6meter.net

Net Wrap-Up - January 16, 2012

2012-01-16T22:18:00.000-06:00

We had another great net tonight, with several newcomers! The main topics of interest were Alan Du Brul's HF antenna, and the Nixa ARC's new 3-repeater VHF / UHF linked repeater system to cover Southwest Missouri. The following 9 folks were on the net tonight, with Gary Doucy, N0IRN, acting as Net Control:

Dick, KC0FDF - Wheatland
Alan, K0AWD - Springfield
Bill, KC0TCF - Bois d' Arc
David, WB0QIR - Springfield
James, KB0NHX - Lees Summit
Patrick, AC0SR - QRP - Springfield
Tom, N0CSA - Marshfield
Peter, KD0AA - Nixa
Gary, N0IRN - Springfield

Next week, Randy Jordan, KC0UKB, will be the acting net control station. We invite everyone to check into the net & enjoy the company!

6-Meter Net - Monday, 1-9-2012

2012-01-09T21:00:00.001-06:00

We had a great net this evening. Thanks to the following 10 check-ins tonight -

KC0FDF - Dick - Wheatland
K0AWD - Alan - Springfield
N0IRN - Gary - Battlefield
KC0WSE - Robert - Republic
KC0TQD - James - Springfield
KC0TCF - Bill - Bois d' Arc
W0KRB - Ken - Springfield
KD0KNL - Louis - Marshfield
K0RIC - Rick - Richland
KB0NHX - James - Lees Summit

James, KB0NHX, was the NCS for this evening's net. Everyone raved about how awesome the OMAR hamfest was this past weekend, how they enjoyed seeing folks and what a great turnout they had.

The main topic of discussion for the net were backup power for our ham shacks. Seems like most like the battery backup variety, some with trickle charging, some with solar. One problem that was brought up was the inability to find a good inverter to use for AC / DC conversion. James pointed folks to check out http://www.analyticsystems.com/ for their pure sine wave inverters. They are commercially made for commercial RF tower sites, and he has had good luck with his that has been in use for several years.

Several of the check-ins were using new radios, and took the the time to figure out how to program them before the net as well. We also heard about Gary, N0IRN, and Robert, KC0WSE's, emergency HF and VHF-UHF go-kits for emergency ops, bike rides, etc.

We also heard a funny story from Dick in Wheatland about why such a small town has two water towers - one for hot water and one for cold water! What's funny is someone was listening to him on the scanner, and went to the El Dorado Springs ham group meeting and asked why El Dorado couldn't get the same setup! You never know who's listening!

Announced on the net was that the Nixa ARC will be participating with the Southwest Missouri Amateur Radio Club in the "Winter Field Day" on Saturday, January 28, 2012 starting at 1:00 p.m. at the Red Cross building in Springfield, the location SMARC normally holds their summer ARRL Field Day. Everyone is welcome and invited to attend. There will be a station set up in the building, and SMARC is bringing out their tower trailer for the event. There will be no log submitted, we just hope folks will come out and enjoy the event and have a fun afternoon playing radio. We plan on continuing the event until interest subsides. Snacks and food are welcome, so if you're coming out, bring your favorite snack food, etc.

Next week Gary Doucey, N0IRN, is the net control for the Monday Night 6-meter net. We encourage you all to check in and say hello, and bring your discussion topics to the net, seeking answers!

73 till next time!

The 6 Meter Net is Alive!

2011-12-11T17:45:00.000-06:00

Look for the 6 meter net to be back on the K0NXA 53.27 repeater beginning in 2012! NCS stations will be James Adkins, KB0NHX; Gary Doucey N0IRN; and Alan DuBrul, K0AWD. The net will resume on Monday evenings in 2012 at the regular timeslot of 8PM local time. Watch for more information on exactly what date in 2012 the net will resume!

73,

6 Meter.Net

Good Things Come in Sixes

2010-03-16T23:54:00.002-05:00

This is a good article on the upcoming six meter season. While I don't really agree with the compromised antenna suggestions, the rest of it is informative.

Reprinted from the ARRL Contest Update newsletter

If you haven't read Dave Sumner K1ZZ's editorial in the latest QST, you should. (It Seems To Us, page 9, April QST) Titled "Our "New" 6 Meter Band", Dave lays out the reasons for the "Magic Band" to be enjoying a resurgence of interest. For too long, fears of TVI to adjacent Channel 2 (54-60 MHz) kept many hams off the band. With the changing of TV broadcasts to digital HDTV, many stations moved their transmissions to UHF channels better suited for the subtleties of the complex digital signal.

This removes a significant barrier to 6 meter operation. In addition, many new HF transceivers include full 6 meter multi-mode coverage. All of the new and sophisticated receiver features can now be brought to bear on a band with a tremendous range of propagation modes, from sporadic-E, tropospheric and meteor scatter, to regular F2 skip anticipated in the coming years of higher solar flux. The band is no longer a poor cousin to HF, supporting interesting opportunities for grid-chasing and even DXCC.

The summer VHF+ contest season is imminent. The WSJT Sprint includes 6 meters, running on March 27 and April 24. May brings the 50 MHz Spring Sprint. June features the ARRL's VHF QSO Party and SMIRK QSO Party on back to back weekends in prime sporadic-E season. Field Day has special incentives to be active on 6 Meters, too. If you take a close look at the contest calendars, you'll also find many QSO parties include the VHF/UHF bands.

A whole new antenna complement is not required. Often times, your 40 meter antenna will load up on 6 meters just fine, it being resonant around the 7^th harmonic of 7 MHz. There are loads of designs for small Yagis and quads for six meters, a CB whip can be cut down to work on 50 MHz, and even a dipole will get you a log full of contest contacts. Just think - a 6 meter antenna raised to 20 feet is about a wavelength high. That's hard to accomplish on most of HF!

As the HF bands quiet down a little for the summer, there is another exciting band just waiting to take their place in your operating schedule. Read up on 6 meter operation and band plans, tune around the beacon segment, and don't be afraid to call "CQ Six" from time to time. Behind the "50" button on your HF rig lies a whole new world.

Ham is a hobby best shared...

2009-05-26T08:45:00.000-05:00

The quote below taken from a member post on eHam.net

"...What EMCOM has done, though, is bring literally thousands of people into amateur radio who have absolutely zero interest in it. I know some personally. These are people like cops, medics, firefighters, EMTs, and even highway department personnel, who have been told that amateur radio is the new 'utility' backup for public safety communications. While these entrants do boost the numbers, which is the ARRL goal, they serve no other purpose in amateur radio, except for frequent misuse of it...."

I am not here to bash anyone. I agree with the author's premise that uninterested masses do not help advance the hobby; however, I do feel having more folks is much better than the alternative, and I believe it does help to preserve the amateur service if only by increasing the bottom line numbers the bureaucrats see. I'm sure the author is speaking from his experience and when looking at a group of any size one can find a way to make the sample fit the conclusion. I choose to look for the good. Find the one in ten in then newcomers that does have a desire to pursue the hobby. Befriend them and help them out. Pass along the wisdom you've gotten from those that helped you. Take the effort you have gleaned from others and invested in the hobby and share it. It's one of the best parts of ham radio. The more you learn about something, the more you appreciate it.

