New to 6M = ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes = tips and hints?

[W6CD]

I am putting up a couple 6M antenna (Cushcaft Ringo and Cushcraft 3 element beam, at about 30') for the first time and wanting to try my hand in the coming ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes contest. 

Looking for any tips or operating suggestions? 

Thanks in advance!

[K5TR]

I am putting up a couple 6M antenna (Cushcaft Ringo and Cushcraft 3 element beam, at about 30') for the first time and wanting to try my hand in the coming ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes contest. 

Looking for any tips or operating suggestions? 

Thanks in advance!

I don't want sound too down but my tips would be:

- Don't give up - either settle in and keep tuning the band and calling CQ.
  or keep checking back over the contest period - the band can be open
  for short periods of time.

- Don't get your hopes up to high for 6 meters in the January contest.

If you have locals around then you will surely work them - but it can be possible to do this contest and not work much on 6 meters. There are a lot of people in your part of the world so even if the band never opens to Eskip you should make some contacts.

You did not mention how much power you can run - more is better for the January contest. 

Having said all of that - they do not call it sporadic E for nothing - and the band could open up and be lots of fun for hours.

Good Luck

[W6CD]

Thanks George, I appreciate the expectations setting.  I will be running 100 watts via a Kenwood TS2000 and/or TS480.

[W5DQ]

Vince,

I live about 3 hours north of you up I-15 and US395 in Ridgecrest, CA. I'll be on during the test but not sure how the 6M band will perform. Past Jan events were not too lively but I will be on so listen for me and I'll do the same. I have a 7 element yagi (31' boom) at 40 ft and use a TS2000X also but I also have a King Conversion 6M SB220 amp (dual 3-500z's) that can help out at around 1200+W output when needed  . Hopefully there will be some openings too but like K5TR said, don't expect anything akin to the June test for 6M Es propagation.

Good Luck to all in the test. I'll be on from DM-15 in the high Mojave desert of Kern County, CA.

Gene W5DQ

[W6CD]

@Gene W5DQ - I will be listening for you, thanks!

@anyone - what are the 6M frequencies and modes most will be using?

[WB2WIK]

@Gene W5DQ - I will be listening for you, thanks!

@anyone - what are the 6M frequencies and modes most will be using?

Almost all activity during the contest is SSB, 50.125 to 50.150 MHz.  50.125 is the calling frequency.  The contest has been going now for two hours and there's a lot of activity here in the L.A. area.  K6MYC up in Fresno is very strong, and there's a lot of "rovers" out there rolling around.

[KD8IZZ]

Not good in Ohio. I had all 8 of my contacts within the first hour and then nothing for two more hours. All contacts were from Ohio also.

100 watts into a simple dipole at 15 feet.

[W6CD]

I am in Escondido - north San Diego.  I have been monitoring 50.125 - also freq up from there a bit.  I can faintly hear somebody now and then, but not enough to make out.  And no responces to calling CQ or CQ contest.  Hmmm...  I have tried both my 6M antennas and both radios - and checking the cable and antenna with analyzer from the shack all appears ok.  I'll look around and see if I can find another piece of cable to try...

[W6CD]

I changed out the cable and even strung up a temp wire antenna.  I heard one contact come across the radio Sunday morning but I could not get to the radio before they were gone...

So, while my expectations were not high - is zero contacts and once hearing someone is way below expectataions... 

Is 6M really this un-magical?

[K5TR]

ISo, while my expectations were not high - is zero contacts and once hearing someone is way below expectataions... 

Is 6M really this un-magical?

It can be, but don't give up hope, starting in May ESkip openings will happen more and more.  The band can be a great amount of fun when it is open.  Contest weekends can be good on the band and they can be bad. I make a point of doing the June VHF contest every year because it can be very exciting but it can also be very slow and boring - you just never know.  I have had June contest where we work 300 stations on 6 meters and I have had ones where I have worked 1900 stations on 6 meters during the contest. It is those 1000+ contact weekends that keep me coming back.

Don't give up.

[W5DQ]

@Gene W5DQ - I will be listening for you, thanks!

@anyone - what are the 6M frequencies and modes most will be using?

Almost all activity during the contest is SSB, 50.125 to 50.150 MHz.  50.125 is the calling frequency.  The contest has been going now for two hours and there's a lot of activity here in the L.A. area.  K6MYC up in Fresno is very strong, and there's a lot of "rovers" out there rolling around.

Well Vince, I hope you did better in the contest than I did. I heard alot of bits and pieces but ended up working only the one station I heard well enough to do so and he was in and out all afternoon on Sat. I also had planned on working the BARTG RTTY contest that weekend so I spent most of Sat working it. Like I mentioned, there wasn't many 6M stations heard up here in the desert. I heard a bunch from back east but it would be a "Whiskey Baker Nine" and then nothing or a "You're 59 in EM" and then nothing. Never heard any full exchanges or such so mainly the 6M contet was a bust fromo here. The one I did work actually turned out to be a new grid for me  - DM24.

Hope you had fun and manage to work some. Like I said before, June should be a lot better than Jan.

Steve WB2WIK - how'd you do in the test? Sounds like you weren't roving this year.

73

Gene W5DQ