Radios

The 6-Meter Amateur Radio Band

BenLeave a comment

What Is the 6m Band?

The 6-meter band, spanning roughly 50–54 MHz, is a section of the VHF spectrum assigned to amateur radio operators.

Its wavelength is six meters, and its position between HF and VHF makes it behave like a mix of both services.

Why It’s Called the “Magic Band”

6 meters has an almost unpredictable personality.

Sometimes it acts like a local VHF band; other times it opens up suddenly and supports long-distance DX like HF.

Because of these rapid and surprising changes, operators refer to it as the Magic Band.

Contacts I had across to Europe

Propagation Characteristics

6 meters supports a wide range of radio propagation mechanisms:

Sporadic-E

Dense patches of ionization in the E-layer

Allows contacts hundreds to thousands of kilometers away

Most common from late spring through summer and again in winter

F-Layer / F2 Propagation

Appears during strong solar activity

Enables global, long-haul communication

Can keep the band open for long stretches

Tropospheric Enhancement

Weather-related bending in the lower atmosphere

Extends VHF-range signals over much longer distances

Meteor Scatter

Radio waves reflect off meteor trails

Excellent during meteor showers

Modern digital modes—especially MSK144—dominate this technique

Auroral Propagation

Signals scatter from auroral activity

Produces a very distinct, rough sound

Common at northern latitudes

Trans-Equatorial Propagation (TEP)

Occurs near the geomagnetic equator

Allows north–south DX paths across continents

Modes of Operation

6 meters accommodates virtually every common amateur mode

Weak-Signal & DX

SSB, CW

Digital

FT8 (primary mode for most openings)

FT4, JT65

MSK144 (meteor scatter)

FM

Simplex and repeater use in certain regions

AM

Niche but still used by some hobbyists

Equipment and Antennas

Radio

Many modern HF transceivers include the 6-meter band. Examples include:

Icom IC-7300

Yaesu FT-991A

Icom IC-705

Dedicated 6-meter rigs and transverters are also popular among weak-signal operators.

Antennas

6-meter antennas are small enough to install easily yet large enough to perform well.

Common options:

Dipoles

Verticals (good for FM)

Yagis (excellent for DX)

Moxons

Loops

End-fed half waves

Even a small Yagi can work impressive DX during an opening.

Seasonal and Solar Patterns

May–August: Prime Sporadic-E season

December–January: Smaller Es season

Active solar years: Best chances for worldwide F2 propagation

Meteor showers: Ideal for MSK144 activity

What Makes 6 Meters Appealing

Sudden, exciting band openings

Possibility of worldwide communication with small antennas

Plenty of room for experimentation

A wide variety of propagation modes

Generally less crowded than HF

The band blends scientific curiosity, operating skill, and pure luck — which is exactly why many operators love it.

Example

I love 6m when it is active. But I also love 6m when it isn’t open as a few of us use it to chat on it.

The Japanese love 6m. They seem to use it all year perhaps because they don’t need the band to be open to use it and talk across their country.

Below is a video where the band was open for a few minutes. Only a few contacts were made and I happen to be one of them.

After my contact, the bad suddenly closed, making this contact all the more special.

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Yaesu FT-620

BenLeave a comment

The Yaesu FT-620 (and its updated version, the FT-620B) is a vintage amateur radio transceiver designed specifically for the 6-meter band (50–54 MHz). Produced in the 1970s, it offers support for AM, CW, and SSB (USB/LSB) modes, making it a versatile rig for its time, especially during the era when 6 meters was gaining popularity for both local and DX communications. It was part of Yaesu’s early generation of VHF monoband rigs, built with a solid metal chassis and analog controls, reflecting the rugged, durable engineering of the period.

In terms of performance, the FT-620 delivers approximately 20 watts PEP on SSB and CW, and around 4–8 watts on AM. Receiver sensitivity is quite good for a rig of its era, typically around 0.5 µV for 10 dB S/N in SSB/CW modes. The transceiver divides the 6-meter band into multiple segments using a bandswitch, and offers decent selectivity for SSB and CW operation. It can be powered from AC mains or 12–14 VDC, providing some flexibility for mobile or backup use. However, it lacks FM capability, which limits its use with modern 6m FM repeaters or simplex FM operations.

