Quite an oxymoron!! Thanks for giving me a chuckle BrianVK5BC wrote:... and others may come up for a local DX contact.
... VK is a big country, so I understand where you are coming from, I just found the choice of words amusing.73, Bob ZL1RS
6M Poll
Re: 6M Poll
... VK is a big country, so I understand where you are coming from, I just found the choice of words amusing.73, Bob ZL1RS
Bob, ZL1RS in the Bay of Islands at RF64vs
Re: 6M Poll
This IS the perception folks, and it won't improve whilst there continues to be condescension, marginalisation and petty sniping.VK2CU wrote:I use 6m in the VHF/UHF field days and have built a 3el beam for this band.
From this thread and what I hear about all the nonsense and band police, might just keep it that way....... 6m sounds like amateur radio hell to me.
At least if 50-54 is granted there will be more space in the "asylum" I suppose.
Justin VK2CU
I for one couldn't give a flying fig for all the FIGJAM, and chest-beating that occurs on VK Logger AND other clusters.
I still enjoy 6m....BUT....this may change and that's my perogative.
EDITED: In the interests of moving on, not crapping on!
Sorry Steve, but I won't be responding to each question in your "poll"....I've said what I want to say above.
Last edited by VK6OX on Fri Jan 11, 2013 8:06 pm, edited 2 times in total.
73
Andy VK6OX
If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough. Albert Einstein
Andy VK6OX
If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough. Albert Einstein
-
VK5PO
Re: 6M Poll
Band Plans are written for a purpose.
Last edited by VK5PO on Fri Jan 11, 2013 8:28 am, edited 1 time in total.
-
VK4WDM
Re: 6M Poll
Yes, it can be a bit of a madhouse, but the band is full of passionate people, and like with any passionate crowd tempers can get short sometimes.more space in the "asylum" I suppose.]
My invite to every ham is: - come join the asylum and enjoy the excitement. My hope is I said earlier is wall to wall signals all day, every day, not just every eleven years or twice a year when Es are in. Its a bloody good band for local contacts via ground wave.
I just want to see a little padded cell with a sign on the door saying "DX only" that I can retreat to when I got that "DX feeling" and not be stomped on by VK's at 59++ when I am trying to hear that S1, S2, fluttery, distorted signal from a far distant country that might only be there for 30 seconds, and might never be heard again in my lifetime. And by the way, you will be welcome in that padded cell anytime, and I promise to do my best to help you work that same DX (or even better DX) and get the same thrill as I do.
Then I will happily move out into the general part of the asylum and talk to anybody anywhere.
As work by VK3OER and others has shown, we really have only scratched the surface of what we can really do on 6m. With the availability of more spectrum, the use of more modes, and importantly, an influx of fresh new operators with new skills, the magic band is sure to produce more magic, but we need to be able to hear it to work it. In other words we have to separate strong and weak signal operations which is exactly what the bandplan attempts to do.
73
Wayne VK4WDM
Re: 6M Poll
History and facts are good and I'd do OK on some of the questions, but what we might term 'The six metres condition' is much more about attitudes and culture.
For 50 MHz is a volatile seething Babylon whose inhabitants speak in different tongues.
There's the CWers and SSBers. The serious DXers vs the summer Es fans. And those stuck above 52 MHz and the FMers even higher. Each of these groups speaks about, but rarely to, the others. In practice though, since they're minorities of minorities, no one ends up doing much speaking at all. Exacerbated by those who give up as they hear nothing.
We've had this ever since somone figured that a few keyed watts of narrow carrier did better than spark-generated spread spectrum in the 1920s. But it seems to be more polarised on 6 metres and we're not just talking antenna elements.
Most of the propagation conditions present on 6 metres are also there on 10 metres. Both are volatile bands. Both are noisy in urban areas. Most commercial users near both frequencies have migrated higher.
But the cultural difference between the two bands is immense.
10 metres is basically egalitarian. Just about anyone will talk to anyone; intra-VK sporadic E activity thrives. Many novices got their start there. It's a wide band, allocated internationally. And there's a connection with nearby 11 metres CB (including modified equipment, antennas but often the same or former 27 MHz operators).
Whereas 6 metres is basically hierarchical and competitive. The first post of this thread and the clash we see elsewhere leave no doubt. The former can the thought of as being the natural order of human organisation and competition can be an impetus to progress. Still we can do without the snarkiness that makes Adam question whether 6m should remain a forum topic.
