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

[rf_patriot200]

There's More flavors of ham radio, than there are ice cream, and we all have our favorites .

 

[K9KLC]

I actually rarely do anything above HF. But when I do, I use the right tool for the job. I have two 5550e and a FT-7800 in my car. But when I travel, those stay at home....along with the antenna and mount. We get that you don't like VOIP. That's fine too.

But to get the thread back on topic, that's where all the VHF/UHF users have gone. You can like that or not. I don't care. But that's where they are. Last time I did some research on this and manipulated the databases to get rid of club calls, duplicate users, etc., there were over 120,000 unique US hams in the DMR database alone. Even if we have 500,000 active hams in the US (the number is likely considerably less than that), you're looking at probably 25% of active hams who got themselves a digital ID over the past several years. That's a HUGE number of hams.

I neither like it or dislike it. LOL I have a DMR dashboard I occasionally watch and a quick guess would be 85% or better are on some sort of hotspot device rather than coming on thru a repeater.

I think you may have missed I do some VOIP I just come in thru a repeater when do that. I said at this time hotspots are not for me. If I was confined to a nursing home, all other methods exhausted then sure, I'd dust mine off, see if it still works or just build and get a new card for a new one. I likely have enough stuff here to build 3 more and a spare pi0w. I may actually one day for goggles and grins use the pi3b+ and slap a hat on it, but that won't be today. I prefer D-Star (but do most of the digital voice modes simplex). A group of us also do 900 MHz both analog and DMR. The bulk of us have 5580's in the house or car and either 6580's or 7580's for ht usage Icom 5100's rule at the moment for me for mobile and base.

I totally agree, that's where a lot of hams are. And there are likely going to be more joining them. It's the way is. One day, hopefully not In my lifetime, we may see ham just go away as we know it today.

Enjoy OM. 73.

 

[Spider255]

I didn't pay for anything the short time I messed with it. I did DMR Yaesu's C4FM and D-Star. I still occasionally do D-Star and Yaesu's stuff if someone wants me there or there's a net I might listen too. I go in thru repeaters now though. Tonight for instance if all the stuff is actually working I might listen in on the Illinois Link net at 20:00 local CST.

They give you a free trial but once that runs out you got to pay a fee for Zello. What makes me laugh are those Zello walkie talkies that cost upwards of 70 pounds, in a few years those Zello devices become useless as hardware requirements go out of spec, at least with a DMR radio it will be useful as a radio for many years. Perhaps people today like spending there money on contracts on top of subscriptions on a device that already cost quite a bit to buy that will then be useless soon.

I will give the Peanut Ham app a try mainly to see if I can create an echo link for actual radio.

 

[Spider255]

Why do I need to jump on board the internet HF train? And now because I don't care for it I'm not keeping up with technology that's been around for years and years? I tried it, it's just not for me. There are other things way newer than VOIP hams can do to "keep up with technology" as you put it.

We get it. You like internet radio. That's great. Enjoy it. I'll just remote into one of several remote bases I have access too and still keep the airwaves busy beyond what an ht will do. If I need to ham that radio that bad I'll just do that. Heck I've done that from a hospital bed. The Icom 9700 and Flex radios have made not even needing a radio or hotspot in your suitcase necessary.

I could understand your argument if we were talking about two way business radio or general walkie talkie but Ham radio is not that and the hobby goes beyond "using new tech" remember radio waves are a natural thing and the Ham radio hobby was an experimental scientific hobby about "radio waves" wave lengths, and how they travel etc etc. Without using real radio the hobby just turns into nothing more than a networking chat app which a great shame.

 

[K9KLC]

There's More flavors of ham radio, than there are ice cream, and we all have our favorites .

This, exactly this...

 

[K9KLC]

They give you a free trial but once that runs out you got to pay a fee for Zello. What makes me laugh are those Zello walkie talkies that cost upwards of 70 pounds, in a few years those Zello devices become useless as hardware requirements go out of spec, at least with a DMR radio it will be useful as a radio for many years. Perhaps people today like spending there money on contracts on top of subscriptions on a device that already cost quite a bit to buy that will then be useless soon.

I will give the Peanut Ham app a try mainly to see if I can create an echo link for actual radio.