While the FT-620 is highly regarded for its build quality and straightforward analog operation, it does show its age. There’s no digital display, DSP, or modern filtering, and some units may require refurbishment—such as replacing aging capacitors or realigning circuits for optimal performance. Its bulk and weight (~8 kg) also make it less convenient for portable use. Nonetheless, for those interested in classic radios or operating 6 meters on SSB/CW, it remains a capable and enjoyable rig, particularly when paired with a good antenna.

Overall, the FT-620 is best suited to enthusiasts who appreciate vintage gear and are willing to maintain it. It still holds practical value today in the right hands—especially for those focused on SSB or CW operation during band openings. While it won’t compete with modern rigs in terms of features or integration, its simplicity, durability, and vintage charm continue to appeal to collectors and seasoned hams alike.

See my video below where I fire it up and give it a test.

See me fire up this old girl

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Yaesu 857D

BenLeave a comment

A great radio that does all bands up to 70cm. Using all modes also you can talk on SSB on VHF and UHF.

If you haven’t done SSB on 2m and 70cm, then I’d encourage you to do so. it is a lot of fun.

This radio will do it and so will a lot of the old radios. There are very few new ones that do it now.

Some very old radios only do SSB on one band or another.

Please see my review of the 857D. It’s a great old radio but so small in size making it an ideal portable or mobile radio.

If you enjoyed this post, there are heaps of others you may enjoy here:

Yaesu FT-225R

Ben2 Comments

The 2m band has always been an interesting one for me. It used to be swamped with pager interference, but it actually is a great band. Inversion allows your signal to travel long distances at times, especially on SSB.

This video is about the Yaesu FT-225R 2m all band radio. While the radio is huge, it is a beautiful radio any collector would love to have.

If you want to look at the manual, you can look at it here. I love these old manuals, where they state every component in them as well as circuit diagrams.

According to all reports, I sounded excellent on receive and I loved the sound from it on revive at my end also. You can plug in an external speaker, but I was happy with what it had.

Special thanks to Michael VK3CMC who let me use the radio so I could access the 2m SSB net.

The FT-225R

The two metre band probably should be used more than it is, but it is a good fun band.

Hopefully we can make contact with each other on that band one day!

If you enjoyed that, here is some more you may be interested in.

Remote testing Antennas

BenLeave a comment

I’ve always wanted to take the radio with me while on holidays and I always do. However I’ve always been limited to 2m and 70cm including local repeaters and digital work.

Our family enjoy holidays all over Australia into some of the most remote places without water, power or any mobile signal. Sometimes this can last week’s at a time.

If your keen to learn more about our travels around Australia and learn more, please let me know.

Most of these remote locations means limited activity on 2m or 70cm as there are no repeaters for days!

Because of this remoteness, there are several outback radio networks we can join or listen to. They make quite interesting listening.

However, when on holidays, we amateurs don’t want to just listen, we want to be part of the action! And HF is the next best thing.

I’m currently on holiday in the Victorian high country, also known as “The Man from Snowy River” country. It is rugged, beautiful and high. So up here I can actually can receive several 2m and 70cm repeaters, but this is a good test for HF work.

High up on Mount Buffalo

With me, I brought a battery pack, that has a 12 volt lithium battery which we run our camping fridge off.  I now run my HF gear off it!

I also brought my new QT-80 radio, which is small in size yet puts out 80 watts.  I have placed a video below on this radio if you are not familiar with it.

I used a magnet mount antenna base as the car I was using is not mine. This mount sticks to the car like glue, but also comes off on demand so you can adjust the antenna as required.

I brought two antennas to test.  The first one was the HF-008 antenna that covers more bands than the QT80.  I have a video on both these below for you if you are not familiar with it.

I also brought the new CBL-561 HF antenna so I could compare the two antennas. This antenna can be used while mobile unlike the HF-008 antenna. I have another video for you to show you that antenna below:

Before leaving home, I went to the hardware store and bought two lengths of pipe with caps that could safely store each antenna. I could then almost throw them in the boot of the car and not be worried about them being damaged or caught on something as I pulled them out of the boot.

Hot Tip

The funny thing was, while on holidays, I forgot to bring a measuring tape to adjust the antenna. Fortunately one of my children had a ruler with them so I was able to mark measurements down the side of the tube with a sharpie.

I also wrote down next to the measurements the lengths Radioddity recommended and then as I tuned in the antenna myself with the lowest SWR, I marked the pipe to my best measurements which were very close to the same as Radioddity.

This Tip I am sure will be very useful going forward when I’m out in the Australian outback or somewhere that I have no ruler!

Results

Both antennas fitted the same magnetic base which made this setup work well.

