the 220 band

[StevenT200]

....For all...
We are about to lose the 222-225 band to something called commerce since we will not use it either at a great rate or effectively at any rate...I urge all hams world wide to begin treating 222-225 as sacred territory and make the band a cause...we cannot allow ourselves to be beat up on by general business and lose a frequency. I have just bought 2 new rigs for 222 use exclusively and will begin using the band every night...I got a TYT 9800 with 10-6-2 meters and 220 bands and will see how that works out it has only 10 watts but I will connect it to a useful amp and kick it up for national and international use...Europe is also about to get pressure for this band as well...I'm not giving it up, and that's that...let's get together and save this band!!
Thanks, KJ6EIR

 

[k6cpo]

Part of the fault for 220 being underutilized is that the band has been neglected by the manufacturers. There are very few radios manufactured for the band.

Of course, some of that might be due to lack of demand for the radios. It's a bit of a Catch-22...

 

[N4GIX]

I bought a 220 HT while at Dayton this year. Despite having no fewer than five 220 repeaters in my area here in NW Indiana, I've had precisely two contacts on the Gary repeater, both of which were with a gentleman from Michigan who'd just come to this area for a service call to WJOB's transmitters.

The BridgeCom BCH-220 cost $99.95 + tax since I bought it at the Hamvention and Ron had to collect the Ohio sales tax. It's a very well build HT and I don't regret buying it, but am disappointed that there's apparently no one else to talk to locally!

 

[ecps92]

Your Source ?? for this rumor ?? :roll:

Quite a few http://nerepeaters.com/222.htm here in New England

....For all...
We are about to lose the 222-225 band to something called commerce since we will not use it either at a great rate or effectively at any rate...I urge all hams world wide to begin treating 222-225 as sacred territory and make the band a cause...we cannot allow ourselves to be beat up on by general business and lose a frequency. I have just bought 2 new rigs for 222 use exclusively and will begin using the band every night...I got a TYT 9800 with 10-6-2 meters and 220 bands and will see how that works out it has only 10 watts but I will connect it to a useful amp and kick it up for national and international use...Europe is also about to get pressure for this band as well...I'm not giving it up, and that's that...let's get together and save this band!!
Thanks, KJ6EIR

 

[N4GIX]

But, are they being used? That is the burning question. There are over a dozen 220 repeaters in and around Chicago, and not one of them has been active for the past two years that I've been monitoring...

 

[nd5y]

...I urge all hams world wide to begin treating 222-225 as sacred territory ...

It's not a world wide amateur band.

 

[ecps92]

Around here ? Yes
http://mmra.org/

But, are they being used? That is the burning question. There are over a dozen 220 repeaters in and around Chicago, and not one of them has been active for the past two years that I've been monitoring...

 

[ko6jw_2]

222-225 not going away

Around here ? Yes
Minuteman Repeater Association

The lack of equipment is due to the limited parts of the world that can use 220.

Quite a few years ago we lost 220-222 to commercial interests - mainly UPS. At our repeater site (commercial buildings and towers) a bunch of ACSSB 220 equipment was installed. I never saw it in use and then it all disappeared again. Major investment that came to nothing. I don't see commercial interests lining up to get on the band. Even UPS doesn't seem to be using it.

We have four 220 repeaters in this area that do get used. Two of them also have remote bases for 2 meters to allow linking to other repeaters.

This month's QST has an article in "The World Above 50Mhz" column about 222Mhz DX. No mention of losing the band. Lot's of info on tranverters and amps for 222Mhz.

You all are ARRL members aren't you?

 

[K7MEM]

I've been a ham for more than 50 years and there has been talk of losing, and not losing, that band the whole time. But thanks to the FCC dragging their feet, we haven't lost all of it.

During most of my time as a ham, there was very little commercial equipment available for 220. Efforts by many manufacturers to include 220 MHz in their equipment was mostly a failure. However, all may not be lost. It seems that lately, manufacturers, like Yaesu and Kenwood, are including 220 MHz in their offerings. Here is a list of new, and not so new, 220 radions.