At the top of this real or imagined heap (rather self-regarding as HFers ignore them and microwavers dismiss them) are the 15 000km plus DXers.
Spanning extreme distances is their sole reason for operating.
Heirs to the 'below 200 metres' tradition of proving the naysayers wrong at shorter and shorter wavelengths.
There is almost an unofficial rule against working short stuff like JAs, ZLs or (perish the thought) a fellow VK. Quality not quantity of contacts is the key; one does not go to the trouble of building a great station then cheapening it by working interstate Es! In the mangled words of a prime minister under whose reign the use of TV Channel 0 was continued due to the commencement of SBS, life was not meant to be easy.
Working DX is easier on 28 MHz. More than 1000 DX contacts would be made on 10 metres for every one DX contact on 6 metres. And we didn't need to fight for the band very much, even though it's 1.7 MHz wide. It may even have been the first band returned to us after amateur operation resumed after WWII.
Whereas six metres has always been buffeted around. From when it was 5 metres to the loss of 50 - 52 MHz in the '60s when TV channels were expanded (also sacrificing FM broadcasting). Possibly the most active campaign ever by VK amateurs eventually achieved restricted access to the 150 kHz and then 300 kHz above 50 MHz to allow contacts to the rest of the world, just in time for Cycle 22. There were all sorts of restrictions, eg CW and SSB only and a view that the segment be sparingly used for DX contacts only.
The top DXers mentioned above are the veterans of this battle, with the scars to prove it. One fought on many fronts.
The struggle with 52 MHz during Cycle 21. The subsequent winning of a 50 MHz sliver simultaneously used by the country's most powerful spectrum user. The tenuousness of our hold over it, even though it was widely known that 45 - 52 MHz was a lousy allocation for TV. And the paucity of its long-haul openings compared to ten metres. Struggle and scarcity. All very difficult and very serious. Even a quick signal report to a more modestly equipped local seems slightly illicit; like talking in the library.
Anything which lessens the ability to hear DX, for instance locals talking amongst themselves, must be moved well away for openings are fleeting. Whereas HF operators manage to combine short and long distance contacts within a few kHz of one another and when things open spread out rather than bother with calling frequencies.
Another group on the band are those with jobs, families or noisy suburban locations that preclude full devotion to the Six Metre God. They probably haven't worked Europe. They're also less fussy; they'll take any contact they can get and are happy enough to work the odd ZL, JA or Pacific. And they'll happily work 'low church' modes such as Es over summer, during which time DXers are waiting around for something more exotic.
Some serious DXers want nothing to do with less equipped operators for whom six metres is more fun than battle. The high and mighty will not answer the CQ calls of lesser stations. Even if made on 50.2 MHz. No wonder the latter come down to 50.11 MHz and seek to work anyone they can hear, even if just another VK. Which of course risks clobbering the weak DX that only those with 8 elements in a quiet location can hear and so we go again...
The above is a characterisation of the different and sometimes clashing cultures on six metres. What is not commonly realised is that both groups need each other. The serious stations need the casual stations to provide activity and replace those retiring while the modest station needs the big DXer to signal the band is open and to define what is possible.
It's a bit like the old Kings Cross, St Kilda or Fortitude Valley; despite their dirt, crime and vice people still kept coming back. Six has a special and unfathomable lure that only some see. Even though objectively it's a noisy and infuriating band with a poor contact to call ratio made worse due to the way we choose to use it (or not) and who we talk to (or not).
Just be thankful that there are other bands (and even an off switch) for ham can't live on six alone.
For 50 MHz is a volatile seething Babylon whose inhabitants speak in different tongues.
There's the CWers and SSBers. The serious DXers vs the summer Es fans. And those stuck above 52 MHz and the FMers even higher. Each of these groups speaks about, but rarely to, the others. In practice though, since they're minorities of minorities, no one ends up doing much speaking at all. Exacerbated by those who give up as they hear nothing.
We've had this ever since somone figured that a few keyed watts of narrow carrier did better than spark-generated spread spectrum in the 1920s. But it seems to be more polarised on 6 metres and we're not just talking antenna elements.
Most of the propagation conditions present on 6 metres are also there on 10 metres. Both are volatile bands. Both are noisy in urban areas. Most commercial users near both frequencies have migrated higher.
But the cultural difference between the two bands is immense.
