Manager


Manager - N2MG
Manager Notes

Survey Question

Question

What Band segment are you MOST active on?

Results (3306 answers)

Take this Survey

Please Login (above) before taking this survey.

Survey Comments

HF for shure !

I answered HF because is were you can make friends all over the world.
I am active on 40,20,18 and 10 meters SSB & CW, but I'm also on 2 meters and 440 MHz almost everyday.
Posted by PY2IRL on 2002-11-24

LF?

What are the ham frequency ranges for LF?
Posted by KG4VIC on 2002-11-09

HF vs VHF

I answered HF. I enjoy CW and QRP and some SSB too, but my answer might have been different if VHF could be active as it was even a few years ago. In my area, there is a ton of repeater activity, but VHF SSB/CW weak signal work is not very active in my neck of the woods. There is however, some VHF/FM simplex activity in my area which I still take part in.
I once was into packet, but I took my packet station down because VHF packet activity is virtually non existant in my area (except for a few beacons) these days. It's really a shame that so many VHF operators stay chained to the repeaters. There is so much more to do there.


Posted by KG8ZH on 2002-10-08

VHF/UHF

Lots of challenges/modes available on VHF/UHF. Don't just use repeaters, USE SIMPLEX. It's lots of fun and challenging to see who you can contact on simplex no matter what equipment you have. Give it a try, whether you use a simple hand-held or a tall beam.
Enjoy Simplex!!!

73
Posted by KG4TDM on 2002-10-08

It could be worse!

I am happy to see that just 3% are not active on any band!

I am not a band or mode snob. As long as you are active and having fun, you're doing your part to make Ham radio a great hobby.
Posted by K5ZD on 2002-10-07

Well, I AM a senior, so I guess I'm qualified to do HF! Still, I loved experimenting with 2 meter AM, and a little CW, before the word "repeater" came into our vocabulary. Some of us were working 220 MHZ AM over interesting distances, and that was quite a bit of fun. I even toyed with ATV briefly but couldn't get enough local folks interested in it so gave up. The real fun for me was 6 meter mobile, again AM, before 6 SSB became common. We do tend to haunt familiar habitats, though, and HF was my spawning grounds, to which I return. As a senior, I guess I can show a bit of disdain for the repeater operations. But that's a bit like an avid golfer giving a sideways glance at miniature golf. No animosity - just ain't my bag of tea. 73
Ed

Posted by W5HTW on 2002-10-06

sattelites, 2and 432

it seems that while i am studying code i listen to hf and hear the talk about the johnny come lately"s,,newer operators that is,and see how sad hf really is a clique,it makes me wonder if i want to be a part of that.,,i love working the birds and 2 and 432 ssb and love it,,but this is a broad based hobby and has something for everyone!!! 73s to all jim n3zjb
Posted by N3ZJB on 2002-10-06

CW/HF

Having made my living with CW in the 50's and up through till the govenment stopped using it, I still find it quite enjoyable, all the modes are fun, and the frequencies, but I seem to return to CW the most, it has always been a challenge.
Posted by K1VVT on 2002-10-04

Amateur Radio is FUN

I'm not into bashing someone elses fun. I personally prefer HF SSB and CW with a little RTTY and PSK, but if you enjoy hand-helds and repeaters, satelite communications, weak signal vhf/uhf, or whatever floats your boat, have at it. There's enough room for all of us... That's why this is such a great hobby.

73
Gil, W1RG
Posted by W1RG on 2002-10-03

Wherever there's CW

I've got to get into digital, too.
Posted by W3DCG on 2002-10-02

Shortwaves Rule!

Regarding an earlier comment generalizing HF users as seniors - not a senior for another 20 years, pal. But, I don't apologize for us OTs for whatever we are accused of knowing or appreciating.

Love the short waves - I got a ticket to talk to the world, not operate a cell phone or line o' sight. (I've got a home phone, cell phone, Blackberry device, a Wireless LAN and VHF gear for when I'm too hoarse to shout or or too tired to throw a rock with a note attached.)

Short waves and big distances ROCK!

