Re: XG3 6M beacon W7RD

Posted by Bill W4ZV on Jun 22, 2011; 7:26pm
URL: http://elecraft.85.s1.nabble.com/XG3-6M-beacon-W7RD-tp6505576p6505731.html

Edward R. Cole wrote

And I hope you realize that comparing 6m propagation to 80m
propagation is not fair!  Most likely the XG3 beacon on 50-MHz will
only utilize ground-wave prop.  There may be some tropo-scatter
effect but that is usually more enhanced higher into VHF/UHF.

Hi Ed,

Having operated extensively on 10m (current USA SOSB/10 records in CQ WW, ARRL DX and CQ WPX, both modes) and on 160/80m (DXCC 331/347 confirmed), I can tell you it's MUCH more difficult on the lower bands.  One of the primary reasons is the higher ambient noise floor due to both atmospheric noise (lightning-induced) and man-made noise on the low bands (see the link below).  Other reasons are the greater difficulty of achieving TX antenna gain and RX antenna directivity.  These factors combined result in at least a 20 dB handicap versus the higher bands (e.g. my 160m TX antenna has 5 dBi gain versus 22 dBi for my 10m stack).  

I don't operate 6m but I understand QRP can propagate over long distances when Es and F2 is good.  0 dBm to my 10m stack will easily reach W6 (or much further) if conditions are right.  0 dBm to a 22 dBi antenna gives an ERP equivalent to about 200 mW to a vertical and I've worked Europeans in contests on 10m running those levels during the last cycle peak.

73,  Bill  W4ZV

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archive/ra/topics/interference/documents/rsgb.pdf