2 Meter vs. 440 range comparison?

[TheSpaceMan]

At a given power level on FM, which frequency offers the longest range?

[sloop]

With all conditions (inc. weather), antennas, and radios (receivers) being equal, on flat ground using simplex...144mHz should have the greater range.

[Ed_Seedhouse]

Originally Posted by TheSpaceMan

At a given power level on FM, which frequency offers the longest range?

Both are high enough in frequency to be "line of site" under normal conditions, so in general, all things being equal, they should be equally good.

However 2M is low enough to benefit more from unusual propagation conditions so under these conditions it will be better. Also the longer wavelengths will diffract around larger obstacles and so be less subject to blocking. So if there are things in the way between you and the other end (and there often are) 2M will also have a slight advantage.

[N9NRA]

I`d have to agree here, however i have seen some really sweet band openings on 440 once in a while (like last summer ). So yes, 2 meters is better, range-wise, but every once in a good while 440 can really shine . N9NRA

[k9rzz]

If you ask the weak signal gang on SSB/CW, it becomes harder to maintain contact as you 'run the bands' higher and higher. Althogh usually the switch from 144 to 432 is a pretty easy one.

[Rt169Radio]

2 meter (VHF) will go the longest if there is not a lot of terrain in the way, 440 (UHF) will go the longest in and around buildings/tree covers.

[rapidcharger]

I've always found VHF to be a more user friendly band.
VHF conforms does better in the hills as it will bend a little more but doesn't do as well in urban conditions when it comes to penetrating buildings.

[MOONBOOTS]

If you are in the desert with no mountains at all, & flat land, 2 meters will give better range. If however, you are in a metropolitan downtown area with tall buildings, 440 will have better penetration & work better.

[zz0468]

Free space path loss is slightly higher on UHF than it is on VHF. But that's where any comparison ends. There are plenty of circumstances where UHF will out perform VHF, and visa versa. There are too many variables that are not included in your question to give you a more accurate answer than that.

[N4JKD]

I agree! 2 meters gets good band openings, and is generally more popular in my area. A good 2 meter band opening is fun to work simplex or an open repeater. 440 however, I find will work more reliably for going through walls and trees. For instance, 2 years ago, a friend of mine had a tornado pass near his home, and while he was in the basement, he couldn't transmit on 2 meters, and could barely hear, but was receiving the 70 cm band perfectly clear.

[LtDoc]

That 'all things being equal' thingy means that things are seldom ever very 'equal'. In general (just like everyone has said) 2 meters -ought- to have more range than 70 cm, but there are exceptions that deal with propagation. That's both 'Momma Nature's propagation and the "propagation" terrain features and building have on both bands (or don't have?).
If I had to make a choice between the two I think I'd take 2 meters, it's just more active locally.
- 'Doc

[KO3D]

70cm also has an advantage over 2m on dual band HTs with small antennas.

[AgentCOPP1]

I've always had more luck with 2m. With a lot of trees where I am, 2m seems to pass more easily through them, but when it really comes down to it, the two bands are so similar to each other that deciding which one "goes farther" depends on your surrounding terrain. 2m can pass around trees, leaves and other such foliage easier than 70cm which makes it good for rural settings, but 70cm is better if you're in a place with lots of buildings since it can pass through doorways and windows easier. Despite this, I still like 2m for most uses because it acts more like the HF band than UHF does. Under the right circumstances, you can propagate your signal a few skips so you can really get out there. There are a few VHF DX contests in my area once every year. I've never participated in them, but I think it's a cool idea.

So main point, in a rural American setting, 2m should almost always do better, but in an urban setting, 70cm will usually do better (even though your range will still be severely limited either way).

[W2PMX]

All things aren't equal. 440 is absorbed by tree leaves more than 144, but a small opening is a shield (which is why a screen room doesn't have to be a "solid sheet" room), so 440 penetrates smaller spaces (like windows in metal frame buildings) better.

In free space, the deciding factor will probably be noise - both external (CBR, man-made, solar, etc) and internal (generated by the receiver itself) - but without actually measuring the particular receiver's noise figure it's impossible to say which frequency would get out further.

The only real answer to your question is "probably one of them".