I think you and I are talking about 2 different things. With the hotspots, there are radios on each end. You keep mentioning Zello which at no time was brought up in this thread other than by you. I explained earlier with a hotspot it's Radio>hotspot>internet> receiving party on the other end might be a repeater or another person doing internet>hotspot>radio.

 

[Spider255]

This, exactly this...

Does anybody ever talk on them or are they as dead as analog?

I've been monitoring a few for hours 70 odd users nobody talking. Lots of beeps, the odd person checking in every hour or so. I got bored and signed out.

 

[K9KLC]

Does anybody ever talk on them or are they as dead as analog?

I've been monitoring a few for hours 70 odd users nobody talking. Lots of beeps, the odd person checking in every hour or so. I got bored and signed out.

The thing is, analog isn't dead here in my area. At certain times of the day sure but I wouldn't say " dead".

For an experiment I thru my call out on 1- 2 meter machine and got an answer. Then went to a 70cm machine and got an answer. For giggles and grins I tried. 1.25 meter machine and low and behold got an answer there. I decided to then go for broke and try a 33cm machine and while the person that answered was on the 70cm side of that system I actually got an answer there. Dead isn't always dead everywhere.

 

[alcahuete]

One day, hopefully not In my lifetime, we may see ham just go away as we know it today.

You got that right, and I sure hope not either.

 

[Spider255]

The thing is, analog isn't dead here in my area. At certain times of the day sure but I wouldn't say " dead".

For an experiment I thru my call out on 1- 2 meter machine and got an answer. Then went to a 70cm machine and got an answer. For giggles and grins I tried. 1.25 meter machine and low and behold got an answer there. I decided to then go for broke and try a 33cm machine and while the person that answered was on the 70cm side of that system I actually got an answer there. Dead isn't always dead everywhere.

I called out on the 4 meter band 70 MHz and got a response. Activity is rare on 4 meters FM. I think there are 2 Hams in my area that care for 4 meters. I wish the UK had the 1.25 meter band instead of 4 meters at least with the 1.25 meter band, there is no noise and interference to drown out incoming signals with much cleaner, clearer sound with incoming stations. 4 meters is a bit hit and miss, its probably better used for more open areas like farm land rather than cities. I have two Tait transceivers that do 220MHz. It would be nice to have 1.25 Meter band then I can use those old Taits on it.

I like 4 meters but due to its usefulness combined with nobody really bothering with it, I'd swap it for the 1.25 meter band if I could.

 

[Gmork]

There are so many modes and options within the hobby that it is nearly impossible to have your hand in them all. At least the area I live has a traffic net that has been going on for over 30 years on a 2m repeater daily. Dudes talking on a 900MHz P25 repeater in the morning and evening. A group of guys on a DMR linked system locally that covers over 250 miles. Then the same core group of guys on a 440 machine that talk about guns all the time.

Oh and a passing person on the highway occasionally calling on 146.520

 

[KB2GOM]

Be the change you want to see. Start a net on your local repeater on the subject you are interested in.

Contact your local ham clubs and promote your net.

Make an effort.

Two years ago, I started this -- The Radio Monitoring Net -- and folks show up every week.

Try it; have some persistence, and see what happens.

You might be pleasantly surprised, but don't expect instant success.

 

[mayidunk]

I've been reading through this thread, and had a couple of thoughts. Way back, before the internet, before cellphones, even before the transatlantic cables were laid, people had a kind of romantic notion of what it would be like to just be able to talk to someone across the ocean, on the other side of the world. Back before wireless communications started coming into view, they had laid underwater telegraph cables between continents, but that still didn't really affect the average Joe. It wasn't like having a direct conversation with someone from "over there!"

When the amateur service started happening in the US, people got all excited about the thought of actually being able to communicate long distances with others far, far away! I can only imagine what it must have been like sitting in your radio shack late at night at your wireless set, key in hand, headphones clamped tightly to your ears, listening for that small click, beep, or buzz that told you someone was attempting to communicate from "God knows where!" I imagine it must have been rather heady, knowing that this was all brand new, dreaming of what new things might be coming down the road.

