter as much and who needs repeaters! But alas, I live in the city due to family stuff, so itty bitty antennas are the norm here. Still, there’s a reason the Army uses 30-78 MHz. When moving into an area with no infrastructure it just works!

 

[ecps92]

There are no 6 meter repeaters in the whole state of Oklahoma, and I have scanned the 6m band for a couple of months, but I haven't heard a word. Is 6m sort of an "orphan" band which doesn't get much use, or am I just in a 6m desert?

Oklahoma Amateur Radio Repeaters

 

[jwt873]

The SSB calling on six is 50.125.. When six is open, a shout there will usually raise someone. Ragchewing usually take place above that. But.. Digital modes have kind of taken over. Two popular ones are FT8 and MSK144. (meteor scatter).

FT8 is very popular... It takes place on 50.313.. I just did a screen capture of the site at Display Reception Reports It displays pins on a map showing stations that have been active on six meter FT8 within 1 hr of me typing this reply.

With the high sunspot numbers, six has been great. In the last year I've worked stations in Europe, South America, Japan and New Zealand on six meters using FT8