20 Jul 2009

SixBox testing and "super" 6m DX

Back home in Cambridgeshire now and, sadly, was unable to find anyone within a 15-20 mile radius when in S.Devon with whom to test the SixBox QRP AM rig. This despite calling for several DAYS on the local 6m and 2m repeaters.

The Torbay 6m FM repeater was a good signal and I could access it well, but I heard not one person using it! No-one even replied to a call through it.

I had plenty of 6m DX QSOs on SSB using the magmount on the car and 5W though, and heard (but not worked) some remarkable transcontinental DX on the band from South America.

So, back to more modest aims, I shall be on the lookout for stations in East Cambs to do further range testing the SixBox. Let me know if you have 6m vertical and AM and are likely to be workable with 50mW AM from East Cambridgeshire so we can try a test. I am located in Burwell and have a reasonable takeoff to the west and north.

3 comments:

Tony said...

Hello Roger

No locals here with the sixbox, but I did work an Italian station with 2watts of ssb on six with an homebrew atu and 60 foot long wire.
There must be half a dozen 6 metre operators with in 4Km radious of your QTH. 73 Tony G4LLW

Roger G3XBM said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Roger G3XBM said...

Thanks Tony. Yes, I'm sure i can find a good few folks in the Cambridge area to do some tests with. As a good 59 with G6ALB a couple of miles away I am sure it is capable of a bit further towards Cambridge or Ely.

6m is a great band for QRP SSB DXing isn't it. I suspect your longwire antenna may have some gain in some directions.