Hi Folks, before I directly address this growing 60meter thread," let me
recommend what I've found to be a good source of information, help, and
experience, re sixty meters, ham radio in general, and HF ham radio,
Especially Portable HF Ham Radio in particular.
I'm speaking of a growing very friendly and helpful group, which already has
at least 3 blind members who're also members of this blind hams group.  It's
The HFPack group,
[log in to unmask]
So far, my experience on sixty meters has been _Very positive in terms of
being able to communicate.  Most of the activity I've heard, and all of it
that I have been a part of, has been on, the "HFPack,"
[log in to unmask]
sixty meter calling frequency/.....(not limited to
that group of course, but a good meeting place, and 5.371.5khz,USB.  And all
the rest I've heard so far has  been on 5.4035USB.
Propegation is generally pretty steady and pretty good on both of those
frequencies.
I'm about midway between Atlanta GA, and Greenville, SC, 19miles or so north
of I85 in Toccoa, GA.  Ga, Al, NC, SC, VA, KY, TN, IN, OH, WV, PA, NJ, MD,
FL, TX, OK, MS, LA, signals with an occasional AZ, IA, IL, AR, for good
measure are what I've heard so far.  I've been heard in GA, FL, VA, SC, AL,
and KY so far, mostly running my Yaesu FT70G/portable manpack thumbwheel
tuned rig, with SGC 211 smart tuner running 16watts or so to my G5RV antenna
about 15feet off the ground.  That set up tunes up a more dependable,
although so far, less heard,  match to an AT271 7section folding military hf
antenna with counterpoise, screwed into part of a CB mirror type antenna
mount, atatched to the side of the radio itself....this particular SGC tuner
is noted for its' suitability to be used with random length whips and wire
antennas.
Using the "Tune button on both the ts440sat and the ft70G with radio in USB
mode, and the Tune position serves well enough.
Now, of course, using the tune button on the rig in the usb mode, the tuner
doesn't always give me a _Great match, but it works.  Admittedly, The tuner
in the ts440SAT, a rig I no longer have, matched the G5RV a little better,
and of course, I was able to do a little better with it power
wise...cranking the ts440SAT's 100 or so watts down to about half, seemed to
suffice pretty well. Modifying The ts440sat for general coverage, is, if I
recall correctly, a 1diode clip....which I myself wouldn't attempt, as I'm
not that good technically, but the seller had it modded before he sold it to
me, and the ft70G comes general coverage with transmit from
3.5through29.9999mhz.
     Most sixty meter activity so far, seems to be on during the early to
mid morning and late afternoon and evening hours.  There are a surprising
number of mobile stations,...several running sixty meter ham stick antennas.
(Note, the lake view hamstick, imitators include Iron horse and others,
antennas, * {2section,/1coil section ending in 3/8by24threads, &1Stinger
section...stingerslides down into the coil to best resonance, then you
tighten screws to hold it in place,}coil and stinger-total length 6-8feet
orso, costing about $24each, new and less than that on the used market,
[Lakeview makes ants for 80--06meters, including 60meters, and someone else
who's name I forget at the moment, makes a somewhat similar 160meter mobile
antenna.
Anyway, these make pretty usable monoband antennas, even if you only have a
3foot metal circle to set on the floor upon which to put a magmount.
There are HFpackers who use a single20meter hamstick and a good tuner, and
are able to get readable though maybe not real efficient signals out for
mobile or portable applications from 80-10meters.
There are adapters by which you can mount 2, each being for the same band,
hamsticks or their cousins  in a dipole configuration....and also adapters
whereby you mount as many as 3or4of the hamsticks or their cousins to a
single magmount or mirror mount or whatever, to successfully operate
Multiband hf in that way as well.  Another option is the "Super Antennas
MP1. Portable antenna, which I have used successfully, as have other folks I
know.  None of these are as efficient as an antenna farm, but in the words
of an old song that was a part of one of the stories featured by Big John
Arthur on the old, old, Big John And Sparkey Kids Show, Saturday mornings on
ABC radio that said, "it's what you do with what you got, and never mind how
much you got, it's what you do with what you got, that pays off in the end!
(good thoughts for radio, antennas, and life in general.)So, chedck out the
HF packers, listen, especially on 5.371.5 mhz, and when you're able, jump
in.  If I can be of any help to any of you re this or anything else, please
let me know, and fellows and gals, Please keep the friendliness and
helpfulness coming...you're a credit to the amateur service/hobby.  Thanks,
Danny Dyer, Wb4idu.----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Duke, K5XU" <
[log in to unmask]>

To: <
[log in to unmask]>

Sent: Sunday, January 22, 2006 7:42 AM
Subject: 60 Meter Activity

> I haven't transmitted there yet, but I stored the 5 frequencies into the
> quick memory option of my TS570.
>
> Most of the activity that I hear from my Mississippi qth is on 5.3715, and
> 5.4035. Those are the frequencies to which you set your rig in order to be
> within the transmit band permit.
>
> Also, remember to switch the rig to upper sideband.
>
> I hear several mobile stations on the first channel that I mentioned, and
> there's a lot of activity in the Huntsville, Alabama area that pounds into
> here during the day.
>
>
>
>
> Mike Duke, K5XU
> American Council of Blind Radio Amateurs