VHF and Above is Calling!
from
Mark Flanagan, K1MKF
on
February 23, 2003
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The ARRL sent out a letter last year asking how to improve VHF and above contesting.
More HAMs than ever before have VHF and above all-mode radios, thanks to the Icom IC-706 and Yaesu FT-817 mostly. HAMs living in restricted antenna areas have been turning to mobile and portable ops to operate. The no-code Tech license has infused a bunch of new HAMs since the 90's.
Why is it VHF and above contesting as well as day to day activity is dropping then? I don't have the answer but suspect that the changing work force means less HAMs have each and every weekend off. Many HAMs maybe don't think to get on the air for just a few hours of a weekend-long contest.
A few years ago there were band specific Sprints, 4 hour contests on each of the VHF and UHF bands. I used to operate the 6m Sprint and loved it. They were dropped by the ARRL and picked up by lesser known sponsors. Maybe the time for the Sprint has returned.
A separate contest or run as part of a weekend-long contest. Or perhaps just an entry consisting of your best 4 hour period during a contest. Something to encourage the casual op to hit the mountaintop and operate 3 - 4 times a year.
What are your ideas?
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VHF and Above is Calling!
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by KD5KJD on January 27, 2003
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Mark,
I fully agree with you. I worked the January VHF Sweepstakes with two other ops as AD5V in EM21. The bands were dead. We were more than a bit disappointed to see how very few ops were actually on the air. We called CQ to mostly dead air. We ran a pretty nice little station, nothing elaborate, but a nice station.... I hope the number of our contacts was low due to bad conditions and not lack of participation.
73,
Luis KD5KJD
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VHF and Above is Calling!
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by AB9FH on February 23, 2003
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A ham in our area came up with an idea for an FM Simplex VHF/UHF contest for just this reason. Several new hams in the area, active on the repeaters, they need some encouragement to move out of that comfort zone. Not sure how much participation we had, but I enjoyed the very little I was able to participate. It has me searching for articles on 2m and 70cm beams.
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RE: VHF and Above is Calling!
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by JN3XCV on February 23, 2003
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I agree with what has been said but I also think there is perhaps some more to it.
The technician class license has all privelages for its holder above 30MHz. The hams can run SSTV, PSK31, SSB, FM, CW, etc. Using modes such as Meteor scatter, satellites, weak signal, etc. Lots of stuff for someone to get into and operate with a whole lot of recognition if they are successful (DXCC, WAS, etc.). But what is taught is that they 'must learn the code to got on HF'. For some reason we equate HF with being a 'real' ham and anyone who just operates VHF and above somewhat of a lesser ham.
I hear guys on the local repeater who are not on HF saying that VHF is only good for local stuff all the time. I then tell them on 2m I worked California on meteor scatter, have 45 states on satellite, and over 150 grids on 2m. They are amazed but still convinced that HF is where the real action is.
The ARRL needs to address this attitude if they expect to get people interested in other modes. They do have a small section on the world above 50MHz that tries to cover all the activities but it lacks a certain attractiveness in the layout. The only time we see stuff in the rest of the mag. about VHF is when some guy builds a 20m meter dish using spare radar radar parts from NORAD or a 1000 element array for EME. Of course this is outside the realm of possibilities for 99% of the population so when faced with this or a G5RV for HF guess what is chosen?
I think this why you see all the VHF society actions outside of the ARRL. These are good organizations but they do not promote themselves well to the majority of hams. So we end up with what should be increasing VHF operators to have those only being interested in FM until such a time they become 'real hams'.
Scott
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VHF and Above is Calling!
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by KB9YUR on February 23, 2003
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Please consider the following:
1: Most contests held throughout the year are biased
towards HF, not enough VHF/UHF. Maybe that needs
to be changed?!
2: How many HT's today support SSB capabilities?
Not every new Ham is willing nor has the
financial resources to spend a few hundred
dollars for an all mode rig to explore beyond
FM and local repeaters.
3: How many Hams on 2m repeaters actively
promote other modes to those entering the
hobby/service ?!?
George ...
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by W2QOB on February 23, 2003
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A Philadelphia-area club ran a 2-meter FM contest last year (on 02/02/02) which was fun and available to just about any ham... who doesn't have a 2-meter FM radio?
The idea was to collect as many contacts with as many different zip codes in a 30-mile radius from Philadelphia. Certain club stations counted for two points instead of one. For a few hours on a Saturday evening, it was a lot of fun and had a good level of participation. Unfortunately, I never saw results posted or an announcement about this year's event.
The point is, this is a great idea for a local event that could be sponsored by a club or clubs to generate FM simplex activity on 2-meters or any other band of interest in the VHF/UHF realm.
73, John W2QOB
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VHF and Above is Calling!
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by N2BR on February 23, 2003
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Maby there should be more on ragchewing than worrie about contesting.Contest are fun to work on the VHF/UHF bands but can be boaring if the band not open.
Bob/N2BR
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by K9ZF on February 23, 2003
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The cost issue isn't valid anymore folks. You can pick up used all mode gear very reasonable. For example:
Items For Sale I have the following items for sale. 1. Kenwood TR-9130 all mode 2 meter in good condition with mobile mount and hand mic but no manual. Price:200.00 plus shipping
This was taken from the eham classifieds just before I made this post. And it's not uncommon. I've seen 2m all mode rigs list for $100-$150! My point is you can work 2m ssb/cw for less than most HF rigs. If you already have an HF rig, Ten-Tec makes some very affordable transverters to get you on 6 or 2. If you want new, the Icom 706, Yeasu FT100, and Ten-Tec 526 will all give you several VHF+ bands for well less than $1000.
The main thing is folks, the rigs are out there! Would anyone like to offer a guess of how many '706s, FT100's, and DX70's have been sold in the last 10 years? The problem is how do we get all of those folks on the air? Grid chasing, VHF weak signal work, and contesting are lots of fun, if we could just get folks to try it.
So now, how do we quit complaining about the problem and fix it?
73
Dan
Dan Evans K9ZF
Scottsburg, IN 47170
{EM78}
K9ZF /R no budget Rover
ex-N9RLA
Check out the Rover Resource Page at:
http://www.qsl.net/n9rla
QRP-l #1269
IN-Ham list administrator
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VHF and Above is Calling!
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by KG4EHV on February 23, 2003
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I took time out to build a house and put up a tower but very slow getting back on the air. I really enjoy VHF and tried turning a couple of other hams on to 6m. and above, they want to work DX every nite and not sit for hours listening to white noise so they gave up!
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by AG5P on February 23, 2003
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Great topic for thought and my ideas of bringing
VHF-UHF back alive may be extreme, but give me
the benefit of your doubts.
Lets take a look at the tremendous surge in
QRP homebrewed rigs. There are clusters of folks
that have taken to the simple way of hamming and
radio design, started building rigs and they
ARE on the air in huge numbers. Low powered rigs
are field and portable friendly and you will find
them on SSB, CW, PSK-31, SSTV, and etc.
