60m - John's Vademecum

Try to learn something about everything, and everything about somethingThomas Huxley “Darwin's bulldog” (1824-1895)
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====== 60m ======

** A return to 60m in earnest **

I've been active on 60m since it was first available (with a NOV) - and mostly in Digimodes on **FK / 5366.5kHz**, along with a bit of CW and very little SSB. For many years 60m digimodes was the //only// activity I did on the radio. In recent years I've been largely QRT, or having the odd spell on CW, but I still have an interest in 60m as a place for experimentation and for inter-UK communications. 2024 will be my year of 60m, with more SSB operating.

===== Band Utilization =====

  * Captured well by G3NRW's chart {{ :public:radio:uk_60m_5_mhz_band_utilization_chart_band_plan_by_g3nrw.pdf |}}
  * Since this chart was first produced **many more European countries have access to 60m** - mostly using the **WARC** allocation **5351.5 -> 5366.5**
  * The UK was first to have access to 60m but we are now out of touch with how the band is developing, locked in our unique set of //bandlets//.
  * Digimodes among UK stations still takes place on 5366.5kHz (USB Dial) which is an RF centre frequency of 5368.0. This is therefore **out of the WARC allocation**.
    * Many Eu hams choose to ignore this - the WARC allocation goes to //5366.5kHz// and if they set their radios to //5366.5kHz// they operate there ignoring the fact that their actual signal is out of band. 
    * I tend to just work them and leave them to juggle the legalities.
  * I still see the band as interesting mainly for it's use as quiet, mostly channelized band for inter-UK experiments, rather than a band for "working DX".
  * The WARC band has evolved its own internal band-plan.   
    * IARU Bandplan including 5MHz WARC {{ :public:radio:2024:hf_r1_bandplan.pdf |}}


^ 5351.5 -> 5354.0 ^ 5354.0 -> 5358.0 ^ 5358.0 -> 5362.0 ^ 5362.0 -> 5366.0 ^ 5366.0 -> 5366.5 ^
| **CW** \\ **NOT UK** | **All Modes** \\ UK OK\\ FT8 @ dial 5357\\ UK Beware band edge| **All Modes**\\  **NOT UK** | **All Modes**\\ UK OK\\ SSB 5363 Common | **Weak Signal**\\ UK OK\\ WSPR @dial 5364.7 |




==== USA ====

^Channel^Dial^Centre^Comments^
| 1 | 5330.5 | 5332.0 |  |
| 2 | 5346.5 | 5348.0 |  |
| 3 | 5357.0 | 5358.5 | In WARC : FT8 |
| 4 | 5371.5 | 5373.0 | **Shared UK** |
| 5 | 5403.5 | 5405.0 | **Shared UK** |

  * 100W PEP ERP
  * Data & CW **must be on centre frequency of channel** (FT8 on 5357.0 + 1.5kHz ONLY??)

==== Canada ====

  * Same channels as USA
  * **Also WARC Band 5351.5 -> 5366.5** at 100W ERP 
===== UK : Occupancy versus Bandlet/channel =====

  * I plan to investigate which bandlets are used for amateur QSOs and where/when any non-ham, commercial, military and UNID activity blocks access to our allocated spectrum.
    * Which bandlets are clobbered regularly?
    * Which bandlets have clear SSB channels most of the time?
    * Where are the regular amateur nets, QSOs, CQ calls?

