I was able to make a bunch of 6M contacts last summer using my carolina 
windom with the feedpoint at 30 feet, and the ends down to about 15 or 17 
feet...with the two legs 90 degrees to each other...so a fairly compremised 
antenna..
It works extremely well on 6M though.
The band can open at anytime during the main spring summer and fall 
periods...I've got q's into california and oregon and arazona between 10Am 
and 2 PM...then q's into just northern california between 3 and 6 PM...then 
a bunch all over minnisoda, north dicota michigan and the north eastern US 
running until 10PM in the month of june.
So, it can open anytime.  I probably missed a few openings last year.  It 
was a pretty decent year for 6M openings.
We even had a couple glimses of JA land on 6 over here...that being from one 
of the big contest stations running a stack of 6 10 element beams on 6 
meters.

Anyway, 50.125 upper side is the main freq, and then guys will usually slide 
up in 5KC incraments
Though usually starting 10KC away from the calling channel of 50.125. 
50.140, 145 and 150 are all very common frequencies to take a QSO to after 
making the initial contact on 50.125.
I've sometimes heard nothing on 50.125, only to hear a QSO in progress a 
little higher up.
I use the CW beacon portion of the band to hear if there are any openings. 
If I don't hear any CW, the band is probably not open for me.  There are 
many many CW beacons on 6M in pretty much every state and province, and in 
most other countries as well.
Even if you can only pick out a number from the CW callsign, it'll at least 
let you know what state or region it's coming from.
My CW is pretty bad but I can pick out numbers and letters at 5WPM as long 
as it's repeated a few times lol.

Anyway, your ground plain at 10 feet will do very nicely as long as it's got 
a good SWR etc.  6M is a really really fun band because you seldom get poor 
conditions.  They are either good and hot, or they aren't there at all.
It's not like lower HF bands where you can get good propigation and poor 
propigation making listening and making QSO's difficult and tedious.

Maybe we'll hear you on the band this summer.

73
Colin, V A6BKX
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Albert Sanchez" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, March 22, 2013 4:17 PM
Subject: 6 meter questions


> Hi All
> I am new to the 6 meter band and have some questions. Are there certain =
> frequencies that should be monitored for activity? Is it mor possible =
> for the band to open up during the day or in the early evening? So far =
> I'm still looking for my first contact on that band. I have a =
> groundplane up 10 feet, no room for a beam.
> Albert S, WA7FXB