OK, so VHF-UHF modes are largely higher power
and higher gain-taller antennas...........
.....well....duh!......QRP in the upper bands
in certainly not impossible and you may need
to use parallel feedlines (if you are on a budget)
instead of the zillion dollar coax, but it is a
do'able situation.
Guess I am saying that the existing VHF-UHF groups
maybe should consider some design work, melting
solder and produce some simple but usable rigs that
can be easily duplicated by the unexperienced upper
bands user. Provide some Elmering via the internet
and group meetings, get some scheduled on the air
activities going, i.e., nets, contest, ragchews,
worked all cities in a county, etc. Primarily provide
a reason to be on the air and then actually be able
to communicate with someone.
For myself, the new book EMRFD (Expermential Methods
in RF Design) has a pretty neat 144 MHz transceiver
running SSB and CW that I am going to build and get
back on VHF since my preference is homebrewed rigs
rather than the commercial rigs.
73...Walter, AG5P
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RE: VHF and Above is Calling!
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by W1NCH on February 23, 2003
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Cost and complexity are definitely issues.
I just got back into ham radio after a 10 year hiatus. Bought a couple of 6m rigs (for AM and SSB/CW), a 2m FM HT and a boatanchor HF receiver. Total cost was about $500 (only the HT was new), and I have not even put up any antennas! This does not include the various pieces I already had lying around, like power supplies.
I'm going to build the antennas, but I have to buy the materials, as well as coax, and that is not cheap for VHF. RG-58 works well for 80m, but not for 2m!
I'd like to get into ATV, microwaves, but that costs even more. A 2m multimode may cost $200 used, but then add the cost of the antenna, coax, power supply, etc...
Compare that to homebrewing an HF rig that can use a wire to get around the world, or buying an old HF rig for $200 that will get you on five (or more) bands and can still use a wire to get around the world.
There is a "barrier to entry" in the VHF region. I agree that more, simple homebrew projects would help. As would the increased visibility of simple and effective antennas.
For example, most people say you need a tower and a beam for 6m and up. But long wires will provide directivity and gain on any frequency. This will be my primary antenna for 6m.
CW can be used on the satellites. Why not build a simple CW transmitter and add a BFO to a scanner? Crude? Sure, but it might work. I've got a scanner...
Unfortunately, there seems to be too much emphasis on the "standard" VHF gear: beam antennas and SSB or FM rigs. AM is the easiest mode to generate and receive--even at VHF and up--yet QST has not had an article on AM for decades!
Simple rigs, simple antennas. If VHF/UHF/SHF is to become as popular as HF, it needs to be cheap and easy to get started.
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by KZ9G on February 23, 2003
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I'd love to participate in VHF and UHF contesting.
But...
1. Our economy is forcing most of us to hold off on extraordinary purchases of all types - including our hobbies.
2. Our nation's workforce is working longer hours to meet the productivity demands of corporations. This leaves our remaining time dedicated to our families - not our hobbies.
3. Many of those who were about to retire in the last couple of years have been forced to remain working in some capacity due to dwindling retirement accounts.
4. Many hams (myself included) in the technology and telecom sectors have seen these generalizations amplified many times over.
I hope our economy will turn around in a year or two, allowing many of us to return to hobby and leisure activities. 73. KZ9G.
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by K5MAR on February 23, 2003
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Ever think that a lot of hams who are active on VHF/UHF/SHF just aren't interested in contests? There's a group of us locally who are doing APRS, ATV, and some of the other fun goodies, we may have just located a source of surplus Moto 900 MHz gear and will be looking into that, but contests? Don't call us and we won't call you. About the only contest many of us participate in is Field Day, and for our club that's more of a social event, we don't even turn in the score. I've got a FT-726R with 6m, 2m and 430 MHz and hope to get yagis up on a tower this spring, but I can pretty much guarantee I won't be bothering with any contests that may occur. I will be ragchewing, but all that "5-9 OK" stuff is for the HF people.
Mark Schneider K5MAR
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RE: VHF and Above is Calling!
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by N2BR on February 23, 2003
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Your not going to know if the band is open if you just set and monitor,Make some noise get on with locals and rag chew and make noise so others will know there someone on thee bands.the bands can be open and know one will know if your just monitoring.
Bobby/N2BR
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by N6AJR on February 23, 2003
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I just found the perfect rig for Tech's Look at the yaesu FT-847. for around $1200 - $1300 (with calif. taxes) it is a sweet rig. I wish I had bought this as my first rig. It does hf and 6 meter and 2 meter and 440 mhz all on 1 rig. it also does satalites like the leo birds (UO-14 etc.)
It does have a menu for the set and forget stuff, but is mostly operated from the nice front panel. It does am, fm,(narrow and wide) cw, and ssb on ALL bands. it also does splits and has a complete satalite section.
This is one sweet rig and replaces 3 or 4 rigs in one shot. you can even hear your self talking on the satalites, true dual band capabilities. I think if more tech's had this rig first rather than a HT and a 2 meter mobile they would have a ball. I know I am and I'm an extras and have been a ham since 78, and I am spending most of my time on uhf and vhf.
Its a kick to talk to jamacia from calif on 2 meter fm via satalite. or flordia, or hawaii. Remember the birds are way up there so they have good coverage. check out AMSAT for info.you can do this with a single Arrow antenna (around $80 or build your own..)
this is a cool rig check it out.. 73 tom N6AJR
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by G3SEA on February 23, 2003
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The original posting points up a continuing VHF anomaly
in the USA.
1. The 2 meter band is apparently the most popular band
of choice.
2. Ham manufacturers are producing numerous versions
of 2m/70cm HT's and Mobile rigs.
However we continually hear over the air ( HF ) and read ( QST / CQ Magazines etc ) of Idle 2m/70cm repeaters across the USA ?
What is all this VHF/UHF gear being used for ?
One poster makes a good point about including CW/SSB in
VHF/UHF rigs ( especially for satellite work ).
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VHF and Above is Calling!
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by KZ1X on February 23, 2003
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You wrote, in part:
A separate contest or run as part of a weekend-long contest. Or perhaps just an entry consisting of your best 4 hour period during a contest. Something to encourage the casual op to hit the mountaintop and operate 3 - 4 times a year.
??
There are already several such contests. The June VHF contest is a blast, and the January event can, be, too.
It's lack of antennas that keep people from operating, not lack of contests, or shortage of radios. Thousands of Icom 706 rigs out there, all of 'em with 100W on 6 meters, but, how many hams have portable 5 or 6 element 6M yagis?
Also: why do you capitalize 'ham' ? It's not an acronym or abbreviation for anything.
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RE: VHF and Above is Calling!
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by N0UY on February 24, 2003
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To Mark K5MAR,
I too have a FT 762R with the same modules as yours. Also, I have the satellite board so I can work the birds when the path isn't too high above the horizon. You mentioned the traditional 59 report that is given on the HF contest. You will find this is not the case when on the vhf and above frequencies. Most times the qsb and other conditions effecting the path between two points is changing rapidly so a signal report would only represent a brief moment in time. I'm refering to contacts beyond line of site of coarse.