Posted by N9CYS on 2002-10-01


Posted by VE1FZ on 2002-09-29

VHF/UHF

Well, personally my favorite bands are 6-meters, 2-meters, and 70cm. I operate voice and several data channels including APRS. I've seen some claims here already that HF is the "real man's band", and "HF is ham radio". I'm sure those folks get a lot of enjoyment out of their beloved HF band, but once again, I hope this doesn't turn out to be another HF vs everything else out there. I get all the enjoyment I can get out of the bands I operate in, and I don't see the need to belittle users of other bands to get my point across just because I don't do HF. Personally I'm not interested in HF. And if your not interested in VHF or UHF then that's fine. But remember that your preferred band isn't the center of the universe. There are lots of other bands that offer people just what their looking for without neccessarily having to go to HF.
Posted by KE4RWS on 2002-09-28

It's all Good!

Personally this op prefers HF only because here in ZL there is not alot of VHF/UHF experimenting like years ago. So only local repeaters on 2m and 70cm (great coverage but little activity which is ashame) although ILRP is used on one. Plus ATV and Satellites which Im involved with. But HF is where the multitudes roam and the DX is (if that is your thing)... Just remember regardless of what one's preference is....enjoy it and keep in mind "Use it or Loose it" as the saying goes!

73's/CUL de Bill ZL3NB
Posted by ZL3NB on 2002-09-28

HF + 6 Meters

For me personally, HF and 6 meters are the way to go. When I got my ticket back in 1991, all I could do was VHF (2 meters) due to budget restraints. Later, I got on 10 meters and had a blast running 25 watts to an old CB ground plane (15 ft about the ground). I worked the world with that setup! That's what got me going into HF.


In the last year or so, I started on 6 meters. When the band is open, it's open. When it's not, well then...


In my own opinion, EchoLink and other internet programs are not true radio. Others may disagree, and that's OK. But I'm a traditionalist I guess (even though I'm only 38), and radio to me means RADIO. If I wanted to use the Internet to talk to someone, I'd use a chat room (which I don't care for anyway).


Anyway, long live Amateur Radio in all of its forms!!!
Posted by KM5EW on 2002-09-28

Technology

My ham interest varies month to month and year to year. I like all the modes and have tried many of them. I'v done HF digital modes CW, PSK and RTTY , Vhf Uhf Sats, Vhf Hf sats complete with qso cards. Recently had a friend I chatted with everyday on Uhf move from west coast to the east. We used Echolink via rigblaster and continued chatting Uhf simplex "radio" while mobile. I'm still using a radio signal to my home base. The received audio is inputed to computer, voice over IP via internet to his computer then retransmited back over the air. 1100 miles apart on UHF. Were still mobile and seemed like nothing changed. This is not Hf, its just technology that allows us all to make it happen. Ham radio has many things to keep the mind thinking. I seem to try new things because I think I can do it, prove to myself I can do it, then move on to some thing else. Its all Fun! KD7KHG
Posted by KD7KHG on 2002-09-28

UHF/Echolink

I have to say UHF, With a connection to the
new Echolink internet program is the most fun of all. (There are those who would say that Echolink is not "real" ham radio.....
Those who say that I suspect are the same type who said that "repeaters" were not "real" ham radio back in the 1960's & early 1970's..............
I also really enjoy the challenge of 160 meters. One year ago, 160 meters would have
been my "favorite" choice. I hope a year from
now something else sparks the interest enough to keep the hobby from going "stale" for me!
Posted by K9KJM on 2002-09-27

HF _is_ ham radio!

Don't get me wrong... there's nothing wrong with working VHF/UHF/satellite/EME/EchoLink, etc... but the reason I got my ticket was HF. Nothing is as cool as listening to the HF bands and picking out a weak signal, and then talking to someone on another continent. Sure, you can do that with EchoLink... but you have to go thru the Internet. If I wanted to chat online, I'd do so. There is just something magical about having a conversation with another ham in New Zealand or Namibia or the Ukraine on 5 watts.
Posted by KD7KGX on 2002-09-27

HF is tops

I only operate the HF bands usually with qrp or vintage gear. Hf
is great no matter what time of the day or nite you can always find
someone to chat with. Some of the best CW ops live on the Hf bands.
I gave up on the VHF/UHF bands over a year ago, and never have tried
the Internet comm modes, that just is not radio to me.
Posted by W8OB on 2002-09-27

HF for sure...