10 metres is basically egalitarian. Just about anyone will talk to anyone; intra-VK sporadic E activity thrives. Many novices got their start there. It's a wide band, allocated internationally. And there's a connection with nearby 11 metres CB (including modified equipment, antennas but often the same or former 27 MHz operators).
Whereas 6 metres is basically hierarchical and competitive. The first post of this thread and the clash we see elsewhere leave no doubt. The former can the thought of as being the natural order of human organisation and competition can be an impetus to progress. Still we can do without the snarkiness that makes Adam question whether 6m should remain a forum topic.
At the top of this real or imagined heap (rather self-regarding as HFers ignore them and microwavers dismiss them) are the 15 000km plus DXers.
Spanning extreme distances is their sole reason for operating.
Heirs to the 'below 200 metres' tradition of proving the naysayers wrong at shorter and shorter wavelengths.
There is almost an unofficial rule against working short stuff like JAs, ZLs or (perish the thought) a fellow VK. Quality not quantity of contacts is the key; one does not go to the trouble of building a great station then cheapening it by working interstate Es! In the mangled words of a prime minister under whose reign the use of TV Channel 0 was continued due to the commencement of SBS, life was not meant to be easy.
Working DX is easier on 28 MHz. More than 1000 DX contacts would be made on 10 metres for every one DX contact on 6 metres. And we didn't need to fight for the band very much, even though it's 1.7 MHz wide. It may even have been the first band returned to us after amateur operation resumed after WWII.
Whereas six metres has always been buffeted around. From when it was 5 metres to the loss of 50 - 52 MHz in the '60s when TV channels were expanded (also sacrificing FM broadcasting). Possibly the most active campaign ever by VK amateurs eventually achieved restricted access to the 150 kHz and then 300 kHz above 50 MHz to allow contacts to the rest of the world, just in time for Cycle 22. There were all sorts of restrictions, eg CW and SSB only and a view that the segment be sparingly used for DX contacts only.
The top DXers mentioned above are the veterans of this battle, with the scars to prove it. One fought on many fronts.
The struggle with 52 MHz during Cycle 21. The subsequent winning of a 50 MHz sliver simultaneously used by the country's most powerful spectrum user. The tenuousness of our hold over it, even though it was widely known that 45 - 52 MHz was a lousy allocation for TV. And the paucity of its long-haul openings compared to ten metres. Struggle and scarcity. All very difficult and very serious. Even a quick signal report to a more modestly equipped local seems slightly illicit; like talking in the library.
Anything which lessens the ability to hear DX, for instance locals talking amongst themselves, must be moved well away for openings are fleeting. Whereas HF operators manage to combine short and long distance contacts within a few kHz of one another and when things open spread out rather than bother with calling frequencies.
Another group on the band are those with jobs, families or noisy suburban locations that preclude full devotion to the Six Metre God. They probably haven't worked Europe. They're also less fussy; they'll take any contact they can get and are happy enough to work the odd ZL, JA or Pacific. And they'll happily work 'low church' modes such as Es over summer, during which time DXers are waiting around for something more exotic.
Some serious DXers want nothing to do with less equipped operators for whom six metres is more fun than battle. The high and mighty will not answer the CQ calls of lesser stations. Even if made on 50.2 MHz. No wonder the latter come down to 50.11 MHz and seek to work anyone they can hear, even if just another VK. Which of course risks clobbering the weak DX that only those with 8 elements in a quiet location can hear and so we go again...
The above is a characterisation of the different and sometimes clashing cultures on six metres. What is not commonly realised is that both groups need each other. The serious stations need the casual stations to provide activity and replace those retiring while the modest station needs the big DXer to signal the band is open and to define what is possible.
It's a bit like the old Kings Cross, St Kilda or Fortitude Valley; despite their dirt, crime and vice people still kept coming back. Six has a special and unfathomable lure that only some see. Even though objectively it's a noisy and infuriating band with a poor contact to call ratio made worse due to the way we choose to use it (or not) and who we talk to (or not).
Just be thankful that there are other bands (and even an off switch) for ham can't live on six alone.
Last edited by VK3YE on Fri Jan 11, 2013 6:56 am, edited 10 times in total.