As far as the subject of the original post, I have noticed some increased activity very recently on the vhf/uhf traditional ssb calling frequencies. Not too many years ago regular schedules for rag chewwing were common in our rural area of Northern Minnesota. It seems to go through cycles of reduced participation and increases again as peoples lives allow. It will never have the out of the box gratification that HF does so entry into this aspect of the hobby will be subject to one's success at it. If you are fortunate enough to live in a populated area, vhf ssb activity can be achieved with a moderate set up. But if you are in the "boonies" like me, it takes a substantial effort in antennas, towers, and feed lines to become successful. Finally, one thing I've noticed. If you put all this effort into your vhf station you are not as likely to abandon those frequencies when the activity is low. To me, it just isn't a ham shack without the constant hiss of the vhf rig running in the back ground. Even when I'm on the HF Bands.
73 Ray N0UY
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by KG4QWC on February 24, 2003
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I have been licensed a little over 1-year now. I
enjoyed the first few VHF contests I did. However,
the ARRL January 2003 VHF contest was dismal at best.
It wasn't only because of the bad propagation either.
First I had several locals nearly blowing out my rcv
front end and putting out tremendously wide splatter
around their center ssb frequency. Other stations
that seemed to have bad transmitters splattering all
over the band--I had a full exchange with one station
in the 50.110-50.125 region and he said he wasn't
transmitting there. How can that be? Found him
seconds later around 50.140 and worked him again.
Actually found him on several frequencies in the space
of seconds. Strange to say the least... I gave up in
frustration after the first day. I also get very
tired of the "games" that get played during the
contests. Anyway, where are most of these stations
during the rest of the year? Never hear them at all
except during contests--probably better anyway! In my
opinion contests do nothing for the hobby in general.
I actually worked four "local" 6-m stations over the
last few days. It was enjoyable because one can move
off the calling frequency and chat a bit and not
wonder if games are being played.
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RE: VHF and Above is Calling!
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by N8VCL on February 24, 2003
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It was asked "How many hams on 2M repeaters actively promote other modes(paraphrased)?"
Here's a problem: What if your local club sees itself more as a "Repeater Association" than a Radio Club? I've seen this phenomenon. When you are on the repeater talking about the benefits of knowing CW, or what fun the other methods and modes are, the comraderie of special projects, etc. people don't want to hear it.
Instead, they want to know where you're driving, what the roads/traffic are like, and how they(or you) are or are not "making the repeater." Maybe some chit-chat about the weather...
Boooring....and long, hard work to change a collective mindset.
A funny story: I was talking about an antenna project on a local repeater, asking for advice. One guy actually said "Wow! Talking about ham stuff on a repeater? What a concept!"
Also, people have their favorite aspects of the hobby. That's fine. We don't have to be so desperate to try and get everyone into every aspect. It can't be done. Soooooo many articles here about "how can we get more people to do this or that???" Just do it, talk about it a little, and if there's interest, they'll come on their own. No need to beg or entice them.
Curmudgeonly,
Scott
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by KT8K on February 24, 2003
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VHF/UHF on Field Day has always been a gas (worked San Antonio Texas one year from EN82 Ann Arbor, MI!) and has increased interest in the upper bands. I've worked a few stations in the VHF/UHF contests from my car, but only have 8 watts from my TR9000 and a 5/8 magmount on 2.
I'd like to see some FM sprints organized and promoted by the ARRL, perhaps four per year per band (2, 220, 440), when people would be encouraged to drive to a high spot and see what their HT, mobile setup, or portable beam could do. Four hours would be a sufficient time period, and if it's at dawn or in the evening (when I've most often seen temperature inversions etc.) it could be a blast. I think it would attract more people into actively using and improving their VHF/UHF equipment.
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RE: VHF and Above is Calling!
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by W9WHE on February 24, 2003
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TWO THOUGHTS:
FIRST: Why judge "activity" by participation in contests?? MOST hams HATE contests. The mere mention of the word "contest" makes us want to turn the radio off. More contests = more radios turned off.
If you are to gage activity, find another way other than .... "CQ CONTEST, CQ CONTEST..you are 5/9, #009"
SECOND: If you say individual repeater activity is down, then I agree. HOWEVER, there are now SO MANY repeaters, that the existing activity is diluted. Moreover, the plethora of machines has resulted in "cliques". If you sign your call on any machine other than your own "clique"... NOBODY will come back to you.
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by WB2WIK on February 24, 2003
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Surely those lacking good, high home antenna systems that provide VHF-UHF DX work regularly cannot even imagine what the bands sound like during any of the VHF contests. Using an IC-706xx and an "FM" antenna from home doesn't cut it, and allows one to hear maybe 2% of the actual band activity, which, during contests, is all on SSB and CW and is "weak," because it's coming in from hundreds of miles away, or farther.
The solution to those who can't install big VHF-UHF antennas systems at home is to take the station portable and use smaller but effective antennas from mountaintops. It cannot be reasonably said that VHF contesting is dying off or there's less participation nowadays than there used to be (although it sure seems that way, sometimes!) because the high-running stations keep making more contacts and continue to break their old records. W2SZ/1 in western Massachusetts holds all the June and September VHF QSO Party records and continues to break them, even though they're essentially competing with themselves!
Not too many years ago I ran a portable VHF-UHF contest station from the channel islands off the coast of Virginia, as WB2WIK/4 in a rather rare grid square, FM27 (almost nobody lives in that grid). About a dozen operators and a total of more than one thousand elements of gain antennas installed on portable 51' - 70' and 100' trailer-mounted towers, powering stations with three Honda 5 kW generators consuming 50 gallons of gasoline...and we made an awful lot of contacts. Under very "average" band conditions, we worked from VE1 to Florida to Oklahoma on two meters, and almost the same on 222 and 432 MHz. Six meters never opened well that particular weekend, but we still worked 40 states, I think it was. When contacting the famous W2SZ/1 station on 23cm and 13cm, it was noted in the logs that their signals, from 500 miles away, were almost pinning our "S" meters.
All it takes is work. In our case (and many other portable operations I've run), it didn't take any "money," per se, as we borrowed gear from everyone we could think of who had anything useful, and invited many operators along to go with us simply because they had great gear for some band or other, and by inviting them, their stations were invited, too! But it sure takes work...in our case, about 1,152 man-hours of it (four days x 24 hours a day, x 12 operators) for a single successful contest.
Finding twelve guys who can get away from home for four days in the middle of June isn't so easy, either!
But, it's worth it, and operating portable is very much what VHF-UHF contesting is all about. Very few hams are blessed with such good home stations and locations that they can do well in a VHF contest, or even hear most of what's going on.
WB2WIK/6
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by N0UY on February 24, 2003
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To WB2WIK,
Excellent description for both the fixed and portable operation. The only thing I can add is the excitement and the feeling of accomplishment is what keeps me interested.
