Location, location, location

[OkieBoyKJ5JFG]

This morning, I checked in to a net on a 2 meter repeater 20 miles north of my house with 4 watts on an HT. I didn't know it when I bought the place, but my house is in a very advantageous location for radio dorks...err...enthusiasts in central Oklahoma. I'm on a 40' bluff above a river which is the second-highest location for miles around. I have excellent terrain for radio waves, apparently. I have checked in to the same net with a 2.5" stubby antenna on a 6 watt radio and was heard clearly. I used to regularly use a GMRS repeater 25 miles to the northeast with an HT until it went offline. On a good day, I can be heard clearly on a repeater 50 miles northeast with a handheld and I can always work it with 12 watts on a mobile/base in my living room with a mag mount antenna on a steel pizza plate. I've talked HT-HT with a guy almost 20 miles to my south, albeit not very clearly. The only direction I don't have good results is to my west because the highest point for miles around is about 1/2 mile west of me. Ironically, I can reach the repeater to the northeast with a HT from my house but can't reach it with a 20 watt mobile from the WalMart parking lot.

The answer to the ubiquitous question, "How far can you talk on that?" is...it depends. I'll bet I could reach Kansas with a 35 watt mobile from the hill to my west. I may actually try it some time. My goal at present is to see how low I can go and still work that repeater 20 miles to the north. This morning, I used an HYS 771 antenna. Tomorrow, I'm going to change to the Comet 2m/1.25m/70cm tri-band antenna. It probably doesn't perform quite as well as the dual-bander just because that's kinda how antennas work; you don't get something for nothing. If I have no trouble with the tri-band antenna, I'm going to drop to 2 watts and try different antennas. I wonder if I can be heard clearly on that repeater with 1 watt and a stubby antenna? This is fun!

 

[K9KLC]

Experimentation is the basic foundation for ham radio. Lately a group of us are trying different antennas and power levels on 33cm trying to see just what's up with that band. It's a new band for a lot of us so it's been fun. Let us know how your tests turn out !!

 

[OkieBoyKJ5JFG]

Experimentation is the basic foundation for ham radio. Lately a group of us are trying different antennas and power levels on 33cm trying to see just what's up with that band. It's a new band for a lot of us so it's been fun. Let us know how your tests turn out !!

When I posted on a Facebook Ham group about using the repeater 20 miles away with a 2.5" stubby antenna, some of them lost their dang minds. One guy showed me a bunch of numbers about why that was impossible. Another said that it probably wasn't true, and even if it was, I shouldn't post it because "...now people will run out and buy these piece of s*** antennas on your recommendation." I never recommended it, I just described what happened. Still others jumped in to tell me that I was an idiot for thinking the stubby was as good as a "real" antenna -- an assertion I never made. So I guess not everyone is big on the "experimentation" thing. Fortunately, it wasn't my first day on the internet, so I didn't cry myself to sleep. Most members took my report at face value and a few enthusiastically announced that "We don't need no stinkin" long antennas. Little ones are just as good!"

 

[K9KLC]

You'll hear all the time "you can't do that". Well guess what? Hams have been doing what we can't do for as long as there have been hams. Keep on going and testing and experimenting! It's what it's all about.

 

[OkieBoyKJ5JFG]

When I finally get around to installing an outdoor antenna, I should get some really impressive coverage.

 

[alcahuete]

Experimentation is the basic foundation for ham radio. Lately a group of us are trying different antennas and power levels on 33cm trying to see just what's up with that band. It's a new band for a lot of us so it's been fun. Let us know how your tests turn out !!

Another dead band unfortunately. It's a GREAT band to use, and digital just cuts right through the ISM garbage that's there. DMR and P25 on 900 MHz is great.

 

[K9KLC]

Another dead band unfortunately. It's a GREAT band to use, and digital just cuts right through the ISM garbage that's there. DMR and P25 on 900 MHz is great.

We've done some testing on DMR. None of us in this area have P-25 radios for 900 "YET"...several of us use it daily in about a 30-35 mile radius under normal conditions.

Unfortunately not everyone has DMR yet but we'll see what happens. We had an event in January and there were over 2500 contacts made on 927.1 simplex. Between all the participants in the various areas. It's been great honestly.

 

[K9KLC]

Another dead band unfortunately. It's a GREAT band to use, and digital just cuts right through the ISM garbage that's there. DMR and P25 on 900 MHz is great.

We have two new 900 repeaters here now neither are on a tower site yet we are waiting for the weather to break and it warm up. I think one repeater will be analog only to start but at some point go analog/P-25 mixed so I'm sure some p-25 radios are forthcoming. I think the second one will be analog only for some time.

 

[alcahuete]

We've done some testing on DMR. None of us in this area have P-25 radios for 900 "YET"...several of us use it daily in about a 30-35 mile radius under normal conditions.

Unfortunately not everyone has DMR yet but we'll see what happens. We had an event in January and there were over 2500 contacts made on 927.1 simplex. Between all the participants in the various areas. It's been great honestly.

Yeah, it's a great band. You might not have much ISM where you are, but there is a ton here in LA. Really raises the noise floor and causes some havoc on analog. The digital just cuts right through it like it's not even there. You're really going to enjoy it.

 

[KK4JUG]

40' in Oklahoma is like Pike's Peak in Colorado. You have to be the envy of the area. Your FB wannabe ham is jealous. It's good that you're not losing any sleep over his out-of-place comments.

 

[ladn]

...Still others jumped in to tell me that I was an idiot for thinking the stubby was as good as a "real" antenna -- an assertion I never made. So I guess not everyone is big on the "experimentation" thing...

Sounds like "sad ham" complaints.

 

[K9KLC]

Yeah, it's a great band. You might not have much ISM where you are, but there is a ton here in LA. Really raises the noise floor and causes some havoc on analog. The digital just cuts right through it like it's not even there. You're really going to enjoy it.

Where I live, it's there but not too bad. When I take a radio mobile, and ride around with it, man the noise that creeps in. We've actually been a little surprised by the band somewhat, it was new for a lot of us even long time hams, (the guys 50 years plus in) have been a little surprised by it. I've only been a ham for coming up on 30 years now, but had never messed with 900 till a couple years ago. I can't even imagine the noise out near LA, that must be something.

 

[KK4JUG]

It could be a straightened out paperclip for an antenna. If it works, it works.

(Not really but you get the point.)

 

[OkieBoyKJ5JFG]

This morning, I checked in using the 2m/1.25m/70cm tri-band antenna. I was told that I was easy to understand but had some minor hissing and crackling. As I suspected, it didn't work quite as well as a 771 antenna, but it wasn't terrible either. I have some 1.25m repeaters programmed in my HT, but none of them are close to me, so I typically put a 701 or 771 antenna on it. There are a few 1.25m repeaters around the state and I'll give them a try when I'm in their area.

Tomorrow I'm going to try it with 2 watts and a 701 antenna.

 

[OkieBoyKJ5JFG]

It could be a straightened out paperclip for an antenna. If it works, it works.

(Not really but you get the point.)

I've actually joked that from my location, I could probably use any random piece of wire.

 

[K9KLC]

I've actually joked that from my location, I could probably use any random piece of wire.

On any given day.....