-------------------------
Peter VK3YE http://www.vk3ye.com
NEW FOR 2019! Illustrated International Ham Radio Dictionary. 200 page Kindle ebook. $AU $5.99. Get yours at http://home.alphalink.com.au/~parkerp/dictionary.htm
Peter VK3YE http://www.vk3ye.com
NEW FOR 2019! Illustrated International Ham Radio Dictionary. 200 page Kindle ebook. $AU $5.99. Get yours at http://home.alphalink.com.au/~parkerp/dictionary.htm
-
VK5PO
Re: 6M Poll
What can I say Peter!!! Extremely well written,
Fantastic observations made and comments that reflect reality I think.
Good one!
John
Fantastic observations made and comments that reflect reality I think.
Good one!
John
Re: 6M Poll
Hi Justin,
I'm with you... how can 6M be the "Magic Band" when it is infested with people who have such a poor perception of other amateurs, or alternately such an inflated view of their own greatness? W%nkers. They can keep 6M... and really what is the challenge when I have personally wittnessed one of the 6M big guns lighting up the ionosphere with multiple kilowatts? He talks to the other side of the world- big deal. I repeat... w@nkers.
And no I wouldn't be bothered to answer the questions...
Cheers
Richard
VK2AAH
I'm with you... how can 6M be the "Magic Band" when it is infested with people who have such a poor perception of other amateurs, or alternately such an inflated view of their own greatness? W%nkers. They can keep 6M... and really what is the challenge when I have personally wittnessed one of the 6M big guns lighting up the ionosphere with multiple kilowatts? He talks to the other side of the world- big deal. I repeat... w@nkers.
And no I wouldn't be bothered to answer the questions...
Cheers
Richard
VK2AAH
-
VK5PO
Re: 6M Poll
If EVERYBODY used the band plan properly, there would be ZERO problems.
Simple
Simple
Last edited by VK5PO on Fri Jan 11, 2013 8:26 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: 6M Poll
Well take offence...
And no I didn't condone running illegal power then & I don't now but then I don't have any authority to do anything about it. And I wouldn't single that one person out because I'd bet my left testicle that he is not alone.
I've been on 6M for 2 seasons- it is a great band. Just shame about a few people who make the rest of us feel like we are not worthy. You haven't heard everyone, have you? Want to see my log?
And you take offence at my response yet Steve's questions are OK? Yep, sums up the problem perfectly.
Richard
VK2AAH
And no I didn't condone running illegal power then & I don't now but then I don't have any authority to do anything about it. And I wouldn't single that one person out because I'd bet my left testicle that he is not alone.
I've been on 6M for 2 seasons- it is a great band. Just shame about a few people who make the rest of us feel like we are not worthy. You haven't heard everyone, have you? Want to see my log?
And you take offence at my response yet Steve's questions are OK? Yep, sums up the problem perfectly.
Richard
VK2AAH
-
VK5PO
Re: 6M Poll
I am not a radio inspector so I'm not going to report that operator- the ACMA have their priorities and at least he was not causing any harm to anyone. I'm not condoning it, but there are worse breaches going on... but it does epitomise a culture of doing whatever it takes to work that illusive 6M DX.
It is funny how my comments generalise but the comments by others before me were not. Mmmm.
If my use of a colloquial term to describe some individuals has offended I do apologise. But if it walks like a duck, sounds like a duck, and looks like a duck... I think they are ducks!
Cheers
Richard
VK2AAH
It is funny how my comments generalise but the comments by others before me were not. Mmmm.
If my use of a colloquial term to describe some individuals has offended I do apologise. But if it walks like a duck, sounds like a duck, and looks like a duck... I think they are ducks!
Cheers
Richard
VK2AAH
Last edited by VK2AAH on Fri Jan 11, 2013 8:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
-
VK4MA
Re: 6M Poll
to vk5bc
Was not having a go at you Brian, your are more of a gentleman than I will ever be.
I simply overheard you make a comment on 6 metres one day that you felt certain people were not acknowledging VK DX callers and you thought this was poor form. Maybe I misunderstood
I should also say that I am always cqing on cw - cw is a great tool for long haul dx but I hate using it for a general chat. This is a further reason why I often do not reply to VK callers - trying to explain my DX objectives on cw is just all too hard. I hate using SMS on my mobile phone for the same reason. Gotta use the right tool for the right job.
Cheers
Paul - vk4ma
Was not having a go at you Brian, your are more of a gentleman than I will ever be.