Ray N0UY
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RE: VHF and Above is Calling!
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by WB2WIK on February 24, 2003
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Another point:
VHF-UHF contesting needn't be a huge, "all-out" effort to be great fun, or even to compete.
In June 1984, when the ARRL added a new competition category ("QRP"), my friend Pete KT2B and I decided it would be fun to take a teeny-tiny operation to an unusual location and try to win for the new QRP category.
We ended up backpacking 170 lbs of gear more than six miles up a 4204' mountain (with a 2600' vertical) and setting up 5W VHF-UHF SSB/CW stations with lightweight rotary beams overlooking hundreds of miles of populated terrain, with everything powered by two gel-cell batteries. Not only was it great fun and good exercise, but we did win for the category.
A photograph of me at our Slide Mountain, NY "campsite" for that contest is shown with my "Profile" here on eHam.net. One of my fondest memories!
WB2WIK/6
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by KC0HST on February 24, 2003
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In response to Dan K9ZF:
I respectfully disagree about it being a low-cost affair to get on VHF SSB.
I hear what you're saying about lower-cost rigs, although, I think any 2M(for example) radio worth using that is found for less than $200 is the exception, not the rule. And then you only have about 10 watts going out. An operator on a tight budget (many of us) is not going to have much to spend on the most important components, the antenna and feedline, either, that might make up for this low power.
Let's look at a best-case scenario from a cost standpoint:
used 2M all-mode for $150
40 feet of decent feedline $25
homebrew beam $20
small rotator $25
used amp $80
That's about $300 for starters, if you're lucky enough to snatch up every red-hot deal at the next hamfest(s), etc. This would be a beginner station which would probably only be effective if you're in a more populated area, and not in the 'boonies' like N0UY mentioned.
I don't what to sound like a doom-and-gloomer, but I think that, realistically, people are probably going to need to spend closer to $500 to get started. And that would be for a modest station with a limited ability to make contacts. To me, it gets hard to justify the expense at this point, just in order to get on the lower end of 2M.
Also, the same economics seem to apply if you want to go the route of adding a transverter to a decent HF rig that you already own, if you also want some power. I don't think the 706's and 100d's are the answer here either; I don't own one, but from what I've read, their receivers for the higher bands just don't cut it for weak signal work.
One thing that I think might REALLY help here, is if the manufacturers would offer more options for SSB on VHF/UHF. Like KB9YUR mentioned, there's so many higher-end HTs and dual band mobile rigs available, but only with FM capability. Why? To my understanding, it shouldn't increase the cost too much to add basic SSB capability to these type of radios.
I think, especially for a newbie, it would be very attractive to be able to pay maybe $300 instead of $250 for a decent HT or mobile if it also gave them the ability to get started with SSB(phone, cw, digital, non-FM sats) as well.
I think this would go a long way towards increasing the activity level on VHF/UHF, and also help protect our spectrum here at the same time.
73 Paul
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RE: VHF and Above is Calling!
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by WB2WIK on February 24, 2003
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The cost to add SSB to an FM hand-held is quite a lot, actually. The FM rig uses all non-linear circuitry (very cheap, and mostly biased into cutoff, so it consumes the smallest possible current from batteries), while SSB requires all linear circuitry, everywhere, in every single stage of the receiver and transmitter.
Then, how to "tune" the SSB rig? SSB is not channelized, and a minute change in frequency renders a signal completely unreadable until it's tuned in again. A teeny-tiny tuning knob? Doesn't work. An optically encoded tuning system with pulse counter? Yep, that's what does work, and that's what all the modern rigs use. It takes up space. Ergonomically, the tuning knob must be at least an inch in diameter or no one will be able to adjust it in small increments, an absolute requirement for SSB/CW work. Where do you put the extra circuitry, and a 1" diameter tuning knob, on an HT? And the 3x sized battery pack to support biasing all the linear stages?
Icom made a couple of different VHF portable, battery-operated and relatively inexpensive rigs similar to HT's. Yaesu did, too, and I believe still does with the FT290/690 etc. Kenwood tried their hand at it as well. None of those were very successful, although the Yaesu has had a very long product life. Mizuho, a lesser-known Japanese manufacturer, has made a broad range of "HT" sized portable SSB/CW gear over many years, and you rarely hear one.
The problem is that weak-signal operation, which VHF-SSB and CW definitely are, requires excellent antenna systems for success. Even if your $100 HT had 2m SSB built-in, who are you going to contact with modest antennas from a home station? Almost nobody, which is what everyone found with the previously mentioned YaeComWood and Mizuho stuff. When tuning across 2m SSB and finding most workable signals are S1-S2 when using a large rotary beam up 60', will I hear any of those with a small antenna? Nope! (Tried it, as has everyone else. Just doesn't work.)
Of course, those S1-S2 workable signals are coming from all directions at varying distances, out to about 500 miles. The "local" activity isn't much, so we must expand our horizons to find any quantity of contacts. Besides, what's the use of going on 2m SSB only to work the same local guys I can chat with on FM? Doesn't make sense -- FM is easier. We get on SSB and CW, and PSK and WSJT or whatever weak-signal mode, specifically to make long-distance contacts, and signals are never going to be strong over long distances on 2m, with rare exceptions.
Best investment anyone attempting to set up a 2m SSB station at home can make is to sink most of the investment into the antenna system and then scrounge for equipment. Sinking the investment mostly into equipment and then hoping for an antenna to work is exactly the right recipe for failure.
Then again, a car-mounted halo will work substantial DX if the car is parked atop Pikes Peak.
WB2WIK/6
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RE: VHF and Above is Calling!
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by KB1GMX on February 24, 2003
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Cost is always a factor. Never forget that but hams that want to do xyz do it, somehow.
Must be high power, bah! I'm finally up to low power
(20W). The first 20 grid squares I put in the log was using a home brew 6m SSB of only 5w, same radio gave me Costa Rica. When I got up to 10W I added two more contries (not including Canada). Some day the antenna will be more than two elements at 24ft turned by a TV rotator.
Cable, There are LMR400 look alikes selling for around 50-60 cents a foot. However for 6m RG213 at 45$ for 100ft is adaquate.
Antennas, If your not working EME a 3 to 4 elemnt on 6 can be bought cheap or even easily made. For 2m it gets easier to put up a 8-11 element and if you care to for 432/450 11 elements is also easy. All of these are small enough and light enough to turn with a TV rotator. Oh and wire antennas are equally doable and effective (quad anyone!).
What does 20W at 24ft get you? About 120miles line of site on any day and often 160mi.
My favorite contact is 55miles with a 450mhz 4 element on FM from the local hilltop, it was using a RS HT245 at about 700mw.
Too much, I can't, it doesn't.
Allison
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VHF and Above is Calling!
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by K1MKF on February 24, 2003
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Thanks to those of you who responded to my article.
I wish to speakout about a few of the reactions.