===== UK Bandlet List =====

^No.^Start -> Stop ^ Width^Comments\\ (**__Centre of Activity__**)^SSB Dial range^Utilization 2024^CQ?^Non Ham Occupancy^
| 1 | 5258.5 -> 5264.0 | 5.5 | **FA** 5258.5\\ **__UK CW @ 5260.0__**| |**CW @ 5260.0** | CQ | |
| 2 | 5276.0 -> 5284.0 | 8.0 | **FB** 5278.5 |5276.0 -> 5281.0  |**5279.0** |   | Fishfone |
| 3 | 5288.5 -> 5292.0 | 3.5 | **FC** 5288.5\\ BEACONS & WSPR ONLY | |Beacons\\ **W @ 5287.2** | | |
| 4 | 5298.0 -> 5307.0 | 9.0 |  | 5298.0 -> 5304.0 |  | |5298.0->5303.0 data@night\\ 5304.0 clear |
| 5 | 5313.0 -> 5323.0 | 10.0 | **__UK AM @ 5317.0__**  | 5313.0 -> 5320.0 |**5320.0** | | |
| 6 | 5333.0 -> 5338.0 | 5.0 |  | 5333.0 -> 5335.0  | **5335.0**|  |5333.0->5335.0 data@night |
| 7 | 5354.0 -> 5358.0 | 4.0 | //WARC//\\ FT8 @ 5357.0 USA Ch. 3\\ **UK beware band edge** | 5354.0 -> 5355.0 | | | |
| 8 | 5362.0 -> 5374.5 | 12.5| //WARC->5366.5//,\\ WSPR\\ 5363.0 SSB\\ **FK __UK DIGI @ 5366.5__**\\ **FL** 5371.5 USA Ch. 4| 5362.0 -> 5371.5 | **5363.0**\\ **W @ 5364.7**\\ **D @ 5366.5**\\ **5371.5**|  | |
| 9 | 5378.0 -> 5382.0 | 4.0 |  | 5378.0 -> 5379.0 | | |  |
|10 | 5395.0 -> 53401.5 | 6.5 | **FE __UK SSB @ 5398.5__** | 5395.0 -> 5398.5 | **5395.0**\\ **5398.5** | CQ | 5395->5397 data@night\\ FE Clear |
|11 | 5403.5 -> 5406.5 | 3.0 | **FM** 5403.5 USA Ch. 5\\ DX | 5403.5 |**5403.5** | CQ |   |

 

SSB and "Dial Frequency" unless specified

  * W = WSPR
  * WL = Winlink 
  * D = Digi (Olivia, MFSK, Contesia, PSK31 etc.)
  * DV = Digital Voice (FreeDV?)

=====  Other 60m Users =====

^User^Frequency^Location^Comments^
|UK Cadets|5245|Various  | NRN - Replacement for 5345?|
|RAF Volmet  |5450 |England |  |
|Shannon Volmet | 5505 |Ireland | |
|UK Rescue | 5680 |Various | Based at NMOC Fareham?|
|DRA5 | 5195 |Germany | CW Beacon -> [[https://www.dk0wcy.de/schedule_en.html | DK0WCY]] |
|Aero | Various |Various  |[[public:musings:radio:swl:hf_frequencies|]] |




===== Further Information =====


==== Exercise Blue Ham 2024 ====

  * 60m is shared in the UK with the Primary User - military - and we are allowed to have 2-way communication with Cadet Stations.
  * While they do appear occasionally on our shared //bandlets// they tend to be more active on their own specific cadet frequencies
  * Once or twice a year there is a better opportunity to work Cadet Stations - Exercise Blue Ham

=== The next Blue Ham is ===

  * June 17 - June 21 2024
  * All 5MHz UK SSB slots and data on 5366.5
  * See Alpha Charlie [[https://alphacharlie.org.uk/exercise-blue-ham/]]
  * See M0PLT [[https://www.m0plt.me.uk/blueham.php]]
  * Callsigns:
    * Air Cadets : MRxyy
    * Sea Cadets : MFxyy
    * Army Cadets : (tbc)
    * CCF : (tbc)


For other cadet radio info, as I find it, see [[public:musings:radio:swl:cadets|]]

==== 60m band Wikipedia Page ====

  * [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/60-meter_band#]]

--- //John Pumford-Green 31/03/24 18:50//

Page Updated: ~~LASTMOD~~

{{tag>60m radio ssb}}
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