I simply overheard you make a comment on 6 metres one day that you felt certain people were not acknowledging VK DX callers and you thought this was poor form. Maybe I misunderstood
I should also say that I am always cqing on cw - cw is a great tool for long haul dx but I hate using it for a general chat. This is a further reason why I often do not reply to VK callers - trying to explain my DX objectives on cw is just all too hard. I hate using SMS on my mobile phone for the same reason. Gotta use the right tool for the right job.
Cheers
Paul - vk4ma
Re: 6M Poll
Classic responses here - Paul 4MA you are very right - whatever it takes to encourage activity is for the better -
Arguing that 50 operators deserve the 4 MHz of Radio spectrum is loony tunes - and at present the use of 6M is really low - comparatively.
With all of the current crop of 6M rigs (HF plus) there is no reason this cycle will be as good as it can be...ie there are lots of ears out there.
http://vk2six.com/gpage1.html
Is a good example of what can be achieved on long haul 6 M - with high long boom yagis and CW...
Arguing that 50 operators deserve the 4 MHz of Radio spectrum is loony tunes - and at present the use of 6M is really low - comparatively.
With all of the current crop of 6M rigs (HF plus) there is no reason this cycle will be as good as it can be...ie there are lots of ears out there.
http://vk2six.com/gpage1.html
Is a good example of what can be achieved on long haul 6 M - with high long boom yagis and CW...
Re: 6M Poll
Peter, one of the most engaging posts I have read about 6m in a long time, if not all time.VK3YE wrote:History and facts are good and I'd do OK on some of the questions, but what we might term 'The six metres condition' is much more about attitudes and culture.
For 50 MHz is a volatile seething Babylon whose inhabitants speak in different tongues...
Not only an accurate assessment, but wonderfully written, and a delight to read.
Band plan or no band plan, 6m will always remain a basket case, for the reasons you eloquently describe.
The answer is very easy: do what I did - Press the off button, and walk away from it.
It's like a breath of fresh air, leaving all the bullshit behind.
73
Adam, Brisbane
vk4ghz.com
VK4GHZ on Youtube
VK4GHZ on Odysee
10 things that happen when you stop checking Facebook constantly: http://tiny.cc/t5h7cz
How to quit Facebook: https://www.consumerreports.org/social- ... -facebook/
vk4ghz.com
VK4GHZ on Youtube
VK4GHZ on Odysee
10 things that happen when you stop checking Facebook constantly: http://tiny.cc/t5h7cz
How to quit Facebook: https://www.consumerreports.org/social- ... -facebook/
-
VK4WDM
Re: 6M Poll
Hey Guys why are we fighting? 
All of us agree that 6m, like every other band, needs more operators and I have been doing my best to encourage others to get on the band, including giving away a couple of rigs to local hams to get them started. I also put up a new antenna that will work on 52 and 53MHZ so I can talk to the often forgotten ops (especially the STD's) who don't, or can't operate on the bottom end of the band.
All some of us are saying is that an internationally-agreed calling frequency be kept clear of domestic traffic so that weak-signal DX can be heard and worked without VK QRM. (I will do a post later about the difference between what I call "routine" DX and "weak-signal." DX).
I will ask these questions again because nobody has answered them yet:
Why are we not having the same debate about the 80m DX window? Why is it supposedly "sacred" but its exact equivilent (yes, exact equivilent and in the same band plan) on the 6m band does not need to be respected?
Why is it we are not having the same debate about the large chunk of the lower end of the HF bands which under the same band plan are reserved for CW operation? Not much going on down there a lot of the time, why not use that segment for SSB contests when space is tight?
Why is it we are not having the same debate about EME segments - they would be a nice quiet place to have a local chat.
Plenty of other examples in the band plan: digital, SSTV, even beacons - no arguments about those either?
So, tell me, why we are being so argumentative about a tiny portion of the 6m band?
I don't use the the 80m DX window, I hardly ever use CW (I know, a horrible confession) and I am not on EME, but I would work very hard to preserve the bandplan that protects those operators who do, in exactly the same way and with the same vigour as I do to protect the 6m band plan.
Now, just in case you are wondering, my 58 DXCC enties, including LP South America, were on SSB using 100w to a 7el yagi at 12m high. So I am not a "big gun" 6m DXer. Neither am I a 6m fanatic - I operate all bands from 160m-23cm (hope to add 600m soon ).
Enough said!
The E's are already in. let's go and have some fun! Listen for me on 50.2 and 52.1 - I haven't figured out the 53MHZ FM bit yet. And, be assured, if I do hear something exotic I will let others know so we can all have a go at it - sharing the fun - that's AR for me.
