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[TenTec] Six Meter Openings.....NOW

To: <tentec@contesting.com>
Subject: [TenTec] Six Meter Openings.....NOW
From: kayser@king.igs.net (Kayser)
Date: Sun, 30 May 1999 22:35:25 -0400
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Greetings all:

Over last winter there was much discussion about when one should look =
for six meter openings, well the hot season is with is, it is called E =
Sporadic and the time is NOW until the middle of July.

I have been listening on 50.110 and 50.2 SSB this morning and I am =
hearing what are known as Meteor Pings every few minutes.  This will let =
you know that your receiver is working.  What you will hear is a short =
1/2 second or longer up to 3 or 4 seconds burst of voice, usually =
slightly off frequency.  If your really quick you can get the signal =
tuned in, but normally it is easier on your reflexes if you just get =
used to copying signals that are slightly miss tuned.

As I wrote the last sentence there was a ping on 50.110 of some 4 =
seconds long of a very nice CW signal, I got three letters "er b" as the =
sending was quite slow. =20

I have also heard pings this morning on 50.180 and 50.200.  My antenna =
is probably worse than yours, it is a slightly off resonance dipole =
about 100ft up, and shielded somewhat to the south by my tower. =20

When ES opens that band, signals will come booming in, you will probably =
want to cut the receiver gain back a bit on a good ES opening.  When do =
good openings occur?  Keep your receiver on, RF all the way up and Audio =
down so you just hear a bit of background.  Usually after dinner in the =
evening is when things will open up, your receiver should start pumping =
like mad.  Pumping is when the AGC is trying to cope with a very loud =
signal hitting the receiver somewhat off frequency.  Openings will last =
from a few minutes to 5 to 6 hours.  Move around until you find space to =
be heard and to call others. =20

Don't be surprised when you suddenly find the band has gone quiet.  Just =
as fast as it opens, the band mayclose just as quickly.  Sometimes it is =
fun to listen to the band go out as signals that are pinning your S =
meter fade down into the noise and disappear.

Six Meters is known in some circles as the Magic Band, it really is, as =
it will never do what you expect the band to do when you expect it to do =
it.=20

You should be listening every evening this month and next for openings.  =
Tuning across the band several times an hour is a very good idea.  =
Remember you can make lots of contacts with your Ten Tec transverter, =
power is not the big issue on Six Meter EX.

Good Luck es 73  Larry VA3LK

Oh yea, I will be one of the CW guys as I do not have a microphone for =
mysetup....  I hope to work you Six soon......



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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" =
http-equiv=3DContent-Type>
<META content=3D"MSHTML 5.00.2314.1000" name=3DGENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Greetings all:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Over last winter there was much =
discussion about=20
when one should look for six meter openings, well the hot season is with =
is, it=20
is called E Sporadic and the time is NOW until the middle of =
July.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I have been listening on 50.110 and =
50.2 SSB this=20
morning and I am hearing what are known as Meteor Pings every few =
minutes.&nbsp;=20
This will let you know that your receiver is working.&nbsp; What you =
will hear=20
is a short 1/2 second or longer up to 3 or 4 seconds burst of voice, =
usually=20
slightly off frequency.&nbsp; If your really quick you can get the =
signal tuned=20
in, but normally it is easier on your reflexes if you just get used to =
copying=20
signals that are slightly miss tuned.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>As I wrote the last sentence there was =
a ping on=20
50.110 of some 4 seconds long of a very nice CW signal, I got three =
letters "er=20
b" as the sending was quite slow.&nbsp; </FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I have also heard pings this morning on =
50.180 and=20
50.200.&nbsp; My antenna is probably worse than yours, it is a slightly =
off=20
resonance dipole about 100ft up, and shielded somewhat to the south by =
my=20
tower.&nbsp; </FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>When ES opens that band, signals will =
come booming=20
in, you will probably want to cut the receiver gain back a bit on a good =
ES=20
opening.&nbsp; When do good openings occur?&nbsp; Keep your receiver on, =
RF all=20
the way up and Audio down so you just hear a bit of background.&nbsp; =
Usually=20
after dinner in the evening is when things will open up, your receiver =
should=20
start pumping like mad.&nbsp; Pumping is when the AGC is trying to cope =
with a=20
very loud signal hitting&nbsp;the receiver somewhat off frequency.&nbsp; =

Openings will last from a few minutes to 5 to 6 hours.&nbsp; Move around =
until=20
you find space to be heard and to call others.&nbsp; </FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Don't be surprised when you suddenly =
find the band=20
has gone quiet.&nbsp; Just as fast as it opens, the band mayclose just =
as=20
quickly.&nbsp; Sometimes it is fun to listen to the band go out as =
signals that=20
are pinning your S meter fade down into the noise and =
disappear.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Six Meters is known in some circles as =
the Magic=20
Band, it really is, as it will never do what you expect the band to do =
when you=20
expect it to do it.&nbsp;</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>You should be listening every evening =
this month=20
and next for openings.&nbsp; Tuning across the band several times an =
hour is a=20
very good idea.&nbsp; Remember you can make lots of contacts with your =
Ten Tec=20
transverter, power is not the big issue on Six Meter EX.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Good Luck es 73&nbsp; Larry =
VA3LK</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Oh yea, I will be one of the CW guys as =
I do not=20
have a microphone for mysetup....&nbsp; I hope to work you Six=20
soon......</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV></BODY></HTML>

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