well, a 12 foot telescoping whip would be plenty to make a half wave on 6, 
which wouldn't require a ground plain.
If you have a way of measuring, you could extend the whip out to a half wave 
on six and it should present a decent SWR and resonate not too badly.
a bit clunky for an HT, but doable I guess.

73
Colin, V A6BKX
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ron Miller" <[log in to unmask]>
To: "'colin McDonald'" <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2012 8:00 PM
Subject: RE: It's Sporadic E time, Folks!


> Thanks Colin. I've got the MFJ 12-foot telescoping Whip. Maybe I can scare
> up some kind of portable coupler to use the whip against a short ground
> plane--kind of like a big miracle whip.
>
> 73
>
> Ron Miller
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: colin McDonald [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2012 9:57 PM
> To: Ron Miller
> Subject: Re: It's Sporadic E time, Folks!
>
> hard to find to say the least, at least ones that work well.
> the problem of course is length.
> even a quarter wave on 6M is 1.5 meters long, which is something close to
> 4.5 feet give or take a few inches.
> A quarter wave on 2m is 19 inches or so...which is quite doable for an HT
> antenna...4.5 feet is also doable, but not practical really.
> I suspect you could find some BNC type telescoping antennas designed for
> 6m...also, you might find something on ebay designed for older 42-50MHZ
> commercial hand helds that you could cut down a little to operate on 6.
> I think even those were coil form though, so cutting them down might prove
> difficult, especially if they are coated with that toxic stuff they used 
> to
> coat HT rubber duck coils with...burrilium maybe?  scratch that stuff and
> you will definitely get sick.
> Perhaps a home brew 6M antenna made out of a telescoping whip, a loading
> coil and a bnc connecter might be the trick here.
>
> 73
> Colin, V A6BKX
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ron Miller" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: "'colin McDonald'" <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2012 7:03 PM
> Subject: RE: It's Sporadic E time, Folks!
>
>
>> I'd love to get a good recommendation for a handheld 6-meter antenna. I
>> have
>> the long, maldol 6-70 centimeter antenna but don't think it is a really
>> great performer on 6 meters, though it is b better than the stock antenna
>> for the IC-t90, even with the addition screwed on.
>>
>> Ron Miller
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: For blind ham radio operators 
>> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>> On Behalf Of colin McDonald
>> Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2012 8:35 PM
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: Re: It's Sporadic E time, Folks!
>>
>> there are a few different HT's that offer 6M FM.
>> The IC T90A...which isn't made anymore, but is still widely availible on
>> the
>> used market.
>> I think at least the last few VX series of HT's from Yaesu offer 6M fm as
>> well...IE the VX5 to VX8x.
>> You definitely have to use a proper after market 6M antenna though as 
>> Mike
>> says..the stock ducks they offer that are tuned for six, don't resonate
>> much
>> of anything on that band.
>> The ICT90A stock rubber duck has an attachment you can screw on to the 
>> end
>> of the antenna, called a club...which makes the antenna present a 50 ohm
>> load to the transmitter, but which doesn't resonate worth crap.
>> The yaesu FT8900 mobile offers 6 meters FM, as well as 10 meters FM along
>> with the typical 2M and 70CM bands.
>> but by the time you buy one of those, you might as well pick up something
>> like an icom IC706mark IIg that offers SSB on 6 as well as FM.
>> the band has to be in very good shape to do much on FM, but one can use
>> SSB
>> or CW and make contacts without having the band be in perfect condition.
>>
>> 73
>> Colin, V A6BKX
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Harry Brown" <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>> Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2012 2:31 PM
>> Subject: Re: It's Sporadic E time, Folks!
>>
>>
>>> Hi Pat and all,
>>> Wow, yall, these storries are awesome!
>>> Now that yall are talking about 6 meters, is there an ht that will let =
>>> me work 6 meters?
>>> That'd be sweet to sit here in my apartment and work all those openings 
>>> =
>>> on 6!
>>> Trippy, ac8s
>>>  ----- Original Message -----=20
>>>  From: PATRICK GORMLEY=20
>>>  To: [log in to unmask]
>>>  Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2012 11:54 PM
>>>  Subject: Re: It's Sporadic E time, Folks!
>>>
>>>
>>>  I can remember a field day when we swapped cables on the 6 meter =
>>> antenna and=20
>>>  all of a sudden we were working cuba, south america, louisiana, 
>>> texas=20
>>>  minnesota, Manitoba and then 2 meters opened up and we worked up and =
>>> down=20
>>>  the coast from Maine to North Carolina and then both bands shut up =
>>> rapidly.=20
>>>  I made 60 contacts in an hour on 6 and another 40 on 2 meters.  73- =
>>> pat kk3f
>>>  ----- Original Message -----=20
>>>  From: "John J. Jacques" <[log in to unmask]>
>>>  To: <[log in to unmask]>
>>>  Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2012 11:35 PM
>>>  Subject: Re: It's Sporadic E time, Folks!
>>>
>>>
>>>  > Hi all, I can still remember shortly after getting my Technition =
>>> ticket
>>>  > in 1971, I got on 6 meter A M, with a Lafayette HA460, wich put out =
>>> about
>>>  > 8 watts, from a 2E26 with 20 watts input.  I experienced my first =
>>> band
>>>  > opening with that rig and a 6 meter haylow at about 20 feet.  From =
>>> my QTH
>>>  > in Detroit, I worked W4BAV, Kathy in Sarasota Florida!  I don't =
>>> remember
>>>  > any of the other contacts I made, but I will never forget that one!
>>>  > GRIN!
>>>  >
>>>  > 73:
>>>  > J.
>>>  > John Jacques
>>>  > Amateur Radio Station: KD8PC
>>>  > "Where Cat Is,  Is Civilization!"
>>>  >
>>>
>>
>>
>> -----
>> No virus found in this message.
>> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
>> Version: 2012.0.1913 / Virus Database: 2411/4974 - Release Date: 05/02/12
>>
>
>
>
> -----
> No virus found in this message.
> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> Version: 2012.0.1913 / Virus Database: 2411/4974 - Release Date: 05/02/12
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