Then you could suddenly ditch the key, and start actually talking to people all over the world. Heady times! But key or phone, that privilege was always relegated to those who were trained, who could prove themselves capable of using the equipment without killing themselves, and others, not to mention being knowledgeable enough to not interfere with others over the air. Testing was quite necessary! It was still mainly out of reach for the average person. All they had was the telephone, but calling across the state could be an ordeal, never mind trying to call someone on the other side of the country! However, slowly, but surely, long-distance telephoning started becoming a thing, and more and more ordinary people were able to talk with each other from coast to coast, though at a premium. And back then, line amps were still kind of few and far between, leaving you to have to sometimes shout to be heard, often ending with phone calls abruptly ending, or just fading out to nothing. And, then, long-distance started allowing you to reach out and touch someone... overseas! I remember calling home to the states from Turkey back in the mid '70s. It was a bit of an ordeal, especially with some guy with a Turkish accent breaking into your conversation from time to time, asking, "Are you working? Are you working?!"

These days, the romance is gone. You can now reach anyone, anywhere, at any time, as clear as a bell! You don't need training, nor a license. The dreams of what once could be, are now the reality of today. The thrill is gone, and we've all become just a little more jaded for it. However...

There are still those who will sit in their shacks, late at night, headphones clamped to their heads, listening for that CQ from overseas! Especially now, as the Solar Cycle is doing its thing on 10 meters! Except, they're doing it during the day. But, this cycle will soon end, leaving them back in the shack late at night, waiting for that CQ from across the pond. It occurs to me that, it's not so much about our technology as it is about our state of mind. Some of us are still dreamers, and I hope more people catch on to that aspect of amateur radio. Amateurs may have once lead the way with wireless technology, and may have ultimately fell behind to a degree. However, they still have the corner on that romanticism.

I'm not an amateur, I never got my ticket for reasons of my own. But I do like listening. I just got an FT-710, and I plan on doing some nice, late night DXpeditions out under the moonlight, in the middle of some field somehere, headphones clamped to my head, listening for that quiet, little, "CQ DX, CQ DX," way down in the dirt. It just doesn't get any better than that!

The state of the art will always change, but your state of mind need not follow!

 

[N4DES]

While I have a regular afternoon chat on a local VHF repeater and own/operate a UHF DMR repeater, 7 days ago and I got back into HF and I'm really enjoying radio again. In the last 7 days on 20 Meters I logged stations in Spain, St. Martin, Canada, and in the US all with a 100 watts and a couple horizontally mounted hamsticks about 15' AGL.

As to the local U and V activity, unless it's a net it's really quiet.

 

[Omega-TI]

I've been reading through this thread, and had a couple of thoughts. Way back, before the internet, before cellphones, even before the transatlantic cables were laid, people had a kind of romantic notion of what it would be like to just be able to talk to someone across the ocean, on the other side of the world. Back before wireless communications started coming into view, they had laid underwater telegraph cables between continents, but that still didn't really affect the average Joe. It wasn't like having a direct conversation with someone from "over there!"

When the amateur service started happening in the US, people got all excited about the thought of actually being able to communicate long distances with others far, far away! I can only imagine what it must have been like sitting in your radio shack late at night at your wireless set, key in hand, headphones clamped tightly to your ears, listening for that small click, beep, or buzz that told you someone was attempting to communicate from "God knows where!" I imagine it must have been rather heady, knowing that this was all brand new, dreaming of what new things might be coming down the road.

Then you could suddenly ditch the key, and start actually talking to people all over the world. Heady times! But key or phone, that privilege was always relegated to those who were trained, who could prove themselves capable of using the equipment without killing themselves, and others, not to mention being knowledgeable enough to not interfere with others over the air. Testing was quite necessary! It was still mainly out of reach for the average person. All they had was the telephone, but calling across the state could be an ordeal, never mind trying to call someone on the other side of the country! However, slowly, but surely, long-distance telephoning started becoming a thing, and more and more ordinary people were able to talk with each other from coast to coast, though at a premium. And back then, line amps were still kind of few and far between, leaving you to have to sometimes shout to be heard, often ending with phone calls abruptly ending, or just fading out to nothing. And, then, long-distance started allowing you to reach out and touch someone... overseas! I remember calling home to the states from Turkey back in the mid '70s. It was a bit of an ordeal, especially with some guy with a Turkish accent breaking into your conversation from time to time, asking, "Are you working? Are you working?!"

These days