Bill, I'm glad your 6M QRP experience was positive.
For the last few weeks, I left my 817 on and around 50.125 with a
folded dipole at 55 feet (Grid square FN25) anticipating to hear
something. All I hear were computer-generated carriers from the
various electronic devices in the neighbourhood. Last weekend, I went
to the cottage (FN14) with my the FT-817, a 40Ah-battery pack, a HF
to 150Mhz SWR meter, 15' of coax and a dipole. No more computer
noise, no more QRM except for an outboard engine generating static
noise every time it went by the cottage.
I realise to make a QRP contact in SSB is a little more difficult but
last weekend was very disappointing. I heard lots of stations, some
loud ones from Louisiana, and EM55 with signals up to S8 but I never
got a single call returned.
I can't forget the look on my wife's face when she said "Can't they
hear you?" The SWR meter indicated 3.5 W out with no reflected power.
I could see the power meter move with my voice, so there was power
going out, yet I didn't make a single contact.
I plan to go camping near Moosonee (Grid Square EO91), near the
shores of James Bay in 3 or 4 weeks, and I'm debating if it's worth
bring the rig and batteries after last weekend's experience.
Daniel
VE3DCL
--- In FT817@y..., Bill Gerth <bgerth@a...> wrote:
This week-end, I re-discovered 6 meters, courtesy of the FT817. I
was
participating in the IARU HF
Contest and conditions weren't great on 10 or 15 meters, so, on a
whim,
I listened on 6 meters with the 817.
As many of you probably know, there was very nice sporadic-E in
progress
for much of the afternoon, at least in the Eastern half of the US.
I
wound up working over 30 stations in 24 different grid squares in a
few
hours. Received reports ranged from quite a few
S-9's to mostly S5's and some requiring good ears and several
repeats to
get a solid exchange. All in all, a fun experience which
proves the multi-dimensional power of the 817. This one effort
took me
almost one quarter of the way to VUCC. This was
with a 3/8 wavelength vertical up about 20 feet. You can bet I'll
be
tuning 6 meters regularly in the future!
72,
Bill
W4RK
Nashville, TN
USA
