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Manager - N2MG
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Survey Question

Question

How often do you carry an HT with you? Please tell us more in the comments.

Results (246 answers)

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Survey Comments

Almost every morning.


I walk on trails around the area, I use it on my walks with local repeaters, simplex and with an mmdvm hotspot.
Posted by AB3BO on 2022-04-16

Our repeaters get their exercise

We have a pair of repeaters that link during the rush hours each day of the week and we find that during these times there is quite a bit of activity most days of the week. I think instead of just turning the radio on and listening to see if someone was there then deciding it's dead and turning the radio off, just give your call sign and see who comes back. So as far as caring in HT goes, at least 20% of the guys who check in have an HT only and will check in to the link to repeaters. Activity didn't change overnight, but if you make enough noise about it at club meetings and other venues you'll find that like it said in the movie, "If you build it, they will come".
Posted by KE7FD on 2022-04-15

Our repeaters get their exercise

We have a pair of repeaters that link during the rush hours each day of the week and we find that during these times there is quite a bit of activity most days of the week. I think instead of just turning the radio on and listening to see if someone was there then deciding it's dead and turning the radio off, just give your call sign and see who comes back. So as far as caring in HT goes, at least 20% of the guys who check in have an HT only and will check in to the link to repeaters. Activity didn't change overnight, but if you make enough noise about it at club meetings and other venues you'll find that like it said in the movie, "If you build it, they will come".
Posted by KE7FD on 2022-04-15

Carry HT

I mainly do things from home base, so unlikely to carry HT
Posted by GM0SCW on 2022-04-14

How often do you carry an HT with you? Please tell us more in the comments.

The repeaters in my area are dead with the exception of 6:30 -8 AM and around 4:30 pm. It is kind of pointless to carry one around.
Posted by KC9YAV on 2022-04-14

Not much activity

I used to also monitor police and fire but thank you trunking and encryption folks.
You ruined my song!
Here in n. central Florida, the active repeaters are too far away, static and signals popping in and out it’s just too aggravating with ht.
Only mobile operation is possible.
The close by repeaters rarely have anything but nets a few days a week and then everything dies until the next net the week after.
Sad ????
Posted by WB4DX on 2022-04-13

Back in the day

Remember when you couldn’t wait to get home to plug in the antenna and get on the air everything was cool back then, those were the days yes those were the days.
Oh not to mention the anticipation of having that new rig delivered by UPS on the day you called in sick from work and the wife never knew you got it! Yes those were the days!
My Ft-530 with digital display mic. Awesome!
Posted by WB4DX on 2022-04-13

Only for selective monitoring

Very occasionally carry an HT. Listening to Aviation and Public Safety frequencies can be useful. These days, listening to 2M/70CM FM, especially radio club nets, can be downright embarrasing.
Posted by REMOVED_BY_REQUEST_W0VI on 2022-04-12

Used To

I used to own and use an HT for 2m when I was involved with ARES. After that period, I noticed that most repeaters and the calling frequency generally were dead even after inviting a contact. I eventually sold this useless radio.
Posted by VE1YY on 2022-04-11

UHF/VHF dead around here

Tried various times to make contacts on my HT after I moved to my present location--no luck, don't even hear anyone.
Posted by KG0LH on 2022-04-10

Only at hamfests

I only use it for comms with my buddies while attending hamfests.
Posted by WE8Q on 2022-04-09

Quiet most of the time.

Here in SWFL good luck getting anyone to answer you. Unless you are in the inner circle of various clubs, you will generally be ignored. Very different from where I am from in KY.
Posted by NV4H on 2022-04-08

WHY would you want to?

Above says it all
Posted by KG4RUL on 2022-04-07

Back In The Day...

In the early-mid 80's when I bought my Yaesu FT-208 handheld transceiver, there was a very vibrant & fun bunch on the local club repeater. The lot of us would get on during afternoon commutes home, & it was really something to look forward to participating in. And the weekly 2-meter FM club net was "...standing room ONLY", as a rule.

And taking the rig in the car with me on extended family road trips to the northeast USA States was a joy, too --- there was ALWAYS somebody on the local repeater as we drove through, giving good advise on the best places to eat, or just plain old rag chewing the miles away...