On testing both antennas using the same frequency to the same long distance contact, I and they couldn’t tell the difference between us. I found both antennas easy to tune in and get the SWA right down before making any contacts.

I then tried again from the top of Mount Buffalo, one of our highest mountains and got the same results where both myself and the contacts I spoke to didn’t know I had even changed the antenna.

There are differences between the antennas though which may help you decide which antenna is right for you.

Compare Antennas

HF-008

This antenna covers a lot of HF bands, as covered in the video above. However it cannot be used while mobile, mainly due to the jumper cable. It is a great antenna and can be used with a radio that puts out a lot more watts than the small QT-80 radio I used.

CBL-561

The CBL-561R antenna does not cover as many HF bands as the HF-008 does, but if you are using the bands it does cover, then this antenna might be good for you. One big advantage to this antenna is that it can be used while mobile, not just stationary.

Both antennas will need adjusting if you switch bands or switch from one end of the band to another. So setting the antenna to a permanent mount on the car on the top of the roof where it ends up out of reach, then you may want to rethink this. I found the magnet mount ideal, as you can still have it on the highest point of the car and access it easily.

Another option I also use is a bull bar mount that I use on my 4×4.

I’d encourage you to watch my video below as it explains what I discovered.

Remember the old saying Hight is Might and going portable gives you an opportunity to test this theory.

Hope you enjoyed this read. Below are some other interesting articles I have also written that you may enjoy.

Baofeng GT-5R Pro

BenLeave a comment

The first thing I noticed after receiving the radio was the size of the radio. It is small yet not to small that it is hard to use. It fits comfortably in your hand.

Not only is it physically small, the price is amazingly small also. How I would have loved to have this radio when I started in the hobby 35 years ago!

Saying that, I see this as a great entry level budget radio. Or a small radio for camping or in the car rather than putting an expensive radio in.

The GT-5R PRO is an enhanced version of the classic GT-5R, capable of receiving a wider range of frequency bands including UHF, VHF, FM, NOAA, Airband, 1.25M, and 1M.

I was easily able to program the radio via the keypad putting in my local repeaters with the required offset and tone squelch.
But it was even easier to program it via Chirp Next and I have a video on how to do that.

It is a 5 watt radio complete with VOX if you want to go hands free.

The GT-5R PRO is fully compatible with the UV-5R’s accessories. Such as the car charger, speaker mic, ear piece, antennas plus more.

The GT-5R Pro comes in a standard single-unit version as well as a kit version that includes a long antenna and programming cable. I got the kit version, so be shore when purchasing you know if you want the kit or the single unit version.

Contents
• Radio
• Fast desktop charger
• Antenna
• Long antenna
• Li-lon battery pack
• Wall adapter
• Belt clip

It supports UHF VHF dual band transmission and a wide range of reception frequency bands, including 136-174MHz, 400-520MHz, 76-108MHz, 108-136MHz, 200-260MHz, 350-390MHz, and NOAA weather channels.

Receiver Frequency:
FM 76-108 MHz;
AM 108-136 MHz;
VHF 136-174 MHz, 220-260 MHz;
UHF 350-390 MHz, 400-520 MHz

Transmission Frequency (US version): 144-148 & 420-450 MHz
Transmission Frequency (EU version): 144-146 & 430-440 MHz

It has 128 memory channels and I love how when you program them from the radio, you can see what has already been used.

  • 50 CTCSS tones and 210 DCS codes
  • SOS Emergency function
  • FM radio receiver (87.5-108MHz)
  • Channel or frequency mode selection
  • TOT (Time out timer)
  • Reverse function
  • CTCSS and DCS codes research
  • Busy Channel Lockout function (BCL)
  • Frequency step: 2.5/5/6.25/10/12.5/25KHZ
  • Repeater shift
  • VOICE: vocal indication of the function selected
  • Li-lon battery pack
  • VHF and UHF bands and channel name displayed
  • Squelch adjustable in 9 levels
  • 1750Hz tone for repeaters
  • LCD display with backlight adjustable in 3 colours
  • VOX, Scan, Dual Watch functions
  • Power Save
  • DTMF function
  • Alarm function
  • Setting and storing of channel names
  • High/low power selection
  • Frequency offset (adjustable): 0-69.990MHz
  • 2pin Kenwood accessory jack
  • Keypad lock
  • Battery allows direct charging from the DC port

Testing

I quickly made some contacts on both 2m and 70cm and both said my audio was great. I swapped antennas halfway though a conversation and found the small antenna better but that was just for one repeater. I plan on doing more tests in the coming weeks.

