220MHz getting even scarcer

[KQA726]

What's a shame is the venerable Yaesu VX-7R has the 220 band on the radio, but can only squeak out 300 mw. If it could even get 3 watts, I could make it into the repeater. Receive is real nice on that radio, but transmit seems to be an afterthought. Too bad someone can't make a usable portable 6m/2m/1.25m/70cm radio, with proper antennae for each band?

 

[tweiss3]

What's a shame is the venerable Yaesu VX-7R has the 220 band on the radio, but can only squeak out 300 mw. If it could even get 3 watts, I could make it into the repeater. Receive is real nice on that radio, but transmit seems to be an afterthought. Too bad someone can't make a usable portable 6m/2m/1.25m/70cm radio, with proper antennae for each band?

It is just enough to get into the one 220 machine I talk on regularly, though I usually use the D74 instead.

 

[KC3ECJ]

220 is fairly popular here in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

What I like is that you can use an antenna meant for the FM broadcast band, which is 1/4 wave for that band, such as a traditional car whip, and it will be around 5/8 for 220.

 

[KC1NBN]

Just picked up working Kenwood TM-631a with the tone board. See if I can get working the repeaters. Right now just familiarizing with its controls. Today I’m listening to repeater input frequencies.

 

[w2xq]

By coincidence, I just picked up a Kenwood TM 741 a Tri bander that has the UT - 220 s conversion installed. Trying to find a power source that will work with it.

Kenwood recommended its KPS-15 23a power supply: Kenwood TM-741A, Kenwood tm741A

A 30a Astron would serve you in good stead, running the 741 and anything else--receivers, accessories et al--you collect along the way.

 

[trentbob]

Kenwood recommended its KPS-15 23a power supply: Kenwood TM-741A, Kenwood tm741A

A 30a Astron would serve you in good stead, running the 741 and anything else--receivers, accessories et al--you collect along the way.

Thank you Tom!... as it was, I was going to email you tomorrow morning and ask about a used astron R5 35a power supply. I have not had much luck with trying to get the dedicated accessory power supply... This is a nice radio that has the optional remote head. I'll contact you tomorrow morning on email, if email doesn't work right, like usual, I will text you. Thanks Tom.

 

[mmckenna]

Kenwood recommended its KPS-15 23a power supply: Kenwood TM-741A, Kenwood tm741A

A 30a Astron would serve you in good stead, running the 741 and anything else--receivers, accessories et al--you collect along the way.

The KPS-15 is still sold by Kenwood as an add-on accessory to convert mobile radios into small control stations. I've got several at work. They aren't anything special, just a switching power supply rated for 23 amps continuous/25 amps surge. List price on one from Kenwood is $177, which is pretty high for what it is.

I had a Kenwood TM-941 I sold a few months ago on e-Bay. I don't think you need much more than around 15 amps to run that thing. They only do 50 watts on VHF and I think 40 on UHF, so you aren't going to strain a 15 amp supply.

 

[trentbob]

The KPS-15 is still sold by Kenwood as an add-on accessory to convert mobile radios into small control stations. I've got several at work. They aren't anything special, just a switching power supply rated for 23 amps continuous/25 amps surge. List price on one from Kenwood is $177, which is pretty high for what it is.

I had a Kenwood TM-941 I sold a few months ago on e-Bay. I don't think you need much more than around 15 amps to run that thing. They only do 50 watts on VHF and I think 40 on UHF, so you aren't going to strain a 15 amp supply.

Yep I knew it wouldn't take much, I will follow through, thanks mmcKenna.

 

[ko6jw_2]

AnyTone AT-D578UVIII PLUS Tri-Band includes 220.

 

[Firekite]

AnyTone AT-D578UVIII PLUS Tri-Band includes 220.

ARE YOU CERTAIN?

 

[sallen07]

AnyTone AT-D578UVIII PLUS Tri-Band includes 220.

True, but with only 5 watts of output power.

 

[ko6jw_2]

I just bought (2 or 3 months ago) a second BCM-220. Thought they might be on their way out. Also have a BCH-220. I know Bridgecom had trouble with the sourcing of these radios in China and the tariffs on Chinese made electronics. Pricing was problematical. The new BCM-220 was made in Korea.

Unfortunately there is no worldwide market for 220 radios. Basically North America. You won't find 220 radios for sale in Tokyo. I asked on a visit three years ago. Only for export. Radios like the Yaesu VX-6R are dual band only in Japan etc.

We have five or six 220 repeaters in the area. They don't get a lot of use. Some are linked into 2 meter repeaters. The extra BCM-220 will eventually become a remote base at our local 2 meter site.