First, my intent was to promote either short contests or a short duration entry in the present contests. I didn't want to restart some of the previous debates.
Second, I forgot to mention that I also proposed that FM be considered a seperate mode from SSB to encourage both FM only stations to get on the air and the BIG GUNS to also get on FM. I also sponsored a short duration FM only contest in my local club last year that ran during the ARRL VHF and above contest. Not much interest but a lot of fun.
Third, I disagree with the cost factor. While the costs are indeed coming down, a paid $1,000 for a used 6/10m rig in 1995, compared to HF VHF and above is still expensive. With a used HF rig, $350-$500, and a homebrew G5RV you can enter any HF contest. Try setting up to do any multiband effort on VHF and above for under $500.
Lastly, I think more than any other mode and band VHF and above operating is mostly during contests. I know the reports are quick and boring but at least you know some other guys are on the bands that weekend. If you want to hear silence try UHF SSB during the day, mid-week. If your rate drops off during a contest why not try a little ragchew with each QSO. Exchange station descriptions, personal info, etc to pass the time. You might even increase the activity.
Like I said before, I'm not a bigtime contestor nor a VHF and above weak signal guru. I just enjoy geeting on those bands a few times a year and make contacts. I'd like to encourage as many HAMs as possible to join me in the fun.
Mark
k1mkf
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VHF and Above is Calling!
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by KG4BOD on February 24, 2003
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I totally agree, VHF/UHF - especially weak signal/side band activity - has dwindled. I hardly ever bother calling CQ on 144.200 anymore , because nobody answers. But I will say 6 meter activity has improved in my area, which is southeast Tennessee/north Georgia.
We (local hams) started a 6 meter sideband net on 50.140 8:30 pm EST on Tuesday nights this last fall, and it's holding it's own. We also have an FM net on the 53.350 repeater Wednesday nights at 9:00 pm EST. May I make a suggestion? How about getting with a few ham buddies and starting your own local net! Even if it's just a few folks, get the word out during other nets, e-mail and word of mouth when you're on. It could be SSB, or FM. One other thing a few of us also started, is running a simplex 2-meter FM net following a couple of the bigger nets on repeaters. These are "ARES" nets, and of course anyone can get involved. But besides giving folks a chance to see how well they get out on simplex, it's a great excerise for "ARES" because if there was a real emergency and repeaters were knocked out, emergency communications would have to be simplex, sideband and cw. Bottom line, take the initiative and start you own net!
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RE: VHF and Above is Calling!
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by KF6KDA on February 24, 2003
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As a avid contester I can say since '98 the vhf/uhf activity is WAY WAY down. I started as a FM and 2m only and would get 50 Q's a contest! Now if I just had that equipment, I prolly wouldn't be contesting. I dont have the answers, but I do know, I enjoy(enjoy'd) seeing my call in QST!
*shrug* what do I know?
KF6KDA
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VHF and Above is Calling!
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by WA8KAZ on February 24, 2003
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Just take a look at the expired licenses list on QRZ.com. A high percentage of Technician license holders are letting their tickets expire. A large group of beginning hams only think of 2m repeaters. A 6m contest and a good band openting would cause some of them to rethink VHF. Sorry, but operating the 2m machine over and over again can get old. ARRL, how about some help in this area. After all, you claim to be the voice of amateur radio!
73 de WA8KAZ Wayne
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VHF and Above is Calling!
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by N9UM on February 24, 2003
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Great Topic. I was just recently discussing this exact issue with several hams in the Chicago area.
I have no factual numbers about logs submitted for contests over the last few years, however it appears that the numbers are way, way down!
The best way to combat that is to round up people to get on the air. Whether someone submits a log for a contest is not as important as them getting on the air. Sure, the logs show the numbers of contesters, but we need stations to work. Offer to host a multi op to show the new people VHF/UHF activity and contesting or go out and speak to someone about VHF activity.
When is the last time you attended a meeting where someone talked about VHF/UHF weak signal work or contesting? Some of you may have seen one of my presentations over the last 6 months trying to get people on for the January Contest. Most WI and IL hams put up personal best scores for January 2003 VHF/UHF. Is it all because of me... no! Although, speaking at 4 club meetings and offering to "elmer" several people new to VHF contesting and VHF activity sure didn't hurt! We made 900 contacts in 2 days between St. Louis and Green Bay in a rover. The activity resources are there ready to be tapped, you just have to do it!
VHF/UHF is not overly expensive and cost is not the issue, PERIOD. Trying to compare contesting on HF to VHF contesting with a FM talkie is ridiculous. They are as different as the propogation characteristics of the two bands. Adding 2 allmode bands can be relatively inexpensive.
Remember, things do not come free and complaining about cost is not going to make a FT-736 with 2/222/432/1296 drop in your lap. BTW a 736 with four bands is currently selling used for about $900. There are so many IC706xx, FT-100, FT847, IC746, TS2000, DX70TH, FT-817, and other radios in homes around the country that the activity should be huge. Has anyone talked to the FT-817's guys about operating single op, low power? There is an entry class perfectly tailored for the QRP guys, yet no one talks about getting them involved!
How about adding a $100 ten-tec transverter for 6m or 2m? You can buy two transverters to use with your existing HF radio and you have a 2 band allmode station with 10W for $109 and $139 respectively. An original IC-706 is running less than $400 on the used market. This radio full HF, general coverage receiver and is 100W on 6m and 10W on 2m, ALLMODE. One of the nicest radios on the market, both HF and VHF, the IC-746 100w 160-2 allmode is about $750 on the used market. Omnidirectional loops are about $50 each (new) for 6/2/222/432, much less if you follow the previous EHAM articles to build your own.
The comments about coax cost... I think this a poor arguement as how do you get the signal to your HF antenna? Coax is not optional unless you have a talkie. A "Shack on a Belt" is not the answer for VHF although it can be put to good use in a well populated area. BTW...250' of 9913 (pretty good coax to 432) was $99 from cable experts last year.
Hobbies cost money. We would all like a bigger telescope, more computers on our network, a bigger butterfly net, a bigger boat, a bigger book for stamp collecting and just about any other improvement to the hobbies we enjoy. I wish for some of these things, but they come in time. I realize that it is part of being involved in a hobby and it all depends on how involved you want to become in that hobby.
As for the real reason for the original posting. Several clubs are attempting to do FM activity contests. The East Coast guys are doing activity days. In Champaign, IL and Milwaukee, WI they are having short FM contests. Everyone thinks the old ARRL sprints were discontinued. This is not true. The E. TN DX Assoc. has picked up sponsorship of these events. See www.etdxa.org go to the VHF/UHF page.
VHF/UHF is a great resource for everyday use as well as contesting. Not everyone likes contesting. While this idea is difficult for me to understand, it is just a fact. For those who do not like contesting, then use the bands the other 350 days a year that there is not a contest. I would much rather hear you on the air than to read your posts on the internet. As for the contesters, help promote your hobby by getting people interested in VHF/UHF or any other area of radio you enjoy. This hobby is fun... Let's make it stay that way!!!