Got Birdies... here's one valuable tip

2009-04-12T04:56:00.009-05:00

I gleaned this from a Yahoo Group that I subscribe to. I tried this suggestion on my setup and it worked as advertised. Below is reprinted unmodified from the Yahoo Group post:

If you have BIG BIG birdies/tone on certain fixed freqs on 20 metres at approx 14.090/029/091/151 and 14.213mhz and other various freqs etc and you use cat5 cable network and you think it is from your modem... it probably is not, it is those very dirty 100mb NIC chips in your NIC in the computer. To fix it, try changing the speed to 10mb and it disappears instantly!!

CONTROL PANEL/SYSTEM/DEVICE MANAGER/NETWORK ADAPTERS... RIGHT CLICK ON NIC,/PROPERTIES/ADVANCED then possibly SPEED/DUPLEX SETTINGS [or similar words] snoop around to find the 10mb full duplex or similar setting and change the speed to 10mb full duplex, apply etc....VOILA! if it was the NIC the birdies have GONE. or use wireless LAN and it fixes it as well providing you have no other cat 5 in the NICS in the house running at 100mb cheers graham VK6RO

That's it! It worked for me. Not only on HF but 6 meters as well. Hope this helps anyone else running a wired home network like I do.

More SSTV

2009-02-23T20:27:00.008-06:00

Just a few more images I have received at the QTH. These are all from the last week. Like Jeff commented on the net, it is amazing how vivid these images can be over HF. Most of these signals are no more than S5. The Star Trek images are from a QSO with Jean, VE2JCW who is NW of Montreal, Canada. What can I say but lots of fun!!

73,

James
KCØTQD

SSTV on HF

2009-02-15T11:16:00.012-06:00

Well, after finally getting around to setting up a PSK station and really having a lot of fun with that, it occurred to me that all I needed to do for SSTV was to load the software. So I did. In a matter of minutes, I was getting some really cool pictures from all over the place on 14.230 MHz. As a matter of fact, the first picture I received after loading MMSSTV (great software as far as I, the beginner, am concerned)was from EA2JO in Spain. Following are the images I received for the next few minutes.

Pretty cool, those are two of the better images from the exchange. Following are a few more that I was able to receive.
For those that haven't seen the movie "The Dark Knight", the last image is from that movie. You never know what you will see come across. I have ended up in the past 24 hours receiving about 30 images on 20 Meters SSB.

For anyone that would like to give SSTV a shot, there are a few good sites to check out.
First of all, www.AC6V.com is a great reference for ham radio in general, and if you haven't tried it I highly recommend it. The MMSSTV software is available for free from JE3HHT's website. Also I have found additional info at Hamuniverse - Intro to Slow Scan TV. The Hamuniverse site has some good info on how to play with SSTV without even using a standard interface; although I would recommend at the very least a cable with 1/8" headphone jacks on each end to plug into the external speaker port on the radio and on the line-in on your computer.

Have fun!!

73,

James
KCØTQD

20 dB for $48.60

2009-01-21T19:55:00.006-06:00

This is from one of my favorite Ham technical writers, Steven Katz, WB2WIK/6. I find his comments informative, accurate, and entertaining. This article he wrote for eHam.net does a very good job of describing the benefit of radials on a vertical antenna system.

20 dB for $48.60
from Steve Katz, WB2WIK on January 18, 2009
read the whole thing here: http://www.eham.net/articles/20850

Overview

Antennas, antennas, antennas!

They are our transducers to the ether, and are what make our wireless equipment work. Yet, for various reasons, many hams seem unconcerned about them.

Deed restrictions (CC&Rs) are probably a leading cause of hams having poor antennas, although plain old apathy seems at least as big a problem. Budget should never be the problem, since so many excellent antennas are available as used items either very cheaply or free, and of course some great designs can be homebrewed for almost nothing. And we find that often times, the ham with no antenna had enough of a budget to buy a $1000 radio. Hmph.

This subject is too vast to address in a brief article, so I'll focus on a single, popular design: HF Vertical Antennas. Even more specifically, inexpensive HF vertical antennas which are typically base-fed, trapped or loaded designs requiring a counterpoise or image plane in order to function properly. Among all the commercial designs on the market, the Hustler 4BTV-5BTV-6BTV are likely the best bang for the buck products currently out there, although Butternut HF6V-HF9V, Hy-Gain 12AVQ-14AVQ-18VS and DX88, and others can be good deals, too.

The products listed, and other popular commercial models, have one thing in common: They are not ground-independent, and have no factory supplied counterpoise. They are trapped or loaded, base-fed antennas that not only work better with radials, they work only with radials.

Any antenna can make contacts. Good ones make stronger, longer-distance contacts more reliably. With a 100W transmitter and a good antenna, many of the signal reports you receive should be `Wow, great signal - very, very strong, S9+ here.' If you don't commonly get such reports, you're definitely missing out on a lot of stuff that could be worked, but you're not going to hear it, and it's not going to hear you, either. A simple, inexpensive vertical antenna can produce such reports, repeatedly. The difference between a vertical that does get the `you're blowing me out of my chair' reports and one that doesn't is simple deployment.

My thoughts on the FT-920

2009-01-04T00:20:00.006-06:00

Back in November '08 I purchased a Yaesu FT-920 from a ham in Moberly, Missouri. Many thanks to James, KBØNHX for stopping by on one of his trips to Jefferson City to pick it up for me and save me the shipping costs. Always wanted to try one of these. Several folks I know that have owned them will not part with them. Some I know that have tried new rigs have sold them and kept or gone back to a FT-920. I wanted to see what all the fuss was about and why this is such a loved radio by many. The first impression of the radio is it's physical size. It's a large radio compared to any current model radios in it's price class. It's equivalent in size and shape to the Yaesu FT-1000MP which it is modeled and styled after. The first FT-920s came out in the late 90s. The one I purchased has a serial number indicating a 2002 vintage.

After using the rig for a while I realize the appeal of having all the most used controls on the front panel. Being one that has only used menu-driven rigs (FT-857D, FT-450) I see the appeal of having frequent settings at the tips of your fingers. However, also being one that sometimes prefers computer-controlling my radio, having this ability is not the overwhelming benefit for me as it is for some. Full CAT control of the FT-920 is really not possible as most of the controls are not "soft pots" which are required to make all the necessary adjustments via a computer interface. The FT-857D was very much computer controllable. The FT-450 is as well but current software needs to have the bugs worked out of it where it comes to the 450. Guess this is a project waiting for me someday.

The internal ATU is a feature I can get used to. Only having a manual tuner until this point the ATU is as convenient as an automatic transmission on a vehicle. Some prefer standard some prefer automatics. I have to say that I like using a manual tuner but the convenience of an ATU is an appealing feature. Along this line having two easily switchable antenna ports is also a plus. I would note that this feature can be added to any radio by purchasing an LDG AT-100pro or 200pro automatic tuner that have two antenna ports. Sooo.. I consider this a $200 feature as that is about what one of the LDGs costs. One thing my non-ATU equipped FT-450 does for those using manual tuners is that the VOICE/CS button can be reprogrammed to transmit a 10w carrier for the purpose of tuning. When pressed it also switches the radio's meter into SWR mode. A very handy feature not many rigs have.

