Welcome to Tropical band

To most people the phrase "tropical bands" bring a pretty clear picture to mind - a bunch of shirtless guys playing calypso music. But to experienced shortwave DXers those two little words express the most challenging and enjoyable part of the radio hobby. The phrase kindles memories of a DXer's best catches and favorite QSLs, of exotic stations, music and of early morning listening sessions. (Don Moore)
I like the "Tropical band" name for new 60m allocation. (OK1RP)

Effective from 1st Jan 2017 please paper QSL via OM-bureau only.


Sunday, July 31, 2011

60m RSBEV vertical by Lou, KE4UYP

60m band RSBEV vertical antenna


(Orig. design and article by Lou, KE4UYP)


A 60m full-size elevated ground radial vertical would be 52 feet high with the ground radials at 8ft. above ground. It would require a square piece of land 104 feet by 104 feet on the ground. It also would have a limited range of take off angles. This greatly reduces its performance under 1000 miles.

Here is a radical new design for a wire vertical antenna it is a true self-contained vertical that is reduced size but still has high performance. At a top height of 29ft. 2"3/4 . A horizontal space at the top of 24ft. 9"1/2 and 20ft 2"1/2 by 26ft 2"1/2 at the bottom. My RSBEV's (Reduced Size Broad Elevation Verticals) have an unusually broad elevation pattern this improves short range communication quite dramatically. The elevation pattern covers from 9.8 degrees to 69.6 degrees minus 3 dB that is a total range of 59.8 degrees.

Compare that to the 60m full-size elevated ground radial vertical that only covers from 8.3 degrees to 47.3 degrees for a total range of 39.0 degrees.

But what about the gain difference well the elevated ground radial vertical
over average ground has 0.19 DBi at 25 degrees at 10 degrees it is -1.63 DBi. The RSBEV has -0.75 DBi at 30 degrees that is only 0.94 DB less than the elevated ground radial vertical. At 10 degrees it is -3.75 DBi just 2.12 DBi less.

Now for the icing on the cake the RSBEV is a direct 50 ohm coax fed antenna, with a usable band width of more than 200khz.

There is always room for improvement wire verticals have been around for decades but I believe my new design is a improvement over traditional monopole verticals.


29ft. 2"3/4 High at top
Wire 1 This Wire go's from 29ft.2"3/4 down to 5ft.1" above ground
Wire 2=20ft 2"1/2 This Wire go's from 5ft.1" down to 3ft. above ground
Wire 3&5=26ft 2"1/2 Stays at 3ft. above ground
Wire 4=24ft. 9"1/2


Lou, KE4UYP


As it is very interesting design I am posting it over here with permission of Lou, KE4UYP. It will be very useful to know if somebody tried it and with which results...


More information You can find here:
http://ke4uyp.tripod.com/60m_RSBEV_Antenna.html

73 - Petr, OK1RP

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Berlenga Island on 60m by Jose, CT1EEB

Berlenga Island 60m activity

Posted by: Jose E. Ribeiro Sa, CT1EEB
Mon Jul 25, 2011 12:30 pm (PDT)

A Team of hams, CT1BOL, CT1DZR, CT1EAV, CT1EEB, CT1ENV, CT1FFU, CT1FJL, CT1HXB and CT1IZW will be active from the 29th to the 31st of July from Berlenga Island, IOTA EU-040 (with an entry in the IOTA Contest) using the callsign CR5B. Outside the contest operators will use their own callsigns /P on all bands including the new 60m band.

I remind you that the authorized 60m band frequencies in Portugal are:

5288,5 SSB + CW
5371,5 SSB + CW
5403,5 SSB + CW

QSL portable callsigns to the home calls.
CR5B via CT1BOL.

73 Jose CT1EEB

I hope that also QSX operation with listenning down on FA channel (5260) will be provided by operators to allow us (OK, OM and other countries) work them on 60m band too.

73 - Petr, OK1RP

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

60m - Tropical band in OM

Hi all,

good news coming to all of us from Slovakia about the 60m band operation.

