[aprssig] 6m aprs?

[Stephen H. Smith]

On 3/2/2011 2:29 PM, Wes Johnston, AI4PX wrote:
> I've seen mention of 50.62 for 6m aprs , but that's in the middle of the SSB 
> subband.


Not really.   99% of SSB is in the 50.1 to 50.2 Mhz range. Actually more like 
between 50.100 and 50.125 in reality. There just isn't that much SSB on 6M 
anymore.  There is a motley assortment of other modes above that range.

Decades ago, due to the  massive channel 2 TV overload problem in southern 
California (a half-megawatt ERP on Mt Wilson 5,000 feet above the greater L.A. 
basin that rendered the upper half of 6M totally unusable in large parts of 
SoCal), clubs petitioned the FCC to allow FM simplex below 52 MHz and succeeded.

[Vestigial lower sideband suppression 80 dB down from a half-megawatt is still 
a hell of a lot of RF!   The S-meter on my Kenwood TS-690 read S-9 plus from 
sync hash and video buzz over the ENTIRE 6-meter band until KCBS Channel 2's 
QSY to their new digital home on UHF in June 2009.   When the analog cut came, 
my crud level instantly dropped from S-9 to S-0.]

For 40+ years, the FM calling channel in SoCal has been 50.3 rather than the 
classic 52.525.    6M AM activity is semi-regular on 50.4 MHz.   And 
packet/data (beginning with RTTY!) has been on 50.62 for at least 30 years or 
more.


"Oh and one more thing about 6m.  I think there are only 2 TV stations still on 
VHF channel 2 in the country.  This is an opportunity to use 6m without 
upsetting the neighbors by blotting out their TVs.  Thanks DTV transisition!
Wes "

Actually there are 7 of them, all in minor markets.      There HAS been a 
dramatic renaissance of 6M activity in SoCal since the analog chan 2 
shutdown.   With all-band rigs like the Icom 706, Yaesu FT-100 and FT-857 and 
Kenwood TS-2000, there is a LOT of modern 6-meter gear ready to go on the 
newly-quieted band!


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--

Stephen H. Smith    wa8lmf (at) aol.com
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