Overall I like the radio and I like using it. Will I keep it forever? Probably not, but I don't tend to keep anything forever when it comes to electronics. Also it does not fit my current (but open to change) vision of how I want my shack to operate. I like the radio and I'm sure I will have it for a while. At least until the new wears off of it for me. I may even invest in some of the INRAD filter options for SSB and digital/CW use to see if the rave about those is mostly hype or the real deal. The combination of the 920's very good AF-DSP, crystal filters, and IF Shift may be a winning combination. I know many say that the best IF-DSP does not truly compare to a crystal filter. I suppose that's true, but having the ability to tune your passband down to 50hz for a single PSK QSO like you can on some IF-DSP rigs sounds appealing to me. I'm sure I will put this to the test in time. There is much more to this rig than any I have owned so far. The things you can do with it outstrips any by way of rear-facing connectors and such. I've yet to use it on digital modes, but that will happen soon... as soon as I can decide on what interface to get for it or if I should just build one for my own satisfaction of doing it myself.

One great feature that I've gotten used to is the dual-bandstack registers. If you don't know what this is, as I did not, look it up. It's a very convenient way keeping a couple well-used frequencies close at hand. Prior to this I would use "VFO B" for such things. The dual registers eliminate that need. This along with the direct frequency entry keypad are things the smaller rigs just don't have. I do wish however, when using "memory" mode for stored frequencies that bumping the VFO did not change the frequency. When working FM it's best to just hit the lock button and use the UP/DOWN buttons to change the channel. I bought the rig for SSB and not FM anyway so that's just an observation and not a complaint.

Since it's so hard to get objective, unsolicited audio reports on the bands I'm not going to comment on TX audio reports. I've gotten good audio reports on all the radios I've owned. In my opinion the only way to tell what your audio really sounds like it to have a way to self-monitor in another receiver. With that said I will say that good audio is more of a practice than a piece of equipment. Talking effectively into a mic is something I think most folks have to learn how to do.

Someday, I'll post up how it works as a digital mode rig.

2nd Season E-Skip Kicks In

2008-11-23T19:43:00.002-06:00

The 2nd Season E-skip has kicked in on six meters. I was hearing stations all afternoon starting about 1400 CST. I was hearing K1XJ in Connecticut for quite a while on 50.125.70 but never strong enough to work him. I kept listening the rest of the afternoon while watching the QSOs build up on vhfdx.net QSO map. I decided to give it a shot. According to vhfdx.net I should be able to hear folks to the west. I turned the beam just south of due-west, went up to 50.130, and called a long CQ to let folks know I was there. NØPSJ came right back a strong S9 from near Denver CO. We had a nice QSO for almost 30 minuntes before the band started to fade. At this time I'm still hearing signals on 50.125 this late in the evening (1950 CST).

For those of us who are six meter nuts this is great stuff. If you're not the type to listen to unsquelched white noise for hours at a time... well, it's not for everyone. If you do listen sometimes you can get in on the beginning of an opening and be the subject of a pile-up as folks who do monitor the band start to discover it is in fact open. Quite a treat.

73,

Jeff / KCØVGC

Jamboree on the Air and Greater Ozarks Ham Picnic

2008-10-09T20:47:00.005-05:00

The 2008 Jamboree on the Air will take place October 18th and 19th. It will take place on 80, 40, 20, 17, 15, 12, 10 and 6 meters. Calling frequencies for JOTA can be found at http://www.arrl.org/scouts/jota/ and also at http://www.scout.org/jota/ which is the international scouting website. For those attending the Greater Ozarks Ham Picnic, we hope to see some HF stations up and going and maybe making contacts with the Scouts there. http://www.nixahams.net/2008/10/2008-greater-ozarks-ham-picnic.html has more info on the Greater Ozarks Ham Picnic!! Should be fun for all.

73 all

James
KC0TQD

Fun on 6 meters

2008-08-28T22:11:00.003-05:00

Well, as anyone who was around for the net on Monday Night knows, it is always fun and interesting when the band plays in our favor! We would like to acknowledge Kevin, KA0I, who checked in with us from Holts Summit, MO just north of Jefferson City. Quite a jump in to the repeater!

73
James
KC0TQD

Uses for that older computer...

2008-08-04T19:45:00.002-05:00

As some have said, you don't own technology, you just rent it. Time marches on and as it does, we tend to collect items that have outlived their usefulness. I have several older computers that I have collected. I have gone though all of them and they are all in good working order, but are not well-suited to run current versions of Windows. Even the popular desktop versions of Linux are a bit of a stretch on these older machines. However, there are several things that can be done with your older hardware. These are projects not much different from anything you'd do with ham radio only these are computer-centered. I've been doing computer projects much much longer than I have been doing ham projects, so I thought I'd share a couple of them.

Use #1: Build a router/firewall.
Why do this when most everyone with broadband has a small, inexpensive little box that serves that function. Well... much like in ham radio, why take the time to do it yourself when you can buy it ready made? We do it to learn and to get the thrill of using something we made. This is the same thing. You can purhcase routers for cheap, but building one out of an old computer is fun and you will learn a bit in the process.

Use #2: Build a home NAS server
First, what is NAS. NAS = Network Attached Storage. Disk space that is attached directly to a network without the overhead of Windows running. Another benefit of using an OS other than Windows is you can get away from some of Windows limitations. For instance. The computer I am using does not fully recogize larger (larger than 80GB) hard drives. I have a 160GB drive and FreeBSD is able to use the full drive where Windows would not be able to without help. I have it setup to hold the data and downloads I have collected over the years.

Something worth mentioning about both of these solutions is that once they are setup and running there is no need to have a keyboard or monitor connected to them. (a mouse is not needed for either one as they are both configured from a non-graphical interface). I have both of these in a closet under a table and they just sit there an run pretty much out of sight. I can finally get some use out of my older hardware that was just sitting around.

If time permits, I'll try to post more detail on what I did to set these up and get them going.

The firewall / router distribution is called IPCop and can be found here:
http://www.ipcop.org

The NAS distribution is called FreeNAS and can be found here:
http://www.freenas.org

-Jeff / KCØVGC

More from KBØNHX: Grounded

2008-07-29T21:18:00.000-05:00

Well, had some time tonight. One benefit of living in north MO is the soil. I drove both of my 8' ground rods first off tonight. Drove them both by hand with the exception of the last 2 feet! Couldn't do that in Springfield. Thanks to Bryon, K0BSJ, for showing me the ropes on hand driving ground rods :-0

After that, I installed all the grounding kits on the 6 feedlines. Combined them together to one wire and ran it to the ground rod at the pole. Now, it's just a matter of installing the center-conductor Polyphasers in the basement, running the wire out to the rod and sealing it up. Well, as promised, here's the pic of the ground kit install (real exciting, I know!).

Later,

-- James Adkins, KB0NHX

KBØNHX Antennas - Part 2

2008-07-23T23:58:00.001-05:00

From James Adkins, KBØNHX

Okay, so Jeff gave me a little ribbing about not having a 6-meter antenna up. Well, 6-meters is in the plan, it just wasn't up yet. Right now, I only plan on working some FM on the local Missouri City repeater & on FM Simplex. If I get away with what I have without any complaints, I'll probably put up another pole with my 3-element Cushcraft 6-meter beam or the Par OA-50's stacked.

For the time being, I have installed my discone on the roof. It's primary purpose is for scanner monitoring, but will also double as my 6-meter FM and 220 FM antennas. I painted it to match up with the roof and even painted the coax. It's not an exact match, but from a distance it blends in really well and doesn't stick out nearly as badly as the chrom would have.