In Slovakia just one channel (FA) is allowed for experimental purposes.
All OM stations can use the band from 5258.5 to 5261.5 MHz which is as same as the band allocation in Czech Republic. The allowed power is max. 100 W ERP and licences are valid for 1 year as same as in OK land.

It seems that first permitted and active on the band was Jaro, OM1II.

Active callsigns from last few weeks are:
OM1II
OM3CU
OM5NA
OM8ON
OM4DX

Good luck to all with hunting new DXCC from SLovakia and CU on the air...

73 - Petr, OK1RP

Sunday, July 17, 2011

60m band CODAR - update 17/7/2011

Hello all,

I am happy to forward the great news as follows...

According to:


http://cordc.ucsd.edu/projects/mapping/maps/


the final CODAR was moved from 60M today !


We should all get on channel 4 tonight and celebrate !


Thanks to everyone that sent in reports and helped get this removed.


Richard - K6RBS

---------

Howdy all,

As of today Rutgers University CODAR team has moved all eight of their sites from 5.375 MHz which was causing us the 60 Meter interference, to 4.900 MHz thus solving the problem.

A hearty thanks to Josh Kohut, Ethan Handel and the rest of the Rutgers CODAR team for their support and cooperation in testing and taking action to solve our 60 Meter interference problem.

Thank you Gentlemen !

An equally hearty thanks goes to everyone who participated in the monitoring, data gathering and reporting that led to the success of this effort.

At the beginning of this effort I received reports from Costa Rica, Hawaii, Alaska, Wake Island and other distant locations. I'm not sure if the problem has been solved at these locations since I didn't receive monitoring information during our test periods but if you are still plagued by CODAR on 60 Meters you might try contacting the Ocean Sciences department of your local University and discuss the problem with them.

If the CODAR is no longer causing interference at the distant locations then that is evidence of the phenomena propagation characteristics on 60 Meters which we noted during our test periods.

73 & the best of 60 Meter DX to all of you.

Dan Welch - W6DFW
Official Observer Coordinator
ARRL Orange Section
Email: arrl.ooc@apex-scientific.com
============================================


I would like to send big thanks to all who contributed to solve the problem and decreassed the QRM on the 60m band, specially to:

Dan Welch - W6DFW,
Richard - K6RBS,


Thank You guys - You made great job for all of us !


73 - Petr, OK1RP

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Worldwide 60 m frequency chart_v10.pdf by Tom, LA4LN

Hi,

although it is almost 1 year old and not updated I am posting the link for this Worldwide 60 m frequency chart_v10.pdf created by LA4LN just FYI as there are also aditional useful informations below the table.

Worldwide_60m_frequency_chart_v10.pdf

I will try to drop an email to Tom, LA4LN in order to help with updating this nice sheet.

73 - Petr, OK1RP


Icom IC-703 on 60m band by Adam, AB4OJ

Hi all,

Maybe it will help to somebody...


Icom IC-703 60m band mod

Disclaimer: Performing this mod will allow an Icom 703 to transmit outside of the Amateur bands. Perform this mod at your own risk.

Adam, AB4OJ or myself are not responsible for any rules violations or damage to your radio that may result.


Click on the link below then on images to view full-size.

http://www.ab4oj.com/icom/ic703/ic703_60m.pdf


73 - Petr, OK1RP

60m - Tropical band in CT - updated 5/7/2011

Hi all,

there I am posting FYI the latest update about the 60m band operation allowed in CT which I got from my friend Jose, CT1EEB by today.

Hi Petr,
I think you would like to know that we have been authorized for 3rd frequency in the 60m band, 5288,5 kHz.
So now we have 3 frequencies:

5288,5 kHz both SSB and CW
5371,5 kHz both SSB and CW
5403,5 kHz both SSB and CW

I have initially requested Your authorized frequency of 5258,5 kHz but it was denied as ANACOM says there is too close to frequency used by the military.

Last one I worked in 60m, was OM, I do have a firsts list but it's not been updated latelly, I have to work on it, Hi!
You can find it at: http://www.qsl.net/ct1eeb/60m/60m.htm

73 Jose CT1EEB