HAVE FUN!
Mark
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VHF and Above is Calling!
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by K9ZF on February 24, 2003
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Just as an example, I would like to share with everyone my begining station setup.
I lived in an antenna restricted neighborhood, so I decided to try being a Rover. For the first few contests I worked, my rig was a Kenwood TR9000. The feed line was around 25' of RG8X. And the antenna was a homebrew quad I made for FM use built from pvc and some 14 gauge wire, layed on it's side for horizontal polarization. Rotator was my right arm, and logging by pencil and paper:-)
TR9000: Around $150.
RG8X: $5 tops.
Quad: $5 maybe.
I used this setup for 2 or 3 contests and had enough fun that I was "hooked." My next addition was a Ten-Tec 1209 6m transverter that I bought as a kit and built myself. And homebrewed a 3 element 6m yagi.
T-kit 1209: $95
Homebrew yagi: $10 maybe
This gave me a second band, and even more fun!! I borrowed a 160 watt 2m amp for a couple of runs that helped, but you would be amazed how often you don't really need it!
OK, enough bragging. My point is you don't have to spend a lot of money to have fun. Yes, VHF+ work can be VERY expensive, but it doesn't have to be. Just as you don't have to have an FT1000mkV or an IC756ProII to have fun on HF.
OK, non-contest operating. I like contesting, I think it's fun. But I would be happy to get on between contests if I could find someone to work:-) Anyone within a few hundred miles of southern Indiana want to start a net? Or better yet, a round table? Most of the nets I hear are "WX1XXX in and out please"....
BTW, if anyone ever works me in a contest and would like to chat, JUST SAY SO! I would be happy to. Sometimes when I'm contesting it's nice to know the rig still works, hi hi:-)
73
Dan
Dan Evans K9ZF
Scottsburg, IN 47170
{EM78}
K9ZF /R no budget Rover
ex-N9RLA
Check out the Rover Resource Page at:
http://www.qsl.net/n9rla
QRP-l #1269
IN-Ham list administrator
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VHF and Above is Calling!
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by WN3VAW on February 24, 2003
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If you want more V/UHF activity, you have to help generate it.
Go to your local club (you do belong to one, don't you?) Check into a local net. Mention it in ragchews. TALK IT UP. Show that you're interested, and you will get others interested.
It has been pointed out that there are a significant number of Techs declining to renew their tickets. I'd bet that a significant number of these got licensed, got active for a little bit (if at all), got bored and left -- and never looked back. It just takes a few curmudgeons to gripe about "no code" licenses not being "real hams" to turn off the newcomers. Not that THAT is anything new... I can still remember as a Novice, 30 years ago, hearing that Novices & Techs weren't "real" hams because we hadn't passed 13 WPM yet. Balderdash, but it served to chase out a lot of potential good hams. But I digress...
Three years ago, my club here in WPA started a 2 Meter FM Simplex contest. (Incidently, the Philadelphia guys copied our idea, although they made the date a touch more convenient -- we timed the original to take place 6 weeks before the club hamfest, made the entry deadline 3 weeks before, and as an incentive, we give everyone who sends in a log a hamfest main prize ticket -- of course, you have to COME to the hamfest to turn the ticket in! <g>). We've had a great deal of interest and turn-out for it, so much so that this year we added SSB & CW modes to it. We've had activity not just from the local area, but from hams 100+ miles out in OH, WV & MD. It's gotten some hams into or back into VHF operating, and it's sparked interest in some of the other modes; I've heard guys discuss 6 meter DX openings on the local repeaters, folks who had little or no interest in doing more than repeater chatting way back when.
Also, check to see if there is (or was) an area club specializing in V/UHF operating. Many parts of the country have them -- I'm a touch envious of the PackRats (Mt. Airy VHFS) as they've managed to thrive, let alone sustain, a V/UHF club, too many "VHF Societies" are now interested in little more than running the repeater. Some of these clubs are now populated by old f... timers who like to talk about the glory days but can't (or won't) do it anymore. You might find that they've got a world of advice, and may offer to help, if you approach them in the right way.
73, ron wn3vaw
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VHF and Above is Calling!
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by KD5SJE on February 25, 2003
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I have had my Tech ticket for less than a year. My elmer got me into ham radio through a mutual interest in Military Jeeps and offered me the original FM mil rig (RT524) for my M151A2 Jeep if I got my ticket.The Radio operates on the 6 meter band FM ...I was hooked on VHF and have been spending so much time working 6 Meters FM/ssb, 2 meter mobile, repeaters and simplex, studying VHF propigation, studying antenna design and building antennas that I have been slow to learn code for the upgrade to general. VHF/UHF has much fun/challenge/ excitement when there is a band opening...There is so much interesting stuff to learn about both in the VHF/UHF end of the hobby and HF, its all fasinating to me!!!! Yes I want to get my general ticket and work lots of hf DX ,CW and SSB and digital modes but the challenge of 6 meters especially working qrp with simple antennas and other than F2 propigation is a blast and should be encourged much more by the community for the new to the hobby tech. class. I agree with some of the others who have responded to this topic that the ARRL (yes I'm a member)should do more to get the new ham involved in more than repeater rag chewing and preping for the HF fun of getting the general ticket. I don't understand the complaining that goes on the the web about this and that , code , no code ect.This is a hobby after all.Some seem iritated all the time by poor operators and say that 2 meters is now like CB but I think that those with superior experience should educated and help the new ham to become a good op. not complain about the hobby going down hill. All my experience with this hobby has been positive,friendly and polite...FB and fine folks... its all fun to me..Just his evening I worked a new grid 800 miles away on 6 meters during a dead band time of year, the opening was only five minutes long but I had a blast with my low power rig and loop antenna talking to a new contact in a new grid...no earth circling DX but still fun without big sunspots! And congratulations from more experienced ops who understand the challenge of making any Es contact this time of year.
Guess I should turn of the VHF rig and go study code now... got to test for my general ticket soon and I want to be able to copy all that far away CW I hear!!
73 to All
This Is a Great Hobby,all of it HF, VHF,UHF!!!
John Cook
kd5sje em26wb
listening on 50.125 as much as I can!
See My Jeeps@ www.muttmotorpool.com
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VHF and Above is Calling!
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by N9DG on February 26, 2003
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I agree with the previous post’s which point out that the gear is already out there, so cost and gear availability is not the issue. There are thousands of IC-706's, FT100's, FT-847's, IC-746's, TS-2000’s etc. in use all over the place. What is perplexing is how few of them you hear on the weak signal part of the band, even during contests. I believe that this is because many who first "take the radio for a spin" down on the weak signal parts of the VHF/UHF bands make the mistake of using the same vertical antenna that they use for FM work, - a 20dB performance hit right from the start. That's more dB of loss than there is gain for almost every single yagi out there, - even the best ones. This is often further compounded by using rather poor coax, - perhaps another 3-6dB of performance lost there too. And they then wonder why they don't hear anybody or anything. At this point many will immediately throw up there hands and say, "nobody's on VHF CW/SSB" and give up, often to be never heard from again. They will then tell all their buddies about how pointless VHF SSB is; many of those in turn then won't even try.