Using the earth and the atmosphere to bounce signals around the globe, nearly at will, has always been the main attraction for me since I was a kid. It's a little like playing God... ;-)
Posted by NB6Z on 2002-09-27

HF Is where it's at!

I'll put it this way...on VHF who answers you? Someone you already know, probably. This is okay, but after a few months, its the same people over and over again! Usually, people hear your callsign on and don't give a reply because "he/she is not my friend". I think its a soap oprah! On HF I can call and ALWAYS get a reply; I only run 100 watts into a dipole. A little goes a long way, too. This is just my opinion, and I guess it can differ with some, but I'm sticking to it! 73' good DX!
Posted by KB1FWN on 2002-09-27

HF so far

I was doing packet radio from 1985 to 1992.
I was doing 6m only from 1976 to 1984.
And now I am doing HF and 6m - for DXing using ionospheric propagation - which I had dreamed of and could not do when I was a kid. I accept all band all activities, but I'm now doing HF. Practically that's the only way to communicate with the hams in the North America in real-time! 73 de JJ1BDX/3 Kenji Rikitake
Posted by JJ1BDX on 2002-09-27

I enjoy working all the HF bands on phone and really like working long haul VHF. I've worked a little meteor scatter and have also done a little slow scan tv. The Great thing about Amateur radio is that it offers so many aspects of communication. When one of the methods holds less appeal after a period of time you can always switch gears and rekindle your interest in some other method of communications.
Posted by AB9CS on 2002-09-27

For a future query..

Very interesting question. It would really be interesting by age group. I have a feeling that the HF numbers favor seniors.
Posted by KC7LSP on 2002-09-26

where do I hang out?

Oddly enough, your query did not include a choice for MF, which is what the 160 Meter band really is. I guess you included it as part of HF, but it is different enough to merit it's own classification. To my mind, it is the most challenging band, especially for DX and low (under 100W) power. I always check it first at night, although mid-summer is mostly - but not always - a wash. If I hear signals, I'll either give or answer a CQ. With 100W I have worked from Tasmania to Greece - but not often! If it was as consistent as the other bands, there wouldn't be much challenge. 80 and 40 are also fun in season - with 5W or less.
Posted by NZ5L on 2002-09-26

For KC7MMI: 900 *is* UHF

902 MHz (33cm) is a UHF band. So are 23cm (1.2 GHz) and 13cm (2.4 GHz).

HF = 3-30 MHz
VHF = 30-300 MHz
UHF = 300 MHz - 3 GHz
SHF = 3 GHz - 30 GHz
EHF = 30 GHz - 300 GHz

Each of these ranges have multiple ham bands.

73,
Caity
KU4QD
Posted by KU4QD on 2002-09-26

I answered VHF because...

I am a long time HF QRPer, and that still ranks as one of my favorite things to do. I answered VHF for the following reasons:

-Six meters SSB is incredibly active in my area. We use it for nets and ragchews across three states on a regular basis.

-I've always loved VHF weak signal work. While I rarely use VHF/UHF FM anywhere but in the car, SSB and CW are a whole different matter.

-In the car I do use 2m FM a lot, and that is a considerable percentage of my real on air time. I have a longish commute (45 min each way) and I travel for work some as well.

So... is VHF preferred to HF or UHF? No. It just works out that I use it more. I suspect for most people who list VHF, though, VHF FM is what's mainly used. It's nice to see a few posts who talk about weak signal work.
Posted by KU4QD on 2002-09-26

HF of course

I've chased weak signals, meteors, Au, FAI, TE, EME and satellites using VHF-UHF CW and SSB for many years, but HF still reigns supreme. And 160m is technically MF!

It is a pity so many new licensees are not on HF -- but, I'm glad because the HF bands are so packed with signals that I don't know how many more they can hold!
Posted by WB2WIK on 2002-09-26

The Challenge is VHF

I enjoy operating on all the bands and all possible modes.

But, I really enjoy enjoy the challenges VHF DX'ing brings. Try it someday.