73
Wayne VK4WDM
All of us agree that 6m, like every other band, needs more operators and I have been doing my best to encourage others to get on the band, including giving away a couple of rigs to local hams to get them started. I also put up a new antenna that will work on 52 and 53MHZ so I can talk to the often forgotten ops (especially the STD's) who don't, or can't operate on the bottom end of the band.
All some of us are saying is that an internationally-agreed calling frequency be kept clear of domestic traffic so that weak-signal DX can be heard and worked without VK QRM. (I will do a post later about the difference between what I call "routine" DX and "weak-signal." DX).
I will ask these questions again because nobody has answered them yet:
Why are we not having the same debate about the 80m DX window? Why is it supposedly "sacred" but its exact equivilent (yes, exact equivilent and in the same band plan) on the 6m band does not need to be respected?
Why is it we are not having the same debate about the large chunk of the lower end of the HF bands which under the same band plan are reserved for CW operation? Not much going on down there a lot of the time, why not use that segment for SSB contests when space is tight?
Why is it we are not having the same debate about EME segments - they would be a nice quiet place to have a local chat.
Plenty of other examples in the band plan: digital, SSTV, even beacons - no arguments about those either?
So, tell me, why we are being so argumentative about a tiny portion of the 6m band?
I don't use the the 80m DX window, I hardly ever use CW (I know, a horrible confession) and I am not on EME, but I would work very hard to preserve the bandplan that protects those operators who do, in exactly the same way and with the same vigour as I do to protect the 6m band plan.
Now, just in case you are wondering, my 58 DXCC enties, including LP South America, were on SSB using 100w to a 7el yagi at 12m high. So I am not a "big gun" 6m DXer. Neither am I a 6m fanatic - I operate all bands from 160m-23cm (hope to add 600m soon
). Enough said!
The E's are already in. let's go and have some fun! Listen for me on 50.2 and 52.1 - I haven't figured out the 53MHZ FM bit yet.
And, be assured, if I do hear something exotic I will let others know so we can all have a go at it - sharing the fun - that's AR for me. 73
Wayne VK4WDM
-
VK2XQ
Re: 6M Poll
Well, we have trawled over the calling frequency subject many times now. I have tried to embrace the concept of calling for interstate contacts on 50.200MHz rather than 50.110MHz and more often than not fail to hear, let alone raise a contact on 50.200MHz either fone or CW. Yet 50.110MHz is chockers with interstate VK.
I have had more luck raising a contact on 52.100MHz with those not permitted in VK/ZL use of 50MHz. So maybe the majority are not all that worried about the domestic/international calling frequencies concept? I have give it my best shot, opening after opening.
Like many others have mentioned or reported, I too have lost out to an overseas contact on 50.110MHz due to congestion from interstate stations thumping in, but accept it as part of the challenge of DXing. This argument will go on and on and on long after we have made the frequency shift to Boot Hill or turned to cinders in the local crematorium.
Like John VK5PO and Wayne VK4WDM and many others, I tend to look further afield than VK when the band is open, and prefer to call on CW as the majority of VK's on six don't respond to CW calls on 110. Interstate DXing is fun for all, expecially newcomers and people, like me, who chase grid squares, however, we must all get along and not let things get too "official" and just be gentlemen and respect each others rights as to what they want to work and when and by what mode etc.
The health system will be the only one benefiting from this, more prescriptions for blood pressure tablets?
I have had more luck raising a contact on 52.100MHz with those not permitted in VK/ZL use of 50MHz. So maybe the majority are not all that worried about the domestic/international calling frequencies concept? I have give it my best shot, opening after opening.
Like many others have mentioned or reported, I too have lost out to an overseas contact on 50.110MHz due to congestion from interstate stations thumping in, but accept it as part of the challenge of DXing. This argument will go on and on and on long after we have made the frequency shift to Boot Hill or turned to cinders in the local crematorium.
Like John VK5PO and Wayne VK4WDM and many others, I tend to look further afield than VK when the band is open, and prefer to call on CW as the majority of VK's on six don't respond to CW calls on 110. Interstate DXing is fun for all, expecially newcomers and people, like me, who chase grid squares, however, we must all get along and not let things get too "official" and just be gentlemen and respect each others rights as to what they want to work and when and by what mode etc.
