Making the most of whats left of the VHF/UHF bands

[Spider255]

Oh, this is a combination of probably fifteen different factors but there are ways around it.

Certainly here in the UK things had started to get quiet on VHF and UHF by 2013 but there is still activity, just not as much as there was back in the 80s and 90s.

Get your radio out, turn it on and put calls out when and where you can. Enjoy the QSOs you get, even if they might be few and far between and you'll soon see a local group grow.

As for the idea of linking all of the analogue repeaters in the UK, that's not an achievable or wise idea for a number of reasons including efficiency and misbehaviour. Back in the late 1990s I tried to get approval for a 2m repeater with decent power and antennas at around 200m agl on a big site on a big hill but was turned down for exactly these reasons; whether anyone has made use of the new licensing regime around VHF repeaters I do not know but it would be interesting to try...perhaps I'll have another go.

Now, on to the good news...VHF and UHF are *not dead* but are just in use in ways that you might not see. UHF repeaters are fairly healthy but tend to be linked DV units. VHF repeaters are fairly quiet, which is a shame, but FM simplex can be pretty good if you choose the right time.

Get out there and transmit; if you only listen then you won't hear all the other stations listening...

I call out whenever I can. I even have days where I do nothing but call out on 2/70 and even on 4 meters whether that would be at home or out on a hill top.

Sadly many people have given up calling on V/UHF and I've heard at least 5 new'ish Hams who have said they have given up on V/UHF. In my area 2 meters has become the new 4 meter band.

As for misbehaviour on linked repeaters... I understand this concern completely... we need systems in place to prevent this where an abused repeater can be remotely shut down during that time, a team of volunteer fox hunters can be deployed to find the abusers which could also add some more opportunities to the hobby. We will need such systems in place to prevent abuse. There are also some other aspects of the hobby we must learn to ignore for example if an unlicensed, or abuser was to come on to the Ham bands we ignore them, pretend they are not there and they will soon give up.

 

[EAFrizzle]

Lots of good stuff in this thread. In addition to getting new hams into the hobby, former hams that have allowed their licenses to expire need some reason to renew. I let my ticket expire because of the attitudes of the repeater users in Houston, TX. They weren't the least bit shy about telling new hams (even ones who were operating correctly) to get off of their repeaters. These days, Houston's SkyWarn repeater only gets used when the club meets up for lunch or an out-of-state net is being run. In the hours before Beryl's landfall, the SkyWarn machine had been taken over by a net in Oregon, and not a peep from Houston users or the SkyWarn net. That let me know that SkyWarn is basically considered useless, at least in Houston. Let me save battery power for monitoring something useful in the situation.

Now that I'm in Dallas, maybe I can find enough simplex operators to have a reason to renew. I don't need any of the repeater ego-trips on Amateur or GMRS. I just like to talk. I don't care one bit about contesting, collecting contacts, etc. The guy that got me to get my ticket also let his expire. The reason? "There's nobody worth talking to anymore. It's clubs that don't want outsiders and contesters around here." Yep. The reason many licenses have expired isn't because people don't like radio anymore, but they don't seem to like the elitist culture that has developed in ham radio over the decades.


If someone would make an affordable SSB rig for 2m/70cm and/or other V/U bands, simplex would be a lot more useful and could reduce repeater use.

 

[ultrajv]

DMR repeaters are set up badly. They still follow poor practice by not having a permanent Talkgroup active. This was set up over 10 years ago to limit usage. Well it worked. Its about time the owners set them up so at least some activity is heard. If users dont key up, you hear nothing. They dont seem to know thats how it works currently.

There is so much activity on digital modes including DMR thats its hard to deal with but you wont hear it on repeaters due to outdated practices. I have a DMR hot spot and its active 24/7. Set on Hubnet for UK and TG9050 East Coast US for nights. Echolink, Allstar and Freestar are highly active as well but few repeaters have them on. A new exception is GB3KX in London.

I monitor 4m day and night, John G8MNY calls out 3 to 4pm most days, Adam G7CRQ is monitoring most times, both in Croydon area. There are local nets on Thursday and Friday evenings. Im in SE London and put out calls when i can though I have a S9 noisefloor during the day.

2E0BSL

 

[kayn1n32008]

If no changes are made then nothing goes forward or improves.

You are absolutely correct.

The way things are currently with the state of the upper bands I can see within 5 years all these dead repeaters are not going to be there anymore, ofcom may also take away large parts of the upper bands away, because if they are not being used we'll lose them forever.

Heard that before.

I don't mean to be negative here but what is the point in having hundreds of unused repeaters?

what's the point of linking hundreds of repeaters together?

Maybe link most of the repeaters together but leave a few out. If no changes are made then nothing will improve.

Who decides which ones to link and the ones to not link?

The hobby needs new fresh ideas with drastic changes to entice people to use the bands again instead of being left to rot.

Couldn't agree more.

Another idea would be to link all the analog repeaters together anyway but have it setup to where the link can be switched off at any given time for example if GB3DA are having a local net on the link can be turned off during that time then turned back on again after that.

Again, link them all to make noise? That's a waste of resources.

There also needs to be a good balance in this hobby because having internet echo links are nice on analog, having DMR repeaters connected to the internet is also nice but things like simplex without internet links are also important to maintain.

That's already being done.

DMR simplex? DMR Simplex would be nice to try out. Having a good balance is important.

I've used DMR, P25 and NXDN simplex.

 

[AB4BF]

Myself, I'm 70 YO and I hope I'm still around when the FCC allows amateur radio operators the use of Quantum Communications. We could talk to Beta Reticuli in real time (or unreal as you look at it...). Just think, the new amateurs of today have a lot to look forward to!

 

[Spider255]

Lots of good stuff in this thread. In addition to getting new hams into the hobby, former hams that have allowed their licenses to expire need some reason to renew. I let my ticket expire because of the attitudes of the repeater users in Houston, TX. They weren't the least bit shy about telling new hams (even ones who were operating correctly) to get off of their repeaters. These days, Houston's SkyWarn repeater only gets used when the club meets up for lunch or an out-of-state net is being run. In the hours before Beryl's landfall, the SkyWarn machine had been taken over by a net in Oregon, and not a peep from Houston users or the SkyWarn net. That let me know that SkyWarn is basically considered useless, at least in Houston. Let me save battery power for monitoring something useful in the situation.

Now that I'm in Dallas, maybe I can find enough simplex operators to have a reason to renew. I don't need any of the repeater ego-trips on Amateur or GMRS. I just like to talk. I don't care one bit about contesting, collecting contacts, etc. The guy that got me to get my ticket also let his expire. The reason? "There's nobody worth talking to anymore. It's clubs that don't want outsiders and contesters around here." Yep. The reason many licenses have expired isn't because people don't like radio anymore, but they don't seem to like the elitist culture that has developed in ham radio over the decades.


If someone would make an affordable SSB rig for 2m/70cm and/or other V/U bands, simplex would be a lot more useful and could reduce repeater use.

I hear ya... I know exactly what you mean, there were a few Hams like that when I first got licensed they didn't want me on there repeater joining in with there afternoon group net, there were also a few band police on 2 meters, high & mighty telling off new license holders, I remember when I got told I shouldn't be using yagi beams on 2 meters. I remember there was also a club and they changed venues and didn't want to tell any new comers about which new venue the club was being held at, the kinda group where if your face don't fit they don't want you in there group.

Those days seem to be long gone now that the upper bands are dead, most were old farts and there is a newer generation of Hams now that are not like that.