See attached pics with the homeade "vent" mount adapted from use from our house in Nixa. I also took a couple of close ups of the feed throughs in the side of the house.

Next on the list ..... grounding! I've got all the connectors on for the Polyphasers in the house at the ground bus, and put connectors on the jumpers that will run from the Polyphasers to the panel in the wall. Still have to drive the ground rods, run the ground wire from the bus to the rod, and attach ground kits to the coax cable. That's coming soon, though!

--
James Adkins, KB0NHX

KBØNHX Antenna installation

2008-07-22T04:34:00.005-05:00

James Adkins, KBØNHX recently installed what he likes to call the "Adkins Monopole". A 20 foot piece of thick-walled gas pipe. The "goal post" configuration allows him to put two vertials on top.

The antennas consist of: Comet GP-21 (1.2GHz), Comet GP-9 (2m/440), Par OmniAngle (220 SSB), M2 5-element 902Mhz yagi, and a B&W folded dipole for 1.8-30Mhz.

Now James has a place to plug in the FT-920, FT-736, and the 'ol Henry 2K HF amplifier. Something he's not had for a while, but I'm sure is looking forward to. He can now operate 1.2GHz to 160m on one mast!

Good view from the back yard. Looks like from here it would be about a 30 yard field goal.

The feed though looks very professional. James says the parts to do this came from Tessco and cost about $40.

Below is another view that shows the B&W and the Par 220 Omnis.

Hard to be critical, but one thing is missing.... six meters! Oh, well, you can't be perfect I guess.

Feel free to post your comments. If you have any questions, I'm sure James would be glad to answer them.

Taking it E-asy....

2008-07-08T11:02:00.003-05:00

Well, we are still enjoying the Es as the weather has finally begun to turn hot. The Monday Night Net is currently back on the 6 Meter 53.27 Repeater (51.570 input, with a 162.2 PL tone). Bands are open and I even heard a distant station from North Carolina last week on FM simplex! Anyway, feel free to comment on your recent 6 meter and below experiences!

Thanks
James
KCØTQD

Be very, very, quiet, we're hunting E-skip.....

2008-05-29T22:09:00.003-05:00

Actually, no need to be quiet. 6 and 10 meter sideband have been very active; I can say for the last two nights that 10 meters has been lit up like 20 meters usually is on a Saturday afternoon. I have heard a lot of traffic out of North and East; Michigan and Virginia were some of my contacts of the last two days. Also heard some folks talking back and forth in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

I also had the pleasure of checking in to the 6 Meter Simplex net over in Joplin this evening; great net over there! This coming Monday we will start the Monday Night Net out on the 6 meter repeater to hopefully allow our friends from farther out to join us again. We will probably transition back over to simplex at some point thereafter.

Thanks as always to everyone who has been taking time out to visit on Monday Night!!!

73,

James
KC0TQD

HF Events Forthcoming

2008-05-12T20:24:00.005-05:00

Just wanted to post a few quick announcements (Jeff reminded me we have this website for a reason hi hi).

This Saturday in Nixa the Nixa Sucker Days will feature HF radio this year, courtesy of the Nixa Amateur Radio Club (thanks to Jim, KC0IYI and the group helping). They will be operating on several HF bands; 3.850, 7.250, 14.250 and 21.350. Expect them to be on the air around 8AM Central Time on Saturday, May 17th - if you are in the area, stop in and see their booth and enjoy Sucker Days!

June 1st, 2008 - US Islands on the Air at Stockton Lake- The OMAR group will be setting up a HF station on Edge Island; will plan to operate on 14.250 - 14.260 "the official Island Corridor" as well as somewhere in the vicinity of 7.250. There will also be a picnic, all are invited to come out for some ham fellowship and HF fun. They would like an idea of how many to feed, so they would appreciate a call to Connie, KB0ZSG at 417-830-0336 for RSVP.

73 all,

James
KC0TQD

Sporadic E season starting

2008-04-21T15:31:00.004-05:00

As posted in the QRZ article, "Sporadic E season starting", which very interestingly provides forecasts for the upcoming season. Before we get to far along, e-skip is the type of propagation that results from radio waves reflecting of off clouds of ionized gas in the e-layer of the atmosphere allowing much greater range of communication on the 28, 50, 70 and 144 MHz bands than is normally possible. The E layer of the atmosphere is about 60 miles above the earth and is what makes the Magic Band magic.

I still hear folks lay claim that they never hear any DX or skip on six meters. Well like they say, if you want to catch fish, you have to have your line in the water first. If you want to work skip on six meters, you have to monitor the frequency. That being 52.525 the national calling frequency on FM, or 50.125 which is the same on upper side band which is where a majority of the E-skip traffic will be. Also, it will add to your success to have a properly polarized antenna. Yes, you can work skip on a vertical. I have. Heck, you can work skip with a wet piece of string when the conditions are right; however, if you want to maximize your chances for success weak-signal and sideband modes primarily use horizontally polarized antennas. In truth all signals propagate best from a horizontally polarized antennas, however that is not very practical or convenient for many applications. The norm has become to use vertical antennas for FM and horizontal for AM and SSB. According to Ken Neubeck, WB2AMU the author of A Guide to the Magic Band, an antenna only need be 20 feet above ground to work e-skip effectively. There are always exceptions, but as a rule of thumb, 20 feet up and as much in the clear as possible is a good start for a six meter SSB antenna for e-skip operation. A simple dipole up 20 feet feed with inexpensive RG-8X (assuming it not too long) will work a great number of stations via e-skip. The first e-skip season I operated on six meters, I worked sixty stations in a three month period using this exact setup: A hamstick dipole up 20 feet fed with a 70 foot run of RG-8X. The coax with PL-259s attached along with all the parts to make the hamstick dipole were purchased from WBØW for about $85.00. The antenna was $45.00 and the coax was $30.00. An inexpensive but effective setup that you can use for e-skip and local ground wave, and since hamsticks are fairly wide-banded, you can also work the lower part of FM with it.

But you say, "Jeff, you've got this backwards, why put up an antenna when I don't even have an all-mode rig for six meters? Don't a need a radio first?" Nope, I did this right. Trust me on this. Put up the antenna first. Rigs are easy. Plug them in and turn them on. The antenna is what takes effort, so do it first. Really, in all honesty, if you don't already have a rig put up the antenna first, or at the very least get everything you need to put up the antenna before you buy the rig. You'll be glad you did as when you get that shiny new (or used) rig and want to try it out right now! you'll have something to plug it into.

OK, so hopefully you take my advice on the antenna, do you also need a tuner for it? A tuner is not required for six meters as you should be able to tune the antenna effectively with low SWR in the area you wish to operate most often. However, a tuner will allow you get more bandwidth out of your antenna on the fringe areas. It also allows you to monitor the output of your station and you will easily be able to tell if something is amiss with your setup. This something I see more to protect your investment in the rig than to make the antenna work better. Let me say what a tuner is not. It is not so you can load up your 20m dipole or 2m ringo on six meters. While it is entirely possible to make anything LOOK like it has low SWR to the output of your rig, low SWR does not give any indication you are actually radiating a signal. After all, a dummy load has perfect SWR. A good choice for a tuner is the MFJ-945E. It's a small, compact, manual tuner that sells new for $119.00 from various outlets including the folks at WBØW.