If you want to look into it, visit the Sidewinders on Two Radio Club Homepage at:
www.swotvhf.org

73's


Posted by K7DWI on 2002-09-25

Going more VHF

Still focus on DXing as my main form of hunting, but getting more into VHF all the time. As new countries become harder to find (I am at 299), Chasing grid squares preserves that challange. I absolutely love 6 meters, with its Eskip, Meteor scatter, and occasional F2, but am also having fun on 2 meters with high speed meteor scatter, and 432. There is nothing more thrilling than making a 1000 mile tropo QSO on 70cm. Do run 222 and 1296, but am currently limited to FM on those bands. I also will run 160 meters (which is MF) but my antenna sucks there, so I usually limit myself to the 160 meter contests. If you are getting board with HF, come on up to VHF/UHF-it is a whole new world with thrills of its own. Hope to see more people there now that it is easy to get a HF rig with VHF and UHF included.
Posted by NE0P on 2002-09-25

No challenge with HF

99% of my activity on 144/432/50 as it is more challenging, difficult to beat long haul weak signal stuff on 144 mhz, few if any self proclaimed experts on Vhf ssb although repeaters are far to often used as "Soap Boxes" generally by people who are line of sight with each other !!!!
I must get back on HF though for a bit of variety
Posted by EI5FK on 2002-09-25

Where are you active?

I am on 2 meter FM probably every day. Next, comes digital modes, which I am using more on VHF these days (144.150 , 2100 CDT - see VHF_UHF_PSK_HAMRADIO at yahoogroups.com). Then, comes digital modes on 20 meters.

I've always enjoyed weak signal stuff on VHF and UHF. It's not everybody's favorite thing, but if you can appreciate the challenge, it is something else.

I also like QRP on HF a lot - similar kind of 'impossible' challenges.
Posted by K0RGR on 2002-09-25

UHF

By far the most amicable groups of amateurs i have known are on 440 MHz. This is not the usual finding, but it certainly holds true for me personally. Most of the technically astute amateurs are to be found there. The band which i use 2nd most often is 2m. It is active and there is almost always someone there. Although i am an Extra, i can truthfully say that 99% of all my activity is on 440 MHz and 2m+ 73 de Radioweenie
Posted by RADIOWEENIE on 2002-09-25

HF is the best!

Good question! HF is where I like to hang out on. I have a nightly schedule with some friends on forty USB. And the Shortwave Broadcasters don't bother me in the slightest.
Second, would be UHF or 440Mhz because the repeaters seem more civilized as compared to the two meter wasteland.
Two meters is promoted far to much.
Posted by WD8MGO on 2002-09-25

HF is best

But I have been unable to repair my antenna, which needs
some work, and I have been spending more and more time
on 2 meter FM.
Posted by W2SN on 2002-09-25

Satellites are great fun.

I was a fanatical " little gun" HF contester for a number of years. I don't have the time these days to put in the effort I expect from my station and myself, but I dabble every now and then.
Got into the Birds in 1991, first on mode A RS-10/11, built up the complete mode B satellite station, then interest waned for several years.
Got serious about contesting on HF again, then my satellite interest was piqued again by the emergence of Phase 3D, Oscar 40. So down came the dormant SAT antenna system for an overhaul and improvements. Even after AO-40 was damaged and mode B was forever lost, I was already working other sats in orbit. Some sats were there when I left the sub-hobby, some were brand new, some had their programming changed. All-in-all I was hooked again, more this time than before!
I can be found regularly on UO-14, FO-20, FO-29, AO-27, AO-7, SO-41 and AO-10 when working. AO-40 in good squints.
I picked VHF because as well as keeping in touch with local buddies on 2M, most of my uplinking is on VHF, but often use mode B (AO-7) and now mode S (AO-40) finally. 73 de Shawn.
Posted by N1HOQ on 2002-09-25

VHF

What little time I have is spent mostly on 6 meters & a little on two FM (10 minutes per week). HF is a 'rag chewers' hangout, except DX & contest work. I do not have a contest station and do not know anyone for 'round table' rag chewing.
Posted by JAMES_BENEDICT_EX_N8FVJ on 2002-09-25

VHF, UHF, 900

I enjoy using the VHF, UHF, and 900 bands. I do 900 for plain fun and I do VHF and UHF when I need to communicate thru a reliable means of communication. Depending on where I am or who I need to talk to I will use one band or another to do the job.
Posted by KC7MMI on 2002-09-25