But then suddenly certain repeaters were deliberately & selfishly sub-audible tone-activated only, limited exclusively to just a select group. Two-meter FM repeaters no longer welcomed anyone & everyone with open arms & a friendly smile, & that spelled the beginning of the end of the 2-meter repeater craze.

Cell phones surely banged the final nail into the whole fad.

Oh well, it WAS fun --- while it lasted, anyway...
Posted by VE3CUI on 2022-04-06

carrying HT

I walk my dog (or, more accurately, she walks me) several times a day, and my HT is always on my belt. However, I am scanning only one ham channel as we walk. Hereabouts all of our public service frequencies are on "high band," so I am scanning law enforcement, fire, and EMS much more than ham freq's.
Posted by ND4MR on 2022-04-06

No one home

Not much activity. Even DMR repeaters are typically quiet. So no reason to carry the HT. The local analog repeater: in 5 years I have never heard anyone.
Posted by N5LB on 2022-04-06

It varies...

I go through periods when I have one on my belt almost all the time, then something happens which gets me out of the habit and I can go a couple of months without turning one on...
Posted by G8FXC on 2022-04-05

No reason to …

Repeaters around here are dead, zero simplex activity. Don’t care to use digital voice modes. I don’t miss it at all.
Posted by KD1JT on 2022-04-05

Only on field day

I only carry my HT on field day programmed to the pre-determined frequency for field day as I am always field day staff. Now that Covid hit, I am no longer participating in field day and therefore NEVER carry it now. I used to carry it back before the advent of cell phones to make an occasional phone call over a phone patch. Now carrying an HT will have people think you are a geek in a bad way and I work in the Silicon Valley. No more HTs on the belt, no more pocket protectors. Got to have the proper tech to not stand out in a bad way in the Silicon Valley.
Posted by KB6QXM on 2022-04-04

It may be cheating...

But I have a RFinder B1 and it is my phone as well as a radio so technically I always have one with me!
Posted by AB4KA on 2022-04-03

Only for specific need

When I’m out of the shack, I use a mobile rig when appropriate. I only carry an HT when I know I’ll be pedestrian mobile and that I’ll need amateur comms.
Posted by K4FMH on 2022-04-03

No activity on two meters

Even listening on scan mode, regular two meter FM is dead in my neck of the woods. Only use it for FM radio when portable.
Posted by WA1KCI on 2022-04-03

Rarely

I have a 2m mobile in our "road car" and an HT in the console of the older car. Unless there is a drill on some ARES activity I rarely use an HT on the belt when our walking, I'm more likely to use one on the main floor of my house to talk to locals or check into a net (I have a 2m FM rig by my main HF rig in the lower level radio room). We do have a group of 8-10 that monitor repeaters off/on, but with 100 members in our club that could be greater.

Of course cell phones changed this in the past 20 years vs using an HT touchpad to call via autopatch back in the 80-90s. Now I can use my cell phone locally to dial up our repeater on echolink! We also have DSTAR & Fusion systems that could give a HT user a reason to walk & work DX of sorts. So many options, 73 from SE MN
Posted by K0VH on 2022-04-03

A HT:

I only have it for emergency use. Repeaters are a scarce local help.
Posted by K0IC on 2022-04-03

Daily

Every day
Posted by KC9EJG on 2022-04-03

VX-2R

This little radio is amazing. Carry it to work every day, work with the Facilities group at all my job site. Have a bank programed for each area I travel which has the job site, area repeaters and, public service frequencies.
Posted by N1FDX on 2022-04-03

Not any more.....

I used to carry an HT everywhere and chatter on it constantly but most all of my local ham radio friends have died, and activity on our local repeaters and simplex channels is virtually nil these days. Nowadays, my HT has been replaced by a smartphone.
Posted by K7LZR on 2022-04-02

Can't remember

I answered almost never, but in reality I can't remember the last time I carried it, was definately over a month ago. I have a vhf/uhf rig in my car and keep an HT in my wifes car, don't think that counts as carrying it.
Posted by KD2HCU on 2022-04-02

baofeng ht

On a nightime dog walk, my cheap ht will pick up repeaters on 2m and 440 and fm broadcast, and few am broadcast stations that simulcast on 450. it can transmit to.
Posted by KC6RWI on 2022-04-02