75 Meter & Weak Signals

[WR8D]

Guys stop with the bitch'n.

All you need is an inverted V or a flat top dipole at 35 feet. Even better would be a full wave loop at that same height. Band conditions on 75 are usually full of huge static crashes nightly as well as splatter from close packed in stations all up and down the band.

Most under those conditions are running power at one time or another to get over the static comfortably as well as to get over the splatter.

It's just the way the band is, if you want to "play" there you'll need more than a piece of a bologna string for an antenna. It'll have to be higher than your kitchen table too and a few hundred watts will get you over the static.

Yeah many of us that frequent this band have big signals and you can hear us on your dentures and all that...hi hi...put up a decent antenna and a few hundred watts and you'll be heard too. There's many fine groups of amateurs all up and down the band.

One place i highly recommend for any new comer to the hobby is 3875.00. You'll meet some of the nicest folks in amateur radio there on that freq. Bob Heil sometimes drops in there and tries a new microphone on the guys and usually he's a regular to the freq unless he's on tour with the Eagles. This same bunch of guys have called that freq home for over 20 years now and they'll welcome you.

BUT......you'll have to have an antenna to get "back" to them...even though they're really coming in loud to you. Sorry that's just the way it works.

73 John WR8D

[ONAIR]

  To all the newbies, kids and little guys who are getting ignored, stepped on and rudely pushed around on 75...  DON'T WORRY!!   The day will come when you'll have a maximum power amp and a super duper rig and antenna, and you will blast all those old radio bullies right off of the air!  Don't give up hope, and just remember that every ham dog has his day.

[WX4O]

Harumph! I run 100 watts and a multiband (Cobra) dipole.
Until I get a tower in a couple of years, and can afford
an amplier, my rig does quite well, thank you. Check into
local 75 meter nets daily without problems.  There have been a few days in the last year....4 or 5, that I couldn't be heard, so I gave it up.

For those of us that are retired and on a 'fixed income' your post could be insulting. Like everyone I do the best I can. If that isn't good enough for YOU, I recommend you
put your post up 20 or 30 feet where the sun don't shine.

[N5YPJ]

Exactly why I only operate on 75 as required and the rest is digimodes on 80 where the gentlemen are found. Not everyone can afford a super station on 75 - yes I do agree it's not wise to jump into a round table only with a small station. One thing does concern me though, what are these super stations going to do when a disaster strikes their home town and their is no commercial power to run that big amp, especially where we are in the solar cycle with 40 closing early? Will their experience as KW operators allow them to communicate each other using only 100 watts?