Last updated: 2017-01-07
Notice: © 2013 to 2017, Chris R. Burger. This document may be reproduced as required for personal use, and may be freely referenced from other Web sites. However, publication elsewhere, in full or in part, requires express prior written permission from the compiler.
Chris R. Burger ZS6EZ
Box 4485
Pretoria
0001 South Africa
Look for an email address on the ZS6EZ home page (zs6ez.org.za) or on qrz.com
The 5 MHz band is in the process of becoming a formal amateur radio allocation. Resolution 649 (a.k.a. COM 6/12) of the WRC-12 defined an international recommendation that was intended to eventually lead to a world-wide allocation and lays the groundwork for a final decision at WRC-15 in November 2015. In the mean time, over 140 DXCC entities have been active to some extent.
At WRC-15, there was some resistance to the establishment of an amateur allocation at 5 MHz. The best compromise that could be reached under the consensus-based decision making model at the Conference was an allocation of 15 kHz (from 5351,5 to 5366,5 kHz), with an EIRP limit of 15 W. The implementation date is in 2017, so national regulators were under no pressure to implement this decision immediately. Most countries continue with their existing arrangements, pending new rulemaking.
Before 2017, only a few countries authorised unrestricted operations in the 5 MHz band, between 5250 and 5450 kHz. Most of these were in the Caribbean or Scandinavia. Most countries only allowed channelised operations in small sub-bands or even discrete channels, with severe restrictions on power, modulation modes and even antennas.
Propagation on 5 MHz is conventional for an HF band. As can be expected, its characteristics are somewhere between those of the 3,5 and 7 MHz bands. Particularly, the band features great opportunities for local NVIS propagation (high-angle short-skip operation) and is therefore regarded as a useful addition to amateur radio's emergency capabilities. For DXing, signals propagate through darkness, with a pronounced peak at sunrise and sunset. QRN is a severe limitation, so in common with the low bands, northern hemisphere operators are likely to become completely inactive from about May to September, despite year-round world-wide propagation.
The biggest practical problem with 5 MHz DXing has been the low activity, compounded by the fragmented band allocations. Most long-haul contacts involve split-frequency operations. Given how few people are actually active, calling CQ somewhere in a 200 kHz segment was not very likely to lead to success. As a result, Cluster spots are a valuable tool. Many 5 MHz operators feel that normal taboos about self-spotting do not apply to 5 MHz. They probably have a point.
Things changes rapidly in December 2016. Several nations, most notably Germany, suddenly announced permission for their amateurs to use the newly-defined international band. There has been a lot of activity in and around Europe, with semi-rare stations attracting big pileups. Some stations seem very, very loud for only 15 W EIRP...
South Africans are still confined to one channel at 5260 kHz. Using Cluster spots, it is possible to attract some stations to work, while listening in the international band allocation. At least two South African stations have also been active in the research channel at 5290 kHz, using digital modes such as JT9 and JT65.
The ARRL's attitude to 5 MHz is that it is not an amateur band, but rather an experimental allocation. As a result, ARRL awards such as DXCC and Worked all States are not available on 5 MHz. However, many stations are chasing states and countries regardless. Private organisations and individuals are keeping track of achievements and even issuing a Worked All States award. According to 60 m Online, as of 2013-06, about a dozen individuals had achieved WAS on the band. Only one station (G0HNW) was known to have claimed 100 countries, with five Stateside stations between 80 and 100. Another 11 stations (9 in the mainland USA, one in Puerto Rico and one in Denmark) were listed as being over 50 countries claimed. As of mid-2015, the same site listed 19 stations over 50 DXCC countries and 18 stations with their WAS certificate.
As of early 2016, the WAS list had grown to 19 operators. The list of stations with over 100 countries had grown to eight, with 26 over the entry level of 50. The top score listed was W4DR's score of 123.
This page is an attempt to help coordinate activity to see if we can rustle up some more two-way contacts. Feel free to contact me with sked requests or more information.
Back to Index
South Africa was a late adopter on this band. Only in mid-April 2013 was a provisional allocation of two channels made. The channels are issued to the South African Radio League, and only SARL members are entitled to use them. A list of authorised users is published on the Web.
The allocation is administered by Hans van de Groenendaal ZS6AKV. It consists of two channels, nominally 5290 and 5260 kHz. The 5290 kHz channel is only for SARL propagation experiments. Several WSPR stations are running on this channel, and are being reported world wide. The 5260 kHz channel is for general use, including DX. The SARL has had to pay a licence fee, but is offering the use of the general channel to members for free. Authorisations were initially valid to the end of 2013, but were later extended. The latest expiry date was in 2016.
The expectation is that ZS stations would receive the new band allocation long before 2017. The expectation raised high hopes, as it would be great to have access to a portion of the band where people actually listen. On the other hand, if the low power limit is implemented in most countries, the situation may deteriorate. On a low frequency with high noise levels, low power is not good news.
As of 2016-02-11, 221 South African stations were listed as being authorised. Almost 100 of these were in the ZS6 call area, with about two-thirds as many in ZS1. Activity was initially quite widespread, but it has dwindled to a trickle.
Elsewhere in the world, channelised operation is generally centred on the nominal channel frequency. To ensure that USB signals are centred on the channel, the suppressed-carrier frequency (which is what appears on the dial for most transceivers) is generally adjusted to 1,5 kHz below the centre frequency. CW signals are transmitted exactly on the nominal centre frequency. For example, the most-used DX channel for US stations is 4505 kHz. Stations are expected to transmit CW exactly on 4505 kHz, and USB on 4503,5 kHz.
However, for some reason, virtually all South African stations transmit USB exactly on 5260 kHz. My enquiries revealed that the channel is actually 6 kHz wide, centred on 5260 kHz. As a result, all USB stations are operating only in the upper half of the channel. I (ZS6EZ) decided to use the lower half, transmitting CW on 5259,5 kHz. The advantage is that the SSB stations cannot hear me, but I'm still pretty close to the published centre frequency. Several other stations (ZS6RJ, ZS6UT etc.) seem to have followed suit, leading to congestion on that single frequency despite my best intentions. Fortunately, as activity has dwindled, so has congestion on that frequency.
In practice, most neighbouring countries follow ICASA's lead. As a result, it is likely that other southern African nations will allow 5 MHz operations. A station from Botswana has already been heard on the air, and negotiations are known to be in progress with authorities in Namibia and Mozambique. In addition, two stations on Marion Island have had permission to use the existing channel. ZS8Z was heard on several occasions, making this rare DXCC entity available to a few lucky takers. DX prospects were not great. Although ZS8Z is due to be active for 2017 and early 2018, he previously used a resistively-loaded dipole and SSB only.
Several Namibian stations appeared on the band in December 2016.
Back to Index
This section is an attempt to allow activity to be synchronised. I don't like getting up early, and calling CQ day after day is not only excruciatingly boring, but is also both a waste of electricity and a waste of good sleep. If you want to work South Africa, please send me an email.
Next planned activity: For the remainder of January 2017, I will call CQ around 20:00 UTC most nights, except Fridays. I will also be active on Sunday mornings at my sunrise, 03:50 to 04:10 UTC. I transmit on 5259,5 kHz CW, listening mostly on 5355 or 5405 kHz.
If you want to suggest a sked, please feel free to contact me. I can't guarantee that I'll make it, but I'll try. I'm just as keen as you to actually work somebody on this band.
I'm very, very tempted to build a real antenna. Maybe then I can hear those 15 W stations too!
Back to Index
Note: Entities in brackets are unconfirmed thus far. Scores in square brackets are [worked/confirmed].
Back to Index
Back to ZS6EZ's Home Page.