220 Mhz transceivers

I think I still have a Ameco 220 MHz converter available. Maybe I will give a listen. Although, in my area, I doubt I will hear anything but band noise. The closest repeaters for 220 MHz (both of them) are over 50 miles away and separated by lots of hills.

Martin - K7MEM

 

[SCPD]

Hey Steve-- I wouldn't get too upset yet, at least until you see something more firm from the government. The potential loss of the 220 band has been a subject of a lot of uneasiness with hams since way, way back... in the 1970's there was a "Use it or Loose it" movement to occupy 220... and not much came of it, either from the supposed coveting entities, or any mass occupation by hams. Simply put, there wasn't anyone except the United Parcel Service, and maybe a few other minor players that had any designs on 220- and as you can see today, these never came to fruition.
.
220 has been a ITU region 2 ham band almost exclusively (And I am using '220" in place of the US "222" since most of the western hemisphere still has it as 220-225)- -- it was not a Japanese band, whence all the radio Goodies used to come... hence , no readily available, easy to use equipment. The FM explosion of the 70's sent everyone to 2 meters, and to some extent, 440. And lets face it, there are oodles of frequencies available in both those bands, plus who wants to buy a radio that never talks to anyone?
.
Its too bad, since 222 is a neat band to play around with. The near- frequency radars are now gone, as is the analog TV signals that used to plague some users- but the vacuum was never filled. Several years ago at work one of our engineers put a 'Parrot' Repeater on 222.5 Mhz-- the naive little thing thought she could get an interest going among the hams to try the band-- it still is in operation, but except for the maybe a "Testing, one two three..." every so often, it is an extremely quiet little machine.
'
Good luck in stimulating a 222 awakening!
.....................CF

 

[N4GIX]

That's a nice list, but a bit dated.

BridgeCom has newly designed 220 HTs, Mobiles and Repeaters available.

BCM-220: https://www.bridgecomsystems.com/collections/mobile-radios/products/bcm-220-mhz-mobile-radio

BCH-220: https://www.bridgecomsystems.com/collections/handheld-radios/products/bch-220

BCR-220: https://www.bridgecomsystems.com/collections/bcr-repeaters

I bought a BCR40U repeater and it's been a fantastic performer!

Nota bene: I have no connection to BridgeCom other than as a very happy customer.

 

[gewecke]

....For all...
We are about to lose the 222-225 band to something called commerce since we will not use it either at a great rate or effectively at any rate...I urge all hams world wide to begin treating 222-225 as sacred territory and make the band a cause...we cannot allow ourselves to be beat up on by general business and lose a frequency. I have just bought 2 new rigs for 222 use exclusively and will begin using the band every night...I got a TYT 9800 with 10-6-2 meters and 220 bands and will see how that works out it has only 10 watts but I will connect it to a useful amp and kick it up for national and international use...Europe is also about to get pressure for this band as well...I'm not giving it up, and that's that...let's get together and save this band!!
Thanks, KJ6EIR

Nope, not true. 222 is not going anywhere, so no worries. . 73, n9zas

 

[gewecke]

The lack of equipment is due to the limited parts of the world that can use 220.

Quite a few years ago we lost 220-222 to commercial interests - mainly UPS. At our repeater site (commercial buildings and towers) a bunch of ACSSB 220 equipment was installed. I never saw it in use and then it all disappeared again. Major investment that came to nothing. I don't see commercial interests lining up to get on the band. Even UPS doesn't seem to be using it.

We have four 220 repeaters in this area that do get used. Two of them also have remote bases for 2 meters to allow linking to other repeaters.

This month's QST has an article in "The World Above 50Mhz" column about 222Mhz DX. No mention of losing the band. Lot's of info on tranverters and amps for 222Mhz.

You all are ARRL members aren't you?

