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<p>On 5/11/2019 2:56 PM, Ron VE8RT wrote:
<br>
</p>
<blockquote type="cite" style="color: #000000;">Hi,
<br>
<br>
excuse my lack of familiarity, I'm not in the mainstream of
things.
<br>
Is there a commonly used APRS frequency on the 60M band?
<br>
<br>
Ron VE8RT
<br>
<br>
On Sat, 11 May 2019 12:31:34 -0400
<br>
"Stephen H. Smith via aprssig" <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E"
href="mailto:aprssig@lists.tapr.org"><aprssig@lists.tapr.org></a>
wrote:
<br>
<br>
</blockquote>
No -- at least not yet. I've been experimenting with APRS, both
classic 300-baud AX.25 packet APRS, and the APRS Messenger
APRS-over-MFSK16 modes on 60 meters for the last year and a half or
so.
<br>
<br>
My concept is that unlike 30 meters, 60M has excellent close-in NVIS
(Near Vertical Incidence Skywave) propagation. On 30M, you almost
never hear anyone CLOSER than about 250-300 miles (400-500 KM). On
60 Meters, you usually have NO skip zone and and have very
consistent coverage from 0 to 300-400 miles (500-650 Km); i.e. the
state/province-wide coverage you can't get on 30 meters.
<br>
<br>
I am particularly interested in applying this in the western
mountains of the US and Canada where there is A) little or no 2
meter coverage, and B) the low-angle long-haul propagation on 30
meters doesn't go anywhere when you are in deep canyons or valleys
between mountain ranges. The high-angle NVIS propagation on 60
meters should be able to get out of places like these perfectly. For
example places like Glenwood Canyon on I-70 in Colorado back to an
igate in Denver or Boulder. It's only 120 miles (200 Km) but deep
in a gorge surrounded by 6000-7000 feet of the Rockies, where
higher-frequency HF can't get out at lower angles.
<br>
<br>
An added possibility is that (in the US at least), 60M is the only
band where you can run data and voice on the same frequencies. This
opens the potential for Mic-E mode where APRS position bursts
tailgate voice transmissions on USB. This is done routinely on 2M
FM APRS, but as far as I know has never been applied on HF. (The
US regs segregate voice and non-voice modes to different portions of
each band.)
<br>
<br>
I will have a receive-only igate running on 60-meter "Channel 5"
(5403.5 USB) here at my home QTH in East Lansing, MI during the
Hamvention. It will be monitoring standard 1600/1800 Hz 300-baud
packet tones a.k.a. "KAM" tones. This is in addition to my usual
30-meter igate that is always on 24/7. The distance from East
Lansing to Dayton is about 200 miles (320 Km). This puts the
Hamvention in the skip zone of my 30M igate, but should easily hit
the 60-meter one. (When I leave central Michigan, normally, my 30M
igate doesn't start hearing my mobile until I get to Cincinnati
going south, Chicago going west, Toronto or Buffalo going east, or
Sault Ste Marie going north.)
<br>
<br>
<br>
__________________________________________________________________
<br>
<br>
Stephen H. Smith wa8lmf (at) aol.com
<br>
Skype: WA8LMF
<br>
EchoLink: Node # 14400 [Think bottom of the 2-meter band]
<br>
Home Page: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://wa8lmf.net">http://wa8lmf.net</a>
<br>
<br>
Live Off-The-Air APRS Activity Maps
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="http://wa8lmf.net/map"><http://wa8lmf.net/map></a>
<br>
<br>
Long-Range APRS on 30 Meters HF
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E"
href="http://wa8lmf.net/aprs/HF_APRS_Notes.htm"><http://wa8lmf.net/aprs/HF_APRS_Notes.htm></a>
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