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.

• Captured well by G3NRW's chart 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, but 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, but the UK bandlets don't play well with it.
  • IARU Bandplan including 5MHz WARC hf_r1_bandplan.pdf

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

• Same channels as USA
• Also WARC Band 5351.5 → 5366.5 at 100W ERP

• 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?

SSB and “Dial Frequency” unless specified

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

• I plan to try to have more SSB QSOs on 60m over the coming months and will note which bandlet is used, location of participants, signal strength/quality, path distance etc.

• Maidenhead Locator Distance Calculator : https://www.chris.org/cgi-bin/finddis

• 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 Cadet Radio Info

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/60-meter_band#

— John Pumford-Green 31/03/24 18:50

Page Updated: 06/03/25 06:49 GMT