Colin and others,
Thanks for the posts commenting on my 6 meter questions, what a great list 
this is! I'm ok with the CW up to about 20 WPM so will monitor the beacon 
portion of the band, thanks again for the wealth of info.
Best 73's,
Albert, WA7FXB
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Colin McDonald" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, March 23, 2013 1:54 AM
Subject: Re: 6 meter questions


>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