This is really too bad, with a little bit of motivation and research they would immediately see the error of their ways and then seek to improve the station, instead of giving up. The first major improvements can be really simple and inexpensive, just make a basic horizontal dipole, this represents a nearly instant and easy 20dB gain in station performance over that FM vertical. Then maybe add a modest beam for another 10dB or so, that's now about 30dB of improvement over that vertical, - that is huge. Even the big gun EME'ers will typically only achieve another 10-15 dB over that (or 20-25 dB over a dipole). It is that last 10-20 dB of additional improvement that becomes more difficult and expensive to achieve. Also consider that all of this information is now easier than ever to get to, thanks to the Internet. This also means that “Elmering” yourself is also now easier than ever before as well, so not having an Elmer is a pretty weak excuse too. The information is out there, you just need to look for it.
Another thing to think about is how many of those FT-100 and IC-706’s are in vehicles already, they are halfway to being “rover” station ready. All that is really need then is a couple small beams with 4-6 ft booms or so (plans on the Internet for these too, both cheap and easy, if you look). Then head out to the nearest grid square corner, (60-75 miles away max) and work Q’s from 4 different grids, all in a single afternoons outing. Fixed contest stations really love rovers because they get to work them every time they go to a new grid. And those 100’s and 706’s will get you on 2 or 3 of the most popular VHF/UHF bands.
So it really does come down to motivation and accepting challenges, not just looking for easy things to do. After all getting your ham ticket is really just the beginning of your ham radio learning experiences and not the end, right?
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RE: VHF and Above is Calling!
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by KC0MLS on February 27, 2003
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I worked the Contest using a Kenwood 2 meter all mode with a homebrew copper square loop at 35 feet above ground. I heard 2 stations got a confirmation from one. This is a cheap setup, no more than $300 dollars invested. I have added a 160 watt with preamp brick, cost with used powers upply is still under 500 dollars. Worked 3 stations to date. This is not a lot of activity but one has to be looking. I would like to see more activity on VHF SSB also. It is possible to make contacts with those out there but it take time and patiance. Hope to hear more of you out there.
73's
KC0MLS
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VHF and Above is Calling!
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by W5SSG on February 28, 2003
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Same problem, but the Lawton Fort Sill ARC and a few hard core VHF'ers tackled this problem.
1. Promoted the contest 2 months before hand and the club meeting before.
2. Told the club members to come up on FM simplex freq and we would work them, also help submit there score.(How many own HT's?)
The result, a small club like we have members started winning awards. We would present the award to them in front of the club!
Look where Lawton Fort Sill ARC finished in the Jan VHF contest.
I like the publiclly thank NL7CO for getting this started in the Lawton Fort Sill ARC
73's de Jim
W5SSG
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Look into VHF Clubs and Organizations.
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by KA5DWI on February 28, 2003
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Good responses and ideas expressed here.
May I suggest that you all look into many of the VHF/UHF clubs and groups that are out there. Many of them work hard to promote activity and interest.
My point of interest is the Sidewinders on Two Radio Club, known as SWOT. This club has been around for over 25 years, has had over 3000 registered members and promotes a number of Nets throughout the US.
The club produces a monthly bulletin (Yours truly is the editor). We have a web-site: www.swotvhf.org plus a Yahoo Group page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sidewindersontwo/
Everyone is welcome to join the Yahoo Page and of course the club.
I have been on 2 Meter SSB for over 20 years myself. I have had a wonderful time with a modest setup. You do not have to go in debt to produce results.
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VHF and Above is Calling!
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by NL7CO on February 28, 2003
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While I thank Jim (W5SSG) for the nice comments, the promotion of VHF+ activities is a full time job and everyone needs to be involved. I do not do it all alone and could not even if I wanted to.
Using our small local club as an example -
The club newsletter always contains an article on VHF+, this months VHF article is about national awards people are working towards on 2m. The newsletter also includes an article on satellite operations; this months article is on working the LEOs with a dual band HT. Usually the awards column is about something that can be worked on VHF+ also. Cost: zero
As Jim says, we encourage participation in activities and even run a year long contest within the club for the most 2m points scored in several national contests – January ARRL, Spring Sprint, June ARRL, CQ-VHF, September ARRL, and Fall Sprint. During our Christmas Party, we award small plaques to the leaders. We also do the same thing for 2m grids activated by our rovers during the same contests. The only way that you get points is to send us a copy of your nationally submitted log. Cost: about $50, paid for not by the club, but by the local VHF+ “big guns”
We give out paper certificates for contest participation to everyone who enters a VHF+ contest at the following club meeting, making sure to congratulate the FM-only guys and the newbies. Cost: less than $5 for each contest
When someone in the club gets a VUCC, scores well locally / regionally / nationally in a contest, or adds a new mode or band, we make a very big deal about it on the local repeaters and at the club meeting. Cost: zero
We mentor (or is mental?) anyone and everyone interested in VHF+ operations – even if they didn’t know they were interested. We loan equipment back and forth to each other and to the newbies to get them hooked.
We run a 2m and a 6m net right after the weekly FM net and encourage everyone to check in. And we’re getting ready to start a 2m CW net to get everyone’s speed up.
Our club has two local repeaters, both with good coverage, and one of them has been “taken over” by the VHF+ crowd to report band openings and just general VHF+ stuff. It is not uncommon to hear two members meet on the repeater and then QSY to 144.190 to chew the rag or test out some “new” set up.
For those of you who think that learning the code and moving to HF is what it is all about, out VHF+ core consists of four Extra’s, two General’s, and a whole host of the fully qualified technician licensees. Not bad for a club with about 25 active members. WE also have seven 6m VUCC's (KM5NU, KD5OMJ, W5SSG, NH6CJ, NL7CO, WO7GI, and NE0P (John has 3 of them)) and a couple of 2m VUCC's.
73 and see you on 2m!!
Don, NL7CO/EM04
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by WA2JJH on March 1, 2003
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I agree with all said so far. In 25 years of being a ham I have seen 2 meters and 440 open up. DX DELUXE!
I know I have done some bashing about no code techs.
My main one was that a few feel they should have HF CW and voice use. That is it.
The original TECHNICIAN LICENCE was for those that wanted to be pioneers in VHF/UHF/SHF work. They have lived up to that. So have the no code techs.
Many of the 900MHZ pioneer work was done by TECHS.
Many techs have used the freqs like 2.4 gig years before the WLAN industry stole our spectrum.
2 gig is the last UHF band where line of sight is not needed. I built a 1 watt 2.4 gig video and audio
transceiver out of some modules. No QSO to date.
I do get ENG trucks and freq the FEDS use for video surviallence, as well as all those NANNY CAMS.
If any body wants to set up a sked, let me know. a 10 watt amp for 2 gig is a $40 chip.