I have more to share, but I'll save it for later. I will say that the enjoyment I receive from my station is directly proportional to the amount of effort I have put into the antenna system. Period. If all you desire to work is FM then this may not apply, but if you intend to work sideband or any weak-signal modes, then put your effort where it really counts. In the antenna. Anything worthwhile takes effort. It's not like cell phones or video games. Some assembly is required to effectively work six meters. But the reward is worth it. Working E-skip on six meters is loads of fun. The folks that frequent six meters when the band is open tend to be very courteous, friendly operators that are there for the same reason you are, to enjoy the band and the hobby.

73 to all!

Jeff Kerr, KCØVGC

Building a digi network from here to KC.... From Ken, KA0PIZ

2008-04-21T14:18:00.003-05:00

Ken, KAØPIZ sent me this request. I'm posting it here on the blog as if there are any out there at all interested, I'm sure Ken would be open to being contacted. I think Ken as a great idea in extending a digital packet network from here to the KC area. I have already responded directly to Ken's e-mail and said that all topics of amateur interest are welcome including radio over the Internet. Below is Ken's message. If you wish to contact Ken his e-mail address is good on QRZ.com.

Below is Ken's message to me.

==========

I'm probably way too far north to participate, but ideally I'd like to work with some people to extend a packet net like this to a wider group.

Is the idea of creating a digi link over the internet taboo to this kind of group? I am a big fan of radio-only packet, don't get me wrong...

At the same time, if I could get a local group of folks engaged and active, getting the radio infrastructure would only be a matter of time!

Thoughts?

Ken / KAØPIZ

==========

A wealth of information for stealth operation

2008-04-09T19:20:00.002-05:00

Most everyone I know that lives in the area has issues with restrictions on putting up antennas. Here is a wealth of information passed on to my by Kevin, WBØOSP on operating stealth. These sites have everything from attic arrays to flagpole antennas.

Attic operations: http://www.geocities.com/n0hc/attic.html

Steath VHF/UHF antennas: http://www.angelfire.com/biz/AntVentures/baseants.html

Force12 - This company makes several high-quality, low profile antennas.
http://force12inc.com/sigmasv5gt5info-002.htm

These are just a few of the possibilities. Basically, "no antenna" is no excuse. If there's a will, there's a way as these examples show.

-Jeff /KCØVGC

This week....

2008-04-09T19:08:00.004-05:00

This week we had the following fine fellows stop by...

KCØTQD James
KØAWD Alan
WBØRJR Bob
KQØQ Lance
KØDPS Doug
ACØHA Cecil
KC5MNP Mike
KDØCUT Tom
WBØOSP Kevin
KCØWSE Robert

Bob, WBØRJR made mention that his is expecting arrival of his Celwave 900Mhz vertical for use on the 900Mhz 927.5375 repeater. Cecil asked if a diplexer is required for HF/6m rigs.... the response was that you can go either way... use a diplexer or a coax switch. Tom, KCØCUT asked for information on how to best study for the General exam. Several answers were given. Most of them involved self-study using the ARRL Handbook and the ARRL Operating Manual using them to look up questions that you did not understand while taking the practice tests. Lance, KQØQ commented that he was awaiting arrival of his recent purchase of a 900Mhz handheld.

Hope to see everyone next week,

Jeff / KCØVGC

Spring is in the air, along with some propagation?

2008-03-31T18:32:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the check ins we had March 31-

Gary, N0IRN
Jeff, KC0VGC
Bill, KC0TCF
Robert, KC0WSE
Cecil, AC0HA
Alan, K0AWD
Rich, KB9YZE

Still don't have a date yet for Jeff's tower climb....:)

73

James
KC0TQD

This net's topic: What mode do you prefer?

2008-03-25T23:20:00.000-05:00

In spite of the sometime rather loud "popcorn" on the repeater, we had a few still stop in a take a few rounds on six meters.

NØIRN Gary, Springfield
KCØTCF Bill, Bois 'D Arc
KQØQ Lance, Springfield
KCØTQD James, Springfield
W8KIR Bill, Ozark
KC5MNP Mike, Walnut Grove

I asked the question to the group about what "mode" did folks operate most and why. Most of the answers were on or related to FM. Some did mention enjoying SSB on HF and six meters. The things most often mentioned as to why others don't work other modes were cost and placing antennas. This seems to be a common response nowadays. I enjoy all of radio that I have time to enjoy. FM, repeaters, simplex, HF/6m SSB, PSK, Olivia, MFSK16, FDMDV.... I'd like to put up better antennas for 220 and 6m FM and add one for 900Mhz and a 10m vertical. Why so many? Well, if you're going to work weak-signal or simplex antenna is everything even more so on weak-signal modes. I feel very fortunate to have two 6m and one HF antenna up outside.... 2m, 220, and 440 antennas are in the attic. No, that's not optimal, but it's the best I can do at the moment. I spend most of my time on six meters and HF so that is what I put most of my effort into and why those antennas are up outside. Having those antennas is where most of my operating enjoyment comes from. All I can say.. there's a way to get it done if the desire is there. It can be done.

73,

Jeff / KCØVGC

Monday's die-hards

2008-03-18T15:27:00.001-05:00

Discussion on the net was mostly related to the new 224.280 and 927.5375 KCØLUN repeaters that were recently brought on-line. Some folks, including myself, have taken the plunge on 220 and 900 gear. Looking forward to using those bands. It's been very interesting to see how well 220 and 900 work in some cases. I'm pretty amazed with what I can hear on 220 as far as mobile stations. I was able to hear KBØNHX mobile direct from Spokane (about 25 miles). That's not too bad. I attribute that to two things. Lower noise on 220 and that the receiver in the Icom IC-37A is a bit better than some of the newer FM rigs of today.

Thanks to Nixa Amateur Radio club for taking on the goal of having five repeaters on the air and linkable. I'm sure this will be an asset to the amateur radio community as well as a great way to keep the bands active.

Here's the fine folks that checked in with us...

KBØNHX, James, Nixa
KCØTQD, James, Springfield
KCØTCF, Bill, Bois 'D Arc (pronouced Bo Dark)
KØAWD, Alan, Springfield
KØDPS, Doug, Ozark
KE7ABH, David, Springfield (crossband link)
WBØQIR, David, Springfield

That is all,

Jeff / KCØVGC

Times they are a changin...(sorry)

2008-03-10T21:03:00.008-05:00

Well, I for one am glad to get back to what I call normal time. I like the added daylight in the evening that allows for yardwork, ham projects, working on things around the house, ham projects, relaxing, and ham projects. Great net, and we have a few things coming up, like the Green Country Hamfest this Friday/Saturday in Claremore, OK; the Ozark Con QRP Conference in Joplin MO; and the WØOAR Hamfest in Mt. Vernon.
Also, look forward to seeing those pictures for the Show Us Your Shack posting. Who knows, we might even come up with some kind of prize for the best/most creative picture.

Bill, KCØTCF - Bois D Arc
Alan, KØAWD - Springfield
David, WBØQIR - Springfield
Lance, KQØQ - Springfield
Doug, KØDPS - Ozark
Bill, W8KIR - Ozark
James, KBØNHX - Nixa
Jeff, KCØVGC - Springfield
Cecil, ACØHA - Mobile

Thanks to all for your time and support of the net!

73

James
KCØTQD

Show us your shack!