Programming Tip

Did you know you can program these radios via Chirp? Here is a great tip you may like with chirp.

Summary

When I received the radio, I was stunned at the price and thought I can’t really go wrong here. I didn’t check the hypnotics but everything else I checked worked well.

If you go via this link, you will get a discount:
https://radioddity.refr.cc/bensangster otherwise you can see it here: https://www.radioddity.com/products/baofeng-gt-5r-pro

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EchoLink CQ

BenLeave a comment

I’ve been using EchoLink well before smartphones where the only way I knew how to connect to a different station was via the radio. The internet wasn’t as extensive as it is now and you had to dial the node you wanted via the radio. You can still do this today but I don’t think anywhere near as many do it.

I always felt EchoLink was well ahead of its time. Started well before any digital radio was thought of. Connecting the world via the internet.

It was great to be able to talk to the UK or States while mobile on the way to work just using a small whip antenna on the car.

Given I’m in Australia, it can be difficult to remember when overseas nets are on, or what part of the world is awake and up for a chat and which ones are not. But EchoLink has a CQ feature.

Calling CQ

EchoLink had a CQ feature where you can call CQ and it will automatically connect to someone who is calling CQ also.

From the Stations screen select call CQ.

  • Then select your language.
  • Select the country, if you leave it as any, you will not limit your connection options
  • Select the node type, again, leave as any to start with
  • And you can skip recent if you want to.

Then press Call CQ

It will call CQ for a while searching for a connection that matches your settings. I find that sometimes it tries to connect to another node but can fail. This is perhaps because the connection drops out for whatever reason. Just try again.

The good thing about this option is you will get someone who is wanting to talk to someone just like you do!

What is your experience with EchoLink? What is your favourite nodes? Why don’t you put it in the comments below so we can all learn from your experiences.

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Cables, how to organise trick

BenLeave a comment

A simple tip that you may always use after reading this.

Often our shacks end up with cables everywhere. It can be a little hard to remember what cable goes where after a few years. It all starts well but as the equipment grows, so do the cables. I have trouble with the power cords in the power boards and what each plug is!

My shack originally only had one cable that went out that hole, “I’ll remember what it is” we all say years later. But sometimes we might upgrade an antenna or radio. In doing so, it is far easier to use the same cable if it is ok, especially if it goes down a wall or through a small hole. After a few changes, the whole thing can become a bit of a mess (not that anyone else needs to know).

Power cables are easier to manage, as I stick a sticker on each plug at the power board to remind me what they go to. So, if I need to change the power board, I know exactly which plug I am pulling out.

But antenna cables are a bit harder. I started writing on a post it notes what this cable was for and taped it to the cable near the plug, but if you swap it to something else, you must change the note. Maybe you forgot last time you changed something or ran out of time. Perhaps after the testing you got so excited about the positive test you never did update the note on your cable.

So, I now have a new system. I colour code each cable at each end with electrical tape as shown below in the photo.

Using the same colour code on each end, I can now be sure which cable goes to which end. One of my cables has two of the same colour, which is fine, whatever works for you.

If you do this just before the plug at each end, then you can see which antenna the cable goes into and which radio. You could also do it again at the bottom of the tower or window so you know halfway along the cable.

I then have a list of yellow 1 strip = HF 6m and Red = VHF/UHF etc. if I swap the antennas, I just must change the list. I can double check by going outside to see what the same colour code ends up. The electrical tape will stay the same and will last a lot longer than handwritten notes.

So, what do you do to keep your station in order? Do you just remember? Do you have a system? Why not share it in the comments below so we can all learn from you.

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  • Dipole Antennas Vs Long Wire Antennas
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  • The 6-Meter Amateur Radio Band
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    Continue reading →

  • Anytone AT-778UV
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    Continue reading →

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GD-77 Won’t connect to PC

BenLeave a comment

I have been using my Radioddity now for some years and love it.  Though upgrading this to the OpenGD77 opened a whole new world and it gets better all the time.

One issue I had for a period was not being able to connect to it via my PC. For some time, it worked, then it stopped. It was most frustrating as I could not run the radio as a local repeater anymore. I almost never update the codeplug now and update the firmware every few weeks, but I could not do any of this without my PC connection.

After checking I had the latest community programming software, I was stumped.

