Understanding the 60 meter band channels (Part 2)

[@metroatlantahamradio334]

Part 2!!!! Man lets go!!! Subscribed!!!

[@n4hnhradio]

Thank you for subscribing! I sincerely appreciate your support. It helps justify my time. 73, de N4HNH

[@KY4K-10]

Great video. I knew there were some weird things going on with those channels…. You explained it very good. I have a handle on it now. Also did not know that the manufacturers were changing the displayed frequency. That seems to cause some confusion. 73 KY4K

[@n4hnhradio]

I’m glad the video helped sort out some of the confusion. 60 meters is a great band. 73, de N4HNH

[@KY4K-10]

@@n4hnhradio I know…. I have been working FT8 there for a while now.

[@thuff3207]

Thank you this was interesting since I did know the radio makes basically hid the actual frequency. I would like to know what table and software you were using to do the drawing. It was nice.

[@n4hnhradio]

The tablet is an iPad Pro 12.9”. The app is called Nebo. I was using the Apple Pencil to write on the screen. The Nebo app can convert what you write to typed text or you can use free form mode, which is what I was using. 73, Doug

[@miketaylor6700]

Just so I have this straight… Since we only have 5 ‘channel’ frequencies on 60m. Whoever gets there first gets to use the channel. Yet it’s not used too much? Seems crazy, because there are thousands of Ham operators out there, and I see people jam packed shoulder to shoulder on the other bands (40m and 20m especially)… but not much activity on 60m.

[@n4hnhradio]

40m is a 23-hour band, so it is popular day and night. Daytime for regional coverage and nighttime for DX. 20m provides DX range during the day and often at night, up to a point. 20m isn’t a 23-hour band. People with amplifier like to use 40 and 20. We can’t use more than 100W ERP on the 60m band. Many operators want to run their amplifier. I like that there is a 100W limit. It levels the playing field. We share the band with government agencies. If they need the frequency, we must vacate. I’ve never heard that happen. The main thing we must be careful of is that we transmit 1.5kHz below the channel center for voice (USB only) and transmit at the center of the channel for CW. For USB our transmit bandwidth cannot exceed 2.8kHZ. Yaesu programs memory bank 5 within those rules. Use memory bank 5 and you will be legal.

[@W4MUD]

How and when does the Govt use 60m? Ie. emergency coms, special ops, etc. Digital, phone or cw? I wish I’d had taken a closer look at 60 before now… Hopefully I’ll catch you there soon! 73 my friend. W4MUD

[@n4hnhradio]

Alaska Emergency Communications uses the 5MHz band. There are also beacon stations and propagation testing stations within the band. Many other countries use the 5MHz band as well, for similar reasons. Some of those countries also allow their amateur operators to use the band, but usually on different frequencies than the ones we are allotted. 73, de N4HNH

[@n4hnhradio]

It’s such a great band. A few years ago, there was a belief that, if we don’t use it we will lose it. I have noticed more and more traffic on the 60m band in recent years, so, if that is the case, I would like to think that we have proven that we are worthy of the 60m band. 73, de N4HNH

[@W4MUD]

@@n4hnhradio I've been bouncing around it today and I've heard QSO's every time. The band seems to be coming around now where I live. It's the best I've heard so far...

[@n4hnhradio]

Jump in and enjoy it. You don’t have to compete with amplifiers. It puts everyone on equal footing. 100W ERP maximum. 73, de N4HNH