The health system will be the only one benefiting from this, more prescriptions for blood pressure tablets?
-
VK4WDM
Re: 6M Poll
Hi Jackturned to cinders in the local crematorium.
Just think, our ions will be part of the ionisphere and the newbies will be bouncing signals off us!
I guess we "old fossils" have got to accept that the world is changing and adapt accordingly, and after reading the posts, which contain some excellent material, I have come to the same decision as you - I will no lomger lock myself in to the 50.110 for DX and 50.2 for domestic mindset.
I am sure that I have just made Steve and John choke on their morning coffee, but one has to be pragmatic - currently I am missing out on more VK contacts by sticking to 50.2 than I am missing out on DX contacts on 50.110. Like you, I will have to accept that finding the DX amid the VK's is going to be a challenge, but AR is often about accepting challenges.
So here is the deal:
If I am calling CQ DX on either SSB or CW (and it might not always be on 50.110) respect that, and don't call me if you are a VK. I will show you the same respect. If no DX station replies after a minute of so, then give me a call. I then have the option of answering you and QSYing, or telling you that I would prefer to keep on trying for DX.
I still have to come to a decision on whether I will answer a VK calling CQ on 50.110.
73
Wayne VK4WDM
Re: 6M Poll
Interesting reading from over here,as we only have a tiny number of 6 metre ops in ZL we dont have such a problem yet.
I cant see a problem here calling general CQ on 50.110. Its easy to move up band to continue.If the DX is weak or there is a lanuage problem I for one will exchange reports, then maybe ask DX to move.
I am very passionate about VHF DX and take eception to the asylum comment.I dont care if the station (I would call DX) is only 2000km away.I still enjoy any VHF DX even after 34 years.As the Es seasons are so short, I make the most of it all.
I have fond memories of my first US QSO with W5UWB, 1980 with 10 watts and a small antenna.
Adam
I can see you must get frustrated with all the flying crap in VK, but please as I said to you last time you talked about scraping the 6 metre logger please dont.I think this logger best suites the needs of this part of the world.Last night their were over 50 stations signed in to 6 m logger.The logger gives one the feeling of belonging to a group of like mined people.
When I get home from work at the appropriate time of the year I switch on rig and logger.A far cry from 30 years ago when we had a net on 80m once a week and 28.885 in the good years.
Jack
I read your DX news weekly.I dont comment on your news as I never have anything to add.Maybe reduce content to save your time.
Thanks to you both for the service.
Ross
I cant see a problem here calling general CQ on 50.110. Its easy to move up band to continue.If the DX is weak or there is a lanuage problem I for one will exchange reports, then maybe ask DX to move.
I am very passionate about VHF DX and take eception to the asylum comment.I dont care if the station (I would call DX) is only 2000km away.I still enjoy any VHF DX even after 34 years.As the Es seasons are so short, I make the most of it all.
I have fond memories of my first US QSO with W5UWB, 1980 with 10 watts and a small antenna.
Adam
I can see you must get frustrated with all the flying crap in VK, but please as I said to you last time you talked about scraping the 6 metre logger please dont.I think this logger best suites the needs of this part of the world.Last night their were over 50 stations signed in to 6 m logger.The logger gives one the feeling of belonging to a group of like mined people.
When I get home from work at the appropriate time of the year I switch on rig and logger.A far cry from 30 years ago when we had a net on 80m once a week and 28.885 in the good years.
Jack
I read your DX news weekly.I dont comment on your news as I never have anything to add.Maybe reduce content to save your time.
Thanks to you both for the service.
Ross
-
VK2VHF
Re: 6M Poll
X 2ZL3ADT wrote:
Adam
I can see you must get frustrated with all the flying crap in VK, but please as I said to you last time you talked about scraping the 6 metre logger please dont.I think this logger best suites the needs of this part of the world.Last night their were over 50 stations signed in to 6 m logger.The logger gives one the feeling of belonging to a group of like mined people.
When I get home from work at the appropriate time of the year I switch on rig and logger.
Thanks to you both for the service.
Ross
Cheers MN GLXR
Last edited by VK2VHF on Fri Jan 11, 2013 4:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-
VK4WDM
Re: 6M Poll
Hi Rossand take exception to the asylum comment.
Purely a joke!
Thank you for your committment to 6m for all these years. My first 6m contact was I was ZL1AZP in Tauranga back in 1968, and then I got hooked!
73
Wayne VK4WDM