2008-03-05T21:16:00.012-06:00

If you would like to share a picture of you and/or your shack, we would be happy to post it here on 6meter.net. HT, Mobile, "base", inside, outside, whatever you would like to show us. Even include a caption and we will include it as well. Send your photos to kc0tqd@gmail.com

1ST Shack Entry - KØAWD, Alan - Sporting the 6 Meter Midland on the upper left! Nice collection, Alan! (I have the same 1993 Handbook in my shack, by the way.)

SHACK #2 -
Jeff - KCØVGC

Jeff has several radios in the shack here, from left to right on the first row....

IC-37A 220Mhz, FT-450, FT-857D
FT-8900R 440/2m/6m/10m, HF/UHF SWR meter, MFJ-945E Tuner
Motorola GTX 900Mhz

Quite a shack, Jeff! And nice rock posters on the wall!

And then here is KCØVGC's shack before the photoshop special effects....

Twas the Net before Snowfall.(again)

2008-03-05T20:32:00.002-06:00

Enjoyable net as the snow began to fall and the fire was crackling.... or was that my power supply?

Thanks to all who joined us for the net on Monday evening; we had a good time with the group. I will say I believe most of us are looking forward to some more good weekends to get out and work on antenna projects or just plain get out and have some fun operating! Lots of good things coming up with hamfests and more on the horizon.

And the list, which I must apologize is not in order:

Gary, n0irn
Doug, k0dps
Alan, k0awd
Jeff, kc0vgc
Lance, kq0q
Randy, kc0ukb
David, wb0qir
Dave, wa0sap
Bill, kc0tcf
John, kc0qnm
Cecil, ac0ha

Once again, thanks for tuning in, and thanks to Jeff, kc0vgc for taking over the closing as my battery rapidly dwindled. Catch you all next week and may you be visited by good band openings in the meantime.

73

James
kc0tqd

The Febuary 25, 2008 net

2008-02-27T20:18:00.008-06:00

This week we has some good discussion on recent six meter propagation as the band had a very strong opening just prior to the net. Kevin, WBØOSP introduced some to vhfdx.net where you can see propagation paths on VHF as they are reported on the DX cluster. Several commented that this was a very useful site. Brandon, KCØUAX commented that he did not hear any skip on FM this evening. Kevin, WBØOSP noted that he was hearing skip on 52.525 up until just a few minutes prior to the net. SAP, WAØSAP was a little scratchy into the repeater, and when looking out his window figured out why. His portable beam had fallen over and was laying on the ground! Oh, well... it still worked. Dave, KE7ABH checked in via phone patch with the help of Dave, WBØQIR. So far they've checked in via two meter to six meter cross-band, EchoLink and phone patch. What will they think of next?

As we always do, here's the list for this week's net.

KCØTQD - James, Springfield
WBØOSP - Kevin, Rogersville
KCØTCF - Bill, Bois 'D Arc
KQØQ - Lance, Springfield
NØIRN - Gary, Springfield
WBØQIR - David Springfield
WAØSAP - Dave, Nixa
ACØHA - Cecil, Forsythe (mobile)
KCØUAX - Brandon, Nixa (mobile)
KE7ABH - David, Springfield (phone patch via WBØQIR)
KØAWD - Alan, Springfield (better late than never!)

Thanks and 73 to the fine individuals that check into this net!

Jeff / KCØVGC

Life on Six Meters

2008-02-24T02:27:00.003-06:00

So many times I hear folks say that there is nothing on six meters. Yesterday afternoon (2/23) I had a chance to work some real ground wave on 50.125 USB. I worked NØBZM in Stockton, MO followed by KG5MD in Midway, AR. Then I caught NØKO in Vanzant, MO, KØVUW in Barnhart, MO (near St. Louis) and KØCIY in Parkhill, OK (NE of Muskogee). It was all ground wave (no e-skip). Just goes to show that 6m with a modest setup will do the job. Most of these folks were running setups similar to mine. The one exception was KØVUW. He was running 1500W into a six element beam at 100 feet, but again that was the exception. This afternoon was some of the most enjoyable I have had on ham radio. What a treat it was to chat with folks around the area on 6m. So, for those that wonder if there is life on six or if there is anyone out there, there is.

Jeff / KCØVGC

Another Snowy Net in the Ozarks

2008-02-19T21:22:00.004-06:00

Once again we were blanketed by a light layer of snow as the shacks were intermittently lit by the light of the 6 meter rigs and randomly blinking lightbulbs. We had some very good information on nice quiet band conditions of 75 and 40 meters from SAP and VGC. Jeff was having great success on 40M PSK31.

Hopefully we will all weather the forthcoming winter weather approaching as well as the Sap-A-Loop antenna will. We had a good time visiting with the net regulars as well as some new additions to the bunch. It is always good to have a chance to visit and just see what is going on with everyone. With that, I hope everyone has a great week ahead and I am already looking forward to next Monday night!

Acknowledgements to our group this week:

Gary, NØIRN
Bill, KCØTCF
Alan, KØAWD
Jeff, KCØVGC
Travis, KDØCRD
Jeannine, N5SPX
David, WBØQIR
Doug, KØDPS
Dave, WAØSAP
Cecil, ACØHA
Mike, KC5MNP

73 All,

James
KCØTQD

Laden with ice, but the net was still warm....

2008-02-11T21:13:00.000-06:00

In the midst of the worst winter storm this year, we had a fun bunch join us on a much more informal net. Several reports of ice greater than one inch thick from some of the reports.

Bob, WBØRJR talked about operating on the 60m band and the good contact he's made there. John, KBØOU also commented on his 60m operation. Rich, KB9YZE informed us that that about noon today, the lines holding up both of his wire antennas broke and they were laying on the ground. I'm sure he's not the only one that's going to be doing some repair work once the weather improves.

KBØOU John, Joplin
NØIRN Gary, Walnut Grove mobile
KCØIYI Jim, Nixa
KCØTQD James, Springfield
KC5MNP Mike, Walnut Grove
KCØUAX Brandon, Nixa mobile
KBØNHX James, Lees' Summit though the 2m link
WBØRJR Bob, Everton
KB9YZE Rich, Nixa

Thanks to everyone!

Jeff / KCØVGC

Good net!

2008-02-05T08:31:00.000-06:00

Great net last night. Thanks to all who checked in and offered information in some form or another on our topics last night. Our list of contributing hams is as follows:

1. WBØQIR - David, Springfield
2. N5SPX - Jeannine, Springfield
3. NØIRN - Gary, Battlefield
4. KØAWD - Alan, Springfield
5. KCØQJH - Tom, Strafford
6. KQØQ - Lance, Springfield
7. WAØSAP - Dave, Nixa
8. KCØVGC - Jeff, Springfield
9. ACØHA - Cecil, Forsyth
10. KØDPS - Doug, Ozark
11. KC5MNP - Mike, Walnut Grove
12. W8KIR - Bill, Ozark

Thanks as always for your time in joining the net. Announcements were - Titanic Special Event Station - wØs.org - takes place April 12th and 13th and they are looking for some volunteer operators and/or loggers for this exciting event. The SMARC 444.40 repeater is being linked to a network of UHF repeaters in AR, TX and OK (no longer crossband to the 146.91); thanks to Bill W8KIR for this information. Also, Al Gallo is looking for signal reports on the 28.2828 10 Meter CW beacon.

73,

James
KCØTQD

Just another 70 degree day....in February?