. I can care less if arrl fell into a hole and never came out again, but 222 isn't going anywhere. . 73, n9zas

 

[ecps92]

My Club is a member, but show me why I need to be.

I agree with Gewecke :roll:

and now seeing that the OP makes this as his first post, I'm guilty of feeding the troll

. I can care less if arrl fell into a hole and never came out again, but 222 isn't going anywhere. . 73, n9zas

 

[KC4RAF]

+1 like button for 'ecps92'.

Not going no where...

 

[K2RNI]

This is my Icom IC03AT still with original battery. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CjynOE3VEAA62TS.jpg

Need to get replacement but I'm cheap and just mostly use it off the 13.8v power supply since it has a jack for it on the top. Would be nice to go portable though. Love this radio.

 

[TheSpaceMann]

220 is still there. However if it continues to be underused it could become at risk. Too many interests competing for spectrum today.

 

[AK9R]

Quite a few years ago we lost 220-222 to commercial interests - mainly UPS. At our repeater site (commercial buildings and towers) a bunch of ACSSB 220 equipment was installed. I never saw it in use and then it all disappeared again. Major investment that came to nothing. I don't see commercial interests lining up to get on the band. Even UPS doesn't seem to be using it.

While it is true that UPS gave up their 220 MHz ACSSB project, the 220-222 MHz slice of the spectrum has not been abandoned by commercial interests.

A few years ago, Congress mandated that the railroads install a system known as Positive Train Control. The idea behind PTC is to keep trains from running beyond their prescribed limits and thus running into each other. A 2008 collision in Chatsworth, California, between a Metrolink commuter train and a Union Pacific freight train was the spark for PTC.

After much research, development, and testing, the PTC vendors have pretty much settled on the 220-222 MHz segment for the narrow-band PTC data signals between lineside equipment and the moving trains though this particular method is not universal across the U.S. In many parts of the country, you can see new towers being installed with 220 MHz beams pointing up and down the railroad tracks. The PTC vendors have already started hinting that 2 MHz won't be enough to completely implement PTC, though I'm not aware of any formal request to expand their allocation.

As for 222 MHz amateur band usage, here in central Indiana, a group of 222 MHz repeater owners have banded together and organized a linked 222 MHz repeater system. How far the system will go is anybody's guess and it may be a flash in the pan. There is a weekly net on that system to "exercise" the equipment.

 

[902]

Your Source ?? for this rumor ??

I echo that. Where, specifically, did you hear this from?

I have not heard about 220 (although I lived through the UPS "we gotta have it" debacle). There should be immediate concern for 70 cm. Most amateurs have no idea how close we were to losing 430 to 440 MHz as paired spectrum to 460 - 470 MHz, which Congress was demanding as a "give back" for giving public safety 700 MHz "broadband" spectrum. At the urging of the ARRL several years ago, many concerned and politically active hams contacted their Representatives. So much so, that the idea was abandoned... until it resurfaced at the 11th hour as the very poorly crafted 470 - 512 MHz "give back." 70 cm also had great NTIA stakeholder concerns.

Look at ALL of the ham bands as having targets on them. USE THEM, ALL OF THEM, not just for nets or to exercise a repeater. Otherwise, just cut your losses. There might be a remote spectrum analyzer counting hits and airtime on a tall building near you with real-world evidence on (lack of) use to refute the usual arguments.

 

[W6SAE]

I have begun trying to make a point of logging at least one contact on 220 (aka 1.25 meters) FM when I do my Summits on the Air (SOTA) activations. I try and do the same with 6 meters and 70 cm, as well, as they seem to be under-utilized here in Northern California. There are repeaters nearby on those three bands, but I only ever seem to hear traffic on 70 cm.

I have Yaesu VX-6R (2m/1.25m/70cm) and Wouxun KG-UV5D (6m/2m) handhelds that I have been using for activations. I just bought a new FT-857D which is, of course, all-band. I'm excited about starting with SSB, but I still plan to operate FM on the above bands, as well.

I invented a slogan: "Keep 1.25 Alive."