HI All,
I have just finished tuning in a 6m dipole for experimenting on 50.150 SSB on
Cadair-Berwyn for Int SOTA weekend.
anyone used the “magic band” in the past with any success??
Tony
In reply to 2E0LAE:
Hi Tony,
I am likely to be using 6m SSB from Maesglase GW/NW-029 on Saturday 2nd May - I’ve ordered an E’s opening for that day… It will be a first for me as I only use the band occasionally from home.
73, Gerald
In reply to 2E0LAE:
Hi Tony.I have operated on 6 meters for SOTA activation and have never had any problems to get my 4 contacts.I use a home brew delta loop made to the following design .http://www.hamuniverse.com/kk5iddelta.html ATB Geoff G6MZX
What a good idea! I too will put the 6m delta loop up on ISW if other activators are doing so. FB.
Tom M1EYP
In reply to 2E0LAE:
Hi Tony,
Activated GM/WS-032 on 6m ssb yesterday.
Managed to activate several GM summits with a FT-817 and telescopic dipole last summer.
73s Robin, GM7PKT
In reply to 2E0LAE:
Thanks for that guys!! worthwhile experiment then.
Hope to get S2S with you Tom, and others hopefully
73
Tony
In reply to 2E0LAE:
Hi All fix a date and we will have a 6M day.Atb Geoff.
In reply to GW7AAV:
Nice reminder, I keep meaning to build “Steve’s delta loop”. However I did try a bit of MMANA modelling and I found that if you “squash” it (shorten the top boom and lengthen the sides), the match gets better and might not need the 75 ohm matching section.
Out of interest, has anyone tried building that in practice? Of course it would make it longer/taller but the performance seems to be close to the equilateral loop.
73 Marc G0AZS
In reply to 2E0LAE:
Tony,
In the Spring 2004 CQ VHF magazine on page 63 there is an article titled:
“A Portable EME Yagi for 6 Meters”. The antenna does weigh 15 lbs as designed but I think with a little work you could get the weight down. It is a “rope yagi” design and has better then 16db gain. The antenna is meant to be mounted by the ends to trees or something.
I would think you could guarantee your 4 6m contacts with 16db gain…or at least you could guarantee a sore back 
I have built a similar design from a 1995 QST article for 2m with 20db gain that weighs 6 lbs. I plan to use my 2m beam soon from a SOTA peak. I am even considering running the 2m and 6m beams back end to back end if I can find a suitable spot.
If you have more questions about the articles and you cannot get a copy of them on your own feel free to email me…
73,
Tom-N2YTF
In reply to 2E0LAE:
Yes Tony, and it would be great fun to work you on 50MHz during international SOTA weekend. 
I will be listening.
73,
Mark G0VOF
In reply to G0VOF:
Plans all set then will put my dipole horizontal but will be fixed east to west!
73
Tony
In reply to 2E0LAE:
I went to an excellent talk by the UK 6m group and as a result have played on 6m, when its working it really is good even on low power.
Fair bit of info on their site Six News - UK Six Metre Group Sean M0GIA
In reply to 2E0LAE:
Tony,
What did you find on 6m? There was a bit of an opening here in the states on 6m & 2m for the weekend…
73,
Tom-N2YTF
We tried a bit from our first activation on the Saturday, as I noticed hints of an opening too. Unfortunately, this led only to a single contact (G4EHT in IO92) for me on 6m CW, but later on, Jimmy M3EYP had a short run of QSOs on 6m SSB. I don’t think that actually included any DX though.
Tom M1EYP
In reply to M1EYP:
Hi Tom I tried 6 metres on Sat from Dodd Fell and all I heard was a weak Spanish station.Not one contact.ATB Geoff
In reply to N2YTF:
Hi Tom,
9 contacts on 6m SSB including a S2S and furthest contact was approx 100 miles,
I felt it was a good day for the “Magic Band” on Sunday.
hope you managed to get some 6m qso’s also
73
Tony
In reply to 2E0LAE:
Hi Tony,
I worked into Kansas and Missouri (both about 1,200 miles away) on 6m using 100w on SSB to a vertical, and I worked into Vermont on 2m (about 150 miles) using 50w OFF THE BACK of a 3 element beam…of course the 2m station was running 1.5kw to a 4x18el array.
I was thrilled! I think I could have worked quite a bit more had the threatening looking clouds and setting sun not scared us off of the peak. This was my first DX on 6m for 2009.
This operation really got me thinking about operating locations for the ARRL June VHF/UHF contest…now if I was only strong enough to hike up my 60amp hour lead acid battery and a couple of yagis…
73,
Tom-N2YTF
In reply to N2YTF:
Well Done Tony, I was only using 20 watts on 6M and as I said that was with a halfwave wire dipole just resting on the wall horizontal.
I know what you mean about weight of equipment, My FT897 I use is heavy enough without the slabs to power it, but I love using it up on the summits as thats what it was designed for.
73
Tony
In reply to 2E0LAE:
It was very nice to have the summit to summit contact with you on Sunday Tony. Quite a good one too considering the equipment we were using, a half wave dipole resting on a wall at your end & 30 Watts to a 60M dipole at my end on Freeholds Top, a distance of 79 Miles & according to my log 59 both ways 
http://www.dogswebspace.com/sp011_g0vof_shack.jpg
I only noticed after I’d entered my log into the database that this was the first ever 6M activation of G/SP-011 so thanks to you & the other 3 stations G4BLH, G8YIG & G4JNN that worked me on 6M SSB last Sunday.
I also use an FT897 with both internal batteries, but carried a fair bit of extra stuff on Sunday so my pack weighed a hefty 23 Kgs, hardly surprising that I had a bit of backache for a couple of days afterwards. HI!
I have posted an activation report on here if you are interested.
I look forward to working you again on the “Magic Band”
73,
Mark G0VOF