COOKEN 6M USB Net Thursdays 8:30 pm 50.250 (central Ohio) - Open Invitation

[W3HKK]

For those of you within range, point your beams at Newark, Licking County, OH and check in to one of the few 6M nets on the air.

We've been getting a couple of  stations per month, interested to see  what's going on on this underutilized band.

COOKEN is a small casual group,  that also has a contesting and special event group of guys  that made over 1700 qsos this past year in such events as Arbor Day from Dawes Arboretum, the June ARRL VHF Contest from a hillside barn site,  Field Day from Four Churches Farm, Johnny Clem SES from the Licking County Historical Society site, the OH QSO Party from Four Churches Farm, OSPOTA (Ohio State Parks on the Air) from Buckeye Lake, and starting now, the CQ 160M contests ( both cw in Jan and ssb in Feb) from The Barn.  In most of those contests we finished  2nd in Ohio or 2nd overall. 

Right now we're gearing up for   the late Jan and late Feb  160M events.  The antenna is up ( 160m qtr wave inverted L, supported by a 45 ft mast near the top of a high hill, with the far end almost horizontal and tied off to a 50 ft tree,  w/ 20x 68 ft radials.  Looking to run an IC7600 barefoot.  Expectations are 500+ qsos.

The Barn comes equipped with electricity, bathroom, heated shack,  sleeping accomodations, and gravel road access off a  paved county hwy.

Contact  Bob w3hkk@arrl.net if interested in checking out the net or participating in the  casual contesting.

[W3HKK]

Forgot that we are looking for the farthest station from Newark, OH to check in with us.  So Ohio stations, point  your yagi our way and see if you can make the haul.  We've got a couple of 70 ft towers with yagis to pull you through even if you dont copy us all.

We are also thinking about sponsoring a January 6M contest on a Fri night, say between 7 and 10 pm to see how many 6M ops are active these days, with all the new HF+6 rigs on the market. Sort of a "ground wave" contest.

[W3HKK]

Thanks to N8OB way up in Marion, OH for joining our net last night!  (He heard it through the grapevine...)

It's always fun to hear a new voice and find out just how far away we can work on direct wave.  Bob's  runs 100w and his yagi antenna is up 35 ft.  My 5 el. Cuhcraft is at  15 ft, so no super stations here.  I had 58 copy, and two other net stations  had good copy as well.

We even had a half hour rag chew after the net ended, point to point conditions were so good. 

So come join us on a very quiet 6M band!  The more the merrier!

Bob