We lost the bottom end of 220 years ago through lack of use. Then UPS which had made a play for those frequencies dropped them. Our repeater site had a commercial ACSSB 220 repeater for a while, but it was removed a long time ago. It's hard to drum up interest when it is so hard to find 220 radios now. I was hoping Bridgecom was trying to fill this gap, but it seems like they have moved on to DMR and Anyone rather than marketing under their own name. Maybe when the chip shortages and supply chain problems are fixed they will come back.

 

[AK9R]

Unfortunately there is no worldwide market for 220 radios.

I keep saying this, but it doesn't seem to sink in with some folks. The 222 MHz band is an ITU Region 2 thing that is not available to amateur radio in ITU Regions 1 or 3. Radio manufacturers are generally not going to spend a lot of time developing radios that can't be sold worldwide.

Radios like the Yaesu VX-6R are dual band only in Japan etc.

Another example...The Kenwood TH-F6, which covered the 144, 222, and 440 bands in North America, was sold as the TH-F7 in the rest of the world with only the 144 and 430/440 bands.

We lost the bottom end of 220 years ago through lack of use. Then UPS which had made a play for those frequencies dropped them.

In exchange for "losing" a secondary allocation on 220 to 222 MHz, we got a primary allocation on 222 to 225 MHz. The railroads now use 220 to 222 MHz for their Positive Train Control systems.

 

[nd5y]

In exchange for "losing" a secondary allocation on 220 to 222 MHz, we got a primary allocation on 222 to 225 MHz.

Also a secondary allocation that requires frequency coordination at 219-220 MHz for intercity digital data.

 

[KA0XR]

I keep saying this, but it doesn't seem to sink in with some folks. The 222 MHz band is an ITU Region 2 thing that is not available to amateur radio in ITU Regions 1 or 3. Radio manufacturers are generally not going to spend a lot of time developing radios that can't be sold worldwide.

Another example...The Kenwood TH-F6, which covered the 144, 222, and 440 bands in North America, was sold as the TH-F7 in the rest of the world with only the 144 and 430/440 bands.

In exchange for "losing" a secondary allocation on 220 to 222 MHz, we got a primary allocation on 222 to 225 MHz. The railroads now use 220 to 222 MHz for their Positive Train Control systems.

Well there is one country in ITU Region 1 with the full 220-225 allocation for amateurs, and that would be Somalia! Wonder why this is. Maybe since 220 is amatuer over there, it is a band utilized more for high seas piracy or other less than lawful activities instead of amateur radio use.

 

[n2nov]

Don't forget the satellite pirates in Portugal using modified 220 gear to access the Atlantic Ocean Region military satellites to talk to their friends in Brazil.

 

[N4KVE]

Well there is one country in ITU Region 1 with the full 220-225 allocation for amateurs, and that would be Somalia! Wonder why this is. Maybe since 220 is amatuer over there, it is a band utilized more for high seas piracy or other less than lawful activities instead of amateur radio use.

No UPS in Somalia. We lost the lower portion of 220 to UPS.

 

[O-B-1]

Alinco drop the 235? Bridgecom no longer shows the BCM-220? I was just about to buy one.
I bought a AnyTone AT-588V2 that claims to put out 50W on the 220MHz 1.25m band. It arrives today. We still have 9 repeaters in the area. Our local band plan allocates 7 voice (one the national call) channels and 9 packet channels.
See what I can raise out there.
It would seem the FCC has the "use it or lose it" mind-set encouraged by big bucks from the cell-tel carriers. Maybe everyone should pull their 1.25 rigs off the shelf and start contesting.
73

The SWR/power meter says it is putting out 50W. I received a transmission from a guy on a repeater 23 miles out about an auto accident. I heard a "burp" of data go out on a frequency allocated for "packet" in the local band plan. My amateur club has a repeater close by, but the band is really quiet. Maybe it would pick up if an event happened and EMCOMs were activated?

 

[n7maq-1]

Tait also makes 220 radios, I have a TP8100 portable, and a TM8?00 (I think it is a 8200, but it could be 8100). They also make a great repeater TB8000 for 220. A lot of power utilities use them, some are now going to 220 DMR so there may be some of the analog only units out there for sale.

Jim

 

[W7FDX]

Tait also makes 220 radios, I have a TP8100 portable, and a TM8?00 (I think it is a 8200, but it could be 8100). They also make a great repeater TB8000 for 220. A lot of power utilities use them, some are now going to 220 DMR so there may be some of the analog only units out there for sale.

Jim

Most of the power companies in my area are on our statewide VHF/800 P25 P2 system and the rest are still on 37MHz Analog/MDTs. There is none in my area that I know of on 220MHz.