HAM Question

[kdawg96]

Hello fellow Washingtonians, I listen to quite a few scanners mostly public safety, I just started exploring aviation bands, and was curious about HAM. I do not have a HAM radio but I know I will be able to program and listen to them on my scanners. I have a free scanner that I am looking to program with HAM frequencies and was wondering if any were used frequently up here. In addition, do you have multiple frequencies for different situations? (i.e. emergency, general communication, weather and storms, cross state frequencies) I am fairly new to all of this and thought it would be fun to explore before I got a HAM radio, I kind of want to know what the fun is in it.

[AtomicTaco]

This page gives a good summary of what you'll hear and where you'll hear it:

http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/reg.../bandplan.html

Although some of those frequencies are probably lower than your scanner will go. This will more or less give you an idea of who's where:

http://www.fwarc.org/pdfs/Team_Frequencies.PDF

[kdawg96]

On that PDF, it has them broken down in to channels and teams, what do the channels represent? Is that your personal programming for the channels or is that on a radio that I should purchase? In addition, what do the “teams” represent, is that a general frequency for a general geographical location because I am seeing the same frequency for different locations. However, thank you for your response and your answer.

[gelyon]

Besides the many repeaters, there are simplex and calling frequencies. This page has some good information.

Ham Radio Calling and Simplex Frequencies

[AtomicTaco]

That document a compilation of Emergency Response "team" frequencies--you might hear Auburn on one freq and Federal Way on another. They wouldn't want to use the same frequency because they might interfere with each other.

Hams aren't limited to using frequencies designated for their area--the only rule is that they can't harmfully (purposely) interfere with communications in progress. One thing you'll find out with hams is that they're self regulating. While the FCC doesn't disallow certain modes on certain frequencies, hams have developed band plans and everyone is expected to abide by them.

On the subject of repeaters--almost all repeaters are open for all to use (assuming you're licensed). Repeater owners aren't required to give everyone access, but they are responsible for anything that goes "though" their repeater. And on the geographical note--I remember once when I was in Covington I could clearly hear two guys talking on a repeater on Gold Mountain. But not all conversations take place on repeaters; most conversations on 6 meters and below are simplex (I think).

If you're interested in getting more information or getting licensed, see if there are classes near you via this page.

[gelyon]

most conversations on 6 meters and below are simplex (I think).

There are FM repeaters on 6 and 10 meters.

There are a bunch of repeater frequencies on 6 meters, see 51 - 54 MHz. Amateur Radio Repeater List.

The repeaters on 10 meters are on 29.620, 29.640, 29.660 and 29.680.

29.600 is the 10 meters FM calling frequency. FM is not allowed below 29.600 MHz, most communications below that are single sideband (SSB), either upper sideband (USB), or lower sideband (LSB). Shortwave radio broadcasts are AM.

[kdawg96]

Thank you all for your replies I have programed in some frequencies so we will see

[gelyon]

kdawg96,

You will hear the most activity on 2 meters (144-148 MHz) and 70 centimeters (420-450 MHz). But you can catch some good DX once in a while on 6 meters and quite often on 10 meters.