We do oew a hats off for the no code techs doing the work. Rather then working 20 meters, they are pushing the envelope. 2 gig is a band which we can loose.
Too many Wlan, Bio-medical, and home survaillence licence free users. Also 2 gig cordless phone.
2 gig many non line of sight contacts can be made.
We are licensed for the power right? 2 gig is also the last freq where one can use rg-8 coax 3db loss every
20 feet.
Use it or loose it. There is much consumer equipment that can be modified. One watt and a coffee can antenna
is all you will need. 1watt class A amps cost about $150.
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RE: VHF and Above is Calling!
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by N5ZVP on March 1, 2003
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For those in the DFW area, we have one of the best VHF+ clubs in the world, the North Texas Microwave Society.
This Saturday the meeting is with the Nortel club in Richardson. I got the following program via emailfrom Bob WA5YWC, the prez.
"The March NTMS meeting will be held at the Nortel Building in Richardson on Saturday, March 1. Last years February meeting was our first time at Nortel and it was exceptional. This years host, again, is Joe Jurecka, N5PYK. I encourage everyone to attend this meeting and meet some of the Nortel ARC and Telecom Corridor ARC members.
Our vice president, W5LUA has a nice lineup of speakers for this meeting. Topics for this meeting will be band opening on the upper frequencies, CT1DMK Ref-Lock boards and how to interface with the DEM 10 GHz transverters, 6 foot yagis for 902 and 1296 designed with yagimax, DL6WU yagis for 1296, and one of our local hams envolvement with the Shuttle recovery effort in East Texas."
The web site is http://www.ntms.org/
Chris
N5ZVP
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RE: VHF and Above is Calling!
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by KU4AB on March 1, 2003
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Mail this to a friend!
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HEY DON"T TELL ME LOW POWER WON"T WORK ON VHF !!!!!
Hey.. I talked to Raphel XE2OR with only 10 watts from
MEMPHIS...and my antenna was only 15 feet high..
The "High power is the only way to go" crowd has you
FOOLED!!!! I Know a guy who checks into the MID
SOUTH 2 METER SSB NET who is 90 miles from the
net control and uses a Yaesu 817 (5 watts)with a
SQ-144 2 meter horizontal loop 10 feet high..I know
many that work the same net control while mobile over 200 miles away .. It can be done.. and POWER IS NOT
THE ANSWER.. You have to be on when they are. Find out the net times in your area. I know nets are not
everyone's "cup o tea" BUT the nets are a good place
to find out what your rig will hear, If you can't
hear them you cannot talk to them..CHECK in to let
everyone know you exist and maybe someone will contact
you after the net looking for you're "rare grid square"
Lots of people monitor 144.200 listening for activity
jump on "200" listen for activiy and if there isn't any let loose with " CQ CQ CQ (your call sign)" repeat it again and then listen for a few minutes.. and try it again.. Many times if you don'tr call long enough
a guy hundreds of miles away with a beam will not have
time to get it right on you.. those long boomers point
like a rifle and sometimes take a little tweaking to
peak on a weak signal way out there..
Get on right before a weather front comes through your area or right behind it.. especially if there is a
big difference in the temperature from one side of the front to the other, You might get into tropospheric ducting and talk hundreds of miles with ease..
If you want to get some more range change from coax to
CATV (cable tv) hardline... many cable installer companys throw away what is short unusable lengths of
high dollar low loss coax in lengths some times over 200 feet.. lots of them will give you the short sections instead of filling their dumpster with the
coax..Its loss factor at 2 meters is better than most
anything you can afford somewhere under 1.0 db per 100 ft.. beats 9913 . YES ITS 75 ohm..BUT...try it any how..a 75 ohm coax on a 50 ohm antenna is only a 1.5 to 1 SWR...Connectors can be made useing a Pl-259 and a brass compresion fitting from the local hardware store.. take a pl-259 and a short piece of coax with you and get the hardware man to help you find the
proper 1/2 inch compression fitting and you're set..
CMON..... bite the bullet. what did the old tv
commercial say ..."TRY IT >> YOU'LL LIKE IT !!
73's Phil
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VHF and Above is Calling!
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by K0NR on March 1, 2003
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Lots of good comments so far....
Let me point out:
The weak signal portion of the VHF and higher bands is usually quiet, which is why NETS and CONTESTS are important mechanisms for concentrating activity.
For info on weak-signal VHF in the Colorado / Rocky Mountain Region, check out the RMVHF Plus web site at http://www.qsl.net/rmvhf
73,
Bob K0NR
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VHF and Above is Calling!
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by K3VO on March 1, 2003
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Overall activity on VHF is terrible and we will lose those bands.
What ever we can do on 75 meters we can do 0n 2 meter SSB. The problems is with all the HF rigs such as the 746 or 706 out there all are on vert ants.
I have suggested more times then I want to think about it that we need a vet ant calling freq. I have not been able to even get a mention in either QST or CQ even thou they promised to bring it up.
If we put our mind to it we could not do more to lose the VHF freqs then we are doing. Ditto for getting young people into this hooby.
K3VO
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RE: VHF and Above is Calling!
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by KI9A on March 3, 2003
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KZ9G---are kidding me?? Blaming lack of VHF activity on the economy???? Oh boy....
Lessee, last I read, the unemployment rate was 5.8%. Assuming all economists agree 2.5 - 3% is the very lowest unemployment can go (unemployable folks DO exist!), that means 94.2% of us work. Add that 2.5 - 3% that can't ever hold a job, & we have 96% or so of of the adult US population that has a job...
It is hardly an economy issue.
I have been a ham for 25 years. Until 2001, I have never made a SSB VHF QSO. I bought an Icom 746, put up a 6 & 2 meter yagi, & made some Q's. It is fun, but, it is VERY boring waiting for something to pop on VHF.
The president, the terrorism, or the economy has NO affect on VHF propagation ( or lack of ).
The key is to spread the word. help newbies to VHF to understand propagation, when the band might be open, or when not to bother turning the rig on. Participate in the VHF contests or activity nights.
73 & CU from EM-58!
Chuck KI9A
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VHF and Above is Calling!
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by NJ6F on March 4, 2003
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If you screw in a particular light bulb that burns out/ bad band conditions..... you have a tendoncy of not using that type of bulb again...you learn...
* Immediate gratification is why no one is on... why would anyone listen to dead air more then a few minutes when you have active lower bands or Echolink on the internet.
Also the lower license people are infatuated with the sporatic long distance capability of 6 meters for instance only so long....then they move on to higher licenses which is good . We have linked repeaters on FM that work which we count on. What is this infatuation with sporatic openings to places you talk to anyway on the lower bands. If we cannot consistantly communicate on VHF/UHF any time of the day or night this just basicly is another form of going fishing. Waiting for sporatic openings to me are another name for a waste of time. The efficiency of the band to hold communication is inferior, and equivilent to a light bulb that burns out due to QC problems. Your time is too valuable to waste.
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