[RTTY] RTTY on Six Meters

[Dick Kriss, AA5VU]

Jeff WK6I,

As a newbie to six meters I want to thank you for the FB response to my
questions about where to run RTTY.  I have never experienced a six meter
opening but something tells me when it happens many drop everything and work
DX in any mode they can.

I agree putting RTTY at 50.700 sounds kind of silly. Most of us do not have
antennas with that bandwidth.  Maybe a digital segment between .150  and
.160 could be the place to experiment with RTTY and PSK unless it is already
allocated.  The six meter band seems to be sliced and diced pretty good with
no real agreement on RTTY and PSK.

I realize contesters take a dim view of self spots on the cluster; however,
this is not contesting and I would like to see some self spots from stations
trying to make some RTTY or PSK QSO's.  Like noted by Russ, WA3FRP, I have
seen FJ5DX spots for RTTY on 50.150.  If not busy I tune there to see if can
hear him or the SA station he is working.

I may try a self spot some time at 50.153 and transmit some RTTY CQ's.  I
can't really use 50.150 due local QRM from a mystery source - probably the
DSL modem. HiHi

Thanks again for the excellent response.

73, Dick AA5VU
(six meter newbie)


On 12/1/05 1:58 PM, "Jeff Stai WK6I" <wk6i at twistedoak.com> wrote:

> 
> caveat: I have never made a PSK or RTTY contact on 6. Would like to do
> so one of these days, however. I do have a fair amount of experience
> on 6 in general...
> 
> The fact is that during a domestic opening the general listening will
> be .125 to .150 or so, with occasional CW forays to .090-.100, then on
> up past .200, if the opening persists. For domestic, the .100-.125 DX
> window range is avoided. Some CW will be heard near and above .125
> 
> A typical DX opening will occupy .090-.150, with both SSB and CW found
> above .100 (note that it is CW -only- between .080 and .100, with
> beacons below .080 and no general operating down there)
> 
> Thus, anyone who wants to be heard in any mode will be most successful
> in these ranges. I would say that if people are congregating around
> .150 for RTTY, that represents a trend that should be supported. There
> may be some griping from the phone guys but I wouldn't worry about
> that too much other than taking the appropriate care not to interfere
> with others - including QSY when a phone signal starts to fade in on you.
> 
> I would NOT operate RTTY on .125 however - that is the domestic SSB
> calling frequency. It would be correct, however, to announce there on
> phone that you are calling RTTY on .154, for example. The etiquette is
> to not park on .125 and run - but it happens fairly often so just slip
> your brief announcement between CQs.
> 
> The same guidelines would apply to the DX calling frequency at .110
> during a DX opening. Since DX openings are rare, I would urge you to
> use any and all modes to complete contacts and put RTTY aside. The
> heavy QSB during a DX opening often makes CW the mode of choice.
> 
> Putting RTTY all the way up at .700 sounds silly. Most 6 ops are
> interested in making contacts in any mode that presents itself and are
> not going to be cruising up that high (exception: AM signals at .400,
> if the opening is strong and persistent). The antenna limitation you
> cited applies to most everyone else and that is another reason why
> .700 is impractical.
> 
> Regarding .290 and PSK - I have heard of PSK activity there in
> general, but I would also try it lower as well. A lot of ops will
> recognize a PSK signal when they tune across it and change modes
> accordingly - well, I would anyway...;-)
> 
> Hope this helps! - jeff wk6i (CM98)
> 
> 
> 
> At 11:12 AM 12/1/2005, Dick Kriss, AA5VU wrote:
>> This is off topic to contesting but is RTTY related.  I noted some RTTY
>> spots on the AR-Cluster at 50.150 MHz and printed nothing due to band
>> conditions.  I was told to look at 50.290 for PSK with the same results.
>> The AC6V band plan shows RTTY at 50.700 and the ARRL Band Plan does not even
>> mention RTTY on six meters.
>> 
>> My antenna is close to being resonant at 50.125 for US SSB operation but is
>> not that great at 50.700.
>> 
>> When the six meter band opens again, where will people look for RTTY on 50
>> MHz?  Guess I will just follow the cluster spots but 50.150 would be nice.
>> 
>> Anything wrong with a RTTY CQ on 50.150.00 (FSK- Mark) or 50.152.125 (LSB)
>> dial frequency for users like me stuck in AFSK.
> 
> --
> Jeff Stai               jds at twistedoak.com
> Twisted Oak Winery      http://www.twistedoak.com/
> Rocketry Org. of CA     http://www.rocstock.org/
> Amateur Radio           WK6I ~ Calaveras County, CA
> 
>