Roger, who is behind all the programming of this radio and who lives nearby, kindly gave me some advice over email.  He suggested it was a Com-Port issue.  And he was correct.  So, I have put this together to help others who may have the same problem as I did.

From windows 10, type in the search box Device Manager.  Then you will get a box like the following.

If you expand out the Ports section, you can see the issue I had straight away, I had the OpenGD77 on com port 4, and an Eltima Virtual Serial Port on com port 2-4 also.

I disabled the Eltima com ports listed by right clicking on them and nothing seemed to stop working, so then I uninstalled them both.  And straight away the com port worked through to the radio like it used to.

Great to have my GD77 back in action!  Hopefully this has helped you, if it has, please let me know.

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BlueDV Windows 10 GD-77

Ben11 Comments

I found it hard to find useful information on how to run the OpenGD-77 hotpot mode with Windows 10. At the time of writing this, there is a lot about this topic using a pistar and even android or ISO, but not much with Windows 10. This is my experence with BlueDV and Open GD-77 using a Windows 10 PC.

Someone once asked me after reading this page, why would you want to do this? So I have added this paragraph to try and explain. One reason is to extend your hotspot range. For example, if you use a normal regular hotspot, it will only have a small range around or in the house. If you want to go for a walk or dig in the garden, you either have to take a battery pack to plug your hotspot in and your mobile plus your radio. This is something I have done many time, especially while camping and in outback Australia – I have added a photo of it below. However if you have a spare digital radio, then you can plug in your GD77 into an external antenna and via BlueDV as explained below, and then almost run your own 5W repeater into the talk group you want. I have done this and been able to walk several kms from home and still have full access yet only taking my GD77 radio with me. The other reason you can do this is because you can. To make your own repeater is a bit of fun.

Hotspot with battery pack and mobile phone on a park bench.

Before you read on, it should be noted that the Open GD-77 firmware and software is changing all the time, so some of the steps below may change. I will do my best to keep this page up to date, however please message me or leave a comment if you have any suggestions.

First install the Open GD-77 firmware and comm driver. There are instructions on my other post here.

Then once complete, make sure your GD77 is plugged into your USB on your PC. Then type in Device manager in the Windows 10 search box to open the Device Manager. Go to Ports and there you should see OpenGD77 followed by a COM number. If you do not, then you need to install the Comm Driver again. Take note of this Com number.

Now open the GD-77 CPS Community Edition and once loaded make sure it has an Extras menu between the View and Language menus. Click on the Extras menu and select OpenGD77 support. Click on Read codeplug and make sure that works. Obviously you need the radio plugged in and turned on to do this.

Now download the latest BlueDV install file from the following web site. Make sure you select the Windows version. There may be beta versions available if you want to try them.

Download and then install the msi file inside the zip file.

Keep the radio plugged into the USB port on your PC. Turn on the radio and press the green button to go into the OpenGD77 menu. Scroll down to options and then go up to Hotspot and when on hotspot press the right button until it changes to BlueDv. Press the green button to save.

Next open BlueDV and once opened, click on Menu then Setup. Put in your callsign, then change the serial port radio to the Com port noted earlier. Tick on RX/TX Colors, enter in the Frequency you wish to use, enter your DMR ID in both boxes, then select the Brandmeister DMR Master server you want to connect to and put in your password. Select Save to save these settings and close the setup box.

Now turn on Serial (top left under menu) by pressing the slide switch to the left, and DMR in the BlueDV interface. If you can not turn on DMR then you have the same problem I did, then you have not turned your radio on correctly or turned the hotspot mode on. If you have not turned on the hotspot, see two paragraphs above. Then, make sure the radio is in VFO mode by pressing the red button, you should see two lines of frequencies. Make sure they are both the frequency you are using in BlueDV. Turn your radio off, connect the cable and plug it into the PC, then hold down the small black button above the blue button and PTT button, and while holding the button, turn the radio on. The radio should say Hotspot along the top of the screen.

It should now work. Adjust your power level on this radio and plug into a nice antenna, then you can use another DMR radio on the same frequency and you now have your own hotspot that will cover an area that your GD77 will cover.

If you put in the DStar or Fusion settings, you can cross mode across to these networks also if you use the latest BlueDV version.

For more information, here is a video I found that got me going with this project. If you look at this video from 6:34 you can see how to do it without BlueDV and using MMDVMHost instead.

I hope you have found this useful. Please see below some other similar articles I have written that might be of interest. Please leave me some feedback if this has been of some help.