2008-02-04T16:03:00.001-06:00

Well, let's hope we don't have the same situation we had last month when we had a 70 degree day on a Monday. Look forward to hearing your thoughts and comments on the net tonight. Let us know if you have had any good 6 meter DX lately!

73,

James
KCØTQD

The winds are a blowin'......

2008-01-28T21:25:00.000-06:00

It appeared that the strong winds and weather change was causing some rather loud popcorn on the repeater tonight. None the less, there were several that stopped by. I also wanted to say thanks again to those that that send us their kind words and support. It's appreciated.

NØIRN - Gary, Springfield
WAØSAP - Dave, Nixa
KCØTQD - James, Springfield
KBØOU - John, Joplin
KB9YZE - Rich, Nixa
KØAWD - Alan, Springfield
WSØE - Joe, Nixa
KDØBDH - Richard, Clever
KCØUAX - Brandon, Highlandville

Thanks to everyone, catch you again next time!

Jeff / KCØVGC

Where everybody knows your name.....

2008-01-28T15:45:00.000-06:00

Being new to HF after getting my upgrade in March of '07 I found the hardest thing to know is where you are welcome and where you are not especially on 80 meter phone. I also learned that this is a feeling shared by many, new and old on HF. The band (80 meters) is a bit "clickish" as I have heard it said. I'm not here to say everyone's an ogre on HF, but it is a challenge for newcomers to find a welcome place to operate.

Don't know if you remember the popular TV show "Cheers". The theme song had a line that said to the effect ... "where everyone knows your name". The point being it was a place where folks can easily fit right in just by being themselves. I found such a place on 80 meters. A while back, a group of friends, knowing that it's hard for folks to find a friendly place to chat, made one. They started gathering in the same place at the same time, and it took off! There are so many new folks joining the group of regulars that they had to add some organization to it to keep things flowing. The group meets on 3.803 starting about 10:00pm central time. The reason I mention this is that this is a great place for folks new and old to get a good dose of HF and have conversations from all over. Several of us that participate do so with just 100w and have no problems making contacts.

I've been chatting with this group mostly on weekends since last November, and recently, I've been asked to join the list of Net Control stations. I will be calling the net on 3.803 this Friday, so if you are up at 10:00pm (Central time) this Friday (2/1/08) give us a call. Your participation would be most definitely welcome.

For more information on the 3.803 Roundtable Group, you can visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/roundtable_group/.

73,

Jeff / KCØVGC

Stay warm but don't melt your coax...

2008-01-21T22:33:00.001-06:00

What a great net we had this evening. I always say thanks for spending some time on the net, and I always mean it. Enjoyed hearing about the projects Jeff and John were working on; also enjoyed a little off-topic discussion on football. Glad to hear from John and Linda from Joplin, as well as our closer neighbors! Here's tonight's play-by-play:

Jeff, KCØVGC
Doug, KØDPS
Mike, KC5MNP
John, KBØOU
Linda, WDØFTM
David, WBØQIR
Jeanine, N5SPX
Rich, KB9YZE
Lance, KQØQ
Al, WØERE

Also, a few announcements were discussed; the Nixa Amateur Radio Club meets this Saturday; for more information please check the Nixa Hams site. Also - the Titanic Radio Special Event station WØS is approaching on April 12-13th; for more on this please check out WØS.org.

73 all,

James
KCØTQD
(and yes, the KC stands for Kansas City)

The costenstants gather, the crown roars! well, not really, but it was fun!

2008-01-14T21:37:00.000-06:00

We post this stuff to acknowledge those that take the time to check in with us. To that end, here are the good folks that checked in with us this evening.

NØIRN - Gary, Springfield MO
KCØTQD - James, Springfield MO
KB9YZE - Rich, Nixa, MO
WBØQIR - Dave, Springfield MO
N5SPX - Jeannine, Springfield MO
KØAWD - Alan, Springfield MO
WBØRJR - Bob, Everton MO
KC5MNP - Mike, Walnut Grove MO
KE7ABH - David, Springfield MO
KQØQ - Lance, from NC via e-mail. Thanks for thinking of us!

Until next time,

Jeff / KCØVGC

I don't need HF, I can talk around the world with ____________

2008-01-14T18:10:00.000-06:00

____________ (fill in the blank) be it D-Star, EchoLink, IRLP, eQSO... there are several VOIP / Amateur radio tied communication methods. They have been around a while and some are more popular than others. First off let me say that I believe all of these modes have their place and serve a useful purpose. I have been using VOIP technology long before I became a radio amateur. I used it to chat with my sister when she and her family moved to Peru as missionaries back in 1993. So, I've been using this stuff for a while. Would I become a radio amateur to do this communication when all I had to do was load software on my computer? Nope, probably not. Not worth the trouble and communication over the Internet to Peru was more reliable than HF would be. So, why get on HF when all you have to do is get connected?

I heard it said recently from a ham friend, "I don't need HF, I can talk around the world with D-Star though the gateway." While I respect my friend, I thought to myself, "I'm sure glad all Amateurs don't feel that way." I have different goals and objectives than my friend when it comes to Amateur Radio, and like many, I like a challenge. So, HF is not for everyone. I'm fine with that. I'm not saying one mode has to compete with the other, or should. It's a big hobby and folks should be allowed to explore, invest, and enjoy whatever aspect suites them. I just hope enough of us stick around to build the next ham radio infrastructure so that it will continue beyond the boundaries of the Internet.

Best 73,

Jeff / KCØVGC

One Crazy Monday

2008-01-08T20:38:00.000-06:00

As most of you were witness to, we had a wild ride Monday evening into early Tuesday morning. January 7th and 8th, 2008 in Southwest Missouri will be remembered for anything but winter weather. We postponed the net until 9pm local time, but the severe weather was still going on even at that point in time, and would continue on for several more hours. With that, we had Rich KB9YZE, Justin KCØEUJ, Jeff KCØVGC, Jim KCØIYI and Dick KØGL check-in to an abbreviated Monday Night Net. Let's all hope we don't see another crazy night like that for a while. For more information on the weather on January 7-8th, take a look at www.ozarkstorms.com (courtesy of Jeff KBØWVT) and NOAA Springfield . Hope to hear you all next week.

73

James
KCØTQD

Happy New Year!

2007-12-31T22:01:00.000-06:00

December 31st - Thanks to all who checked in this evening, and best wishes to all for the New Year. Looking forward to the upcoming Ozark Mountain Hamfest in January - lots of things happening there, including testing by the Nixa Amateur Radio Club.

Thanks to the following for taking time to check in on a cold December night!

KC5MNP - Mike, Walnut Grove
KBØTPZ - Mark, Springfield
KBØNHX - James, Ash Grove
KCØUAX - Brandon, mobile on the way back from Branson, MO
KØAWD - Alan, Springfield
KCØSQD - Dean (of Radio), Nixa

See you all in 2008,

73

James
KCØTQD

John, KB0OU relays a check-in for KG4COQ

2007-12-17T22:17:00.000-06:00

Thanks to Dave, WBØQIR for forwarding us this e-mail from KG4COQ.

Subject: RECEPTION REPORT FROM FLORIDA
Date: Mon, 17 Dec 2007 22:20:46 -0500
From: Don KG4COQ
To: WB0QIR

Good evening,
I hope I have the right callsign. Were you on a 6 meter fm net tonight on 53.270 ? If so the repeater was doing a great job here in Tampa Florida tonight. Had signal of S-2 to S-40 with a average of S-6 . Dont know where the repeater is located but I will assume it is in Mo. Tried to reach repeater many times during the last part of net and finally was able to reach it on the receive freq. If I have reached the correct call perhaps you could share this with your group.
Thankyou for your time ,best to you for the holidays

73 and best of DX...
Don Rosselli
KG4COQ
Found on the following frequencies:
28.375 USB,50.125 USB,146.640 FM and 443.475 FM (103.5 TONE)
RADIO ACTIVE RADIO
Tampa Bay,Florida

6 Meters is OPEN!

2007-12-17T21:57:00.000-06:00

Thanks to all the folks who checked in with us this evening; there was plenty to discuss. Hellschrieber and other digital modes were in discussion tonight. Jeff and David noted the openings on SSB 6 meters, and we also had a DX check-in from Don, KG4COQ in Tampa Bay, Florida, that was relayed by KBØOU, John in Joplin. Reminder, no Monday Night Net on Monday the 24th; there will be a Santa Claus Net on the 145.27 repeater at 8pm on the 24th. Also, we announced the Ozark Mountain Hamfest taking place in Springfield, MO on January 12th, 2008. More information on that can be found at www.w0omd.org.

Thanks to our group tonight:

Jeff, KCØVGC - Springfield, MO
David, WBØQIR - Springfield, MO
Doug, KØDPS - Ozark, MO
John, KBØOU - Joplin, MO
Mike, KC5MNP - Walnut Grove, MO
Jeannine, N5SPX - Springfield, MO
James, KBØNHX - Lee's Summit, MO
Don, KG4COQ - Tampa Bay, FL

73s

James
KCØTQD

December 10th net

2007-12-10T23:30:00.000-06:00

Thanks for the good discussion on tonight's topic. Great talking to all of you on six meters!

KBØWVT - Jeff, Nixa MO
KØDPS - Doug, Ozark MO
KQØQ - Lance, Springfield MO
KCØTQD - James, Springfield MO
NØIRN - Gary, Springfield MO
KB9YZE - Rich, Nixa MO
KBØNHX - James, Lee's Summit, MO
WSØE - Joe, Nixa MO

I do want to mention that I did get an e-mail from Jerry, ACØAJ in Neosho, MO. The ice took down his HF vertical which is what he was using for six meters. I'm sure he's not the only one with antenna problems due to the ice!

Jeff / KCØVGC

What is your best investment?

2007-12-10T14:06:00.000-06:00

For tonight's net and for the amateur radio public public reading this I would like to pose this question: What one thing have you invested in that has most increased the enjoyment you receive from operating your station?

The answer to this question has remained constant for me ever since I got my license, however it has taken on even greater importance to me as I continue on further in the hobby. When I first got my license, I was thrilled to be able to chat with my friends on the area 2m repeaters. Now, I still enjoy those things, but I spend most of my time operating modes other than FM and communicating with folks over much greater distances. I'm not going to tip my hat any further as to what my answer is to the above question until after the net this evening. I'm sure there are several out there that are interested to know what folks have done and are doing to increase their enjoyment of the hobby. Don't be shy, that is what amateur radio is all about. Sharing your skill and knowledge with others to further the enjoyment of the hobby.

Keep your antennas high and your coax dry,

Jeff / KCØVGC

Monday Night Net the Third

2007-12-03T21:05:00.000-06:00

Great net this evening, and thanks to all who checked in. We had 20 check-ins this week (well, ok, KBØNHX by proxy). Once again had a fine group and hope a good time was had by all. Had some great comments on 6 meter band openings; Kevin WBØOSP commented on hearing some CW beacons and having some CW QSO's with some Colorado stations; Jeff KCØVGC was able to snag several stations on 6M SSB in North Carolina on the evening of December 2nd. Look forward to hearing about more contacts next week. Checking in on December 3rd were as follows:

KØDPS - Doug, Ozark MO
KBØTPZ - Mark, Springfield MO
KCØQJH - Tom, Strafford MO
KCØEOA - Steve, West Plains MO
NØIRN - Gary, Walnut Grove MO
KBØOU - John, Joplin MO
K5QQ - Jim, Springfield MO
KB9YZE - Rich, Nixa MO
WØGMB - Mike, Springfield MO
KQØQ - Lance, Springfield MO
KCØUKB - Randy, Springfield MO
KCØVGC - Jeff, Springfield MO
WBØOSP - Kevin, Rogersville MO
KC5MNP - Mike, Walnut Grove MO
WØJRP - John, Joplin MO
NØRMB - Gary, Springfield MO
WØJVV - John, Belton MO
WAØSAP - Dave, Nixa MO
KØAWD - Alan, Springfield MO
KBØNHX - James, Lee's Summit MO (via email!)

Hope to hear you all again next Monday-

73

James, KCØTQD

Another fine net

2007-11-26T23:12:00.000-06:00

22 Checked in for the second Monday Night Net.

NØIRN - Gary, Springfield MO
KØDPS - Doug, Ozark MO
KE7ABH - David, Springfield MO
WØJRP - John, Joplin MO
KBØNHX - James, Lees Summit MO
WBØQIR - David, Springfield MO
KCØTQD - James, Springfield MO
WSØE - Joe, Nixa MO
N5SPX - Jeannine, Springfield MO
KBØTPZ - Mark, Springfield MO
NØZDZ - Richard, Springfield MO
ACØAJ - Jerry, Neosho MO
KCØIYI - Jim, Nixa MO
NAØLB - Lee, Springfield MO
KCØEOA - Steve, West Plains MO
KCØUKB - Randy, Springfield MO
KCØSQD - Dean, Nixa MO
KB9YZE - Rich, Nixa MO
KC5MNP - Mike, Walnut Grove MO
KQØQ - Lance, Springfield MO
KBØSTN - Ray, Joplin MO
KCØQJH - Tom, Strafford MO

Thanks to all who checked in with us along with the questions and answers. Many for the second time. I also want to thank the fellows over in the Joplin area for passing the word around about this net. Let's keep six meters active in Southwest Missouri! That's what it's all about.

73,

Jeff / KCØVGC

First Net

2007-11-19T21:48:00.000-06:00

Great First Net! We had 14 check-ins for the inaugural Monday Night Net. Jeff Kerr was NCS and did a fine job. Check-ins were as follows:
KB9YZE - Rich, Nixa MO
KCØEOA - Steve, West Plains, MO
KBØNHX - James, Lee's Summit, MO
KØDPS - Doug, Ozark MO
WSØE - Joe, Nixa MO
KCØTQD - James, Springfield MO
KCØUKB - Randy, Springfield MO
KCØYOO - Emily, Springfield MO
WBØOSP - Kevin, Rogersville MO
KBØTPZ - Mark, Springfield MO
KCØIYI - Jim, Nixa MO
KCØEH - Charles, South Coffeyville, OK
KBØEMB - Larry, Kansas City MO
WØERE - Al, mobile north of Ozark, MO

Thanks to all who checked in and to Jeff, KCØVGC for running the net tonight. Look forward to hearing about how the SSB ragchew went following the FM net!

73

James
KCØTQD

Welcome

2007-11-14T22:33:00.000-06:00

Hello, and welcome to 6meter.net. A gathering place for everything six meters and below. Nothing is specifically included or excluded from this net. We're just here to have fun on six. Share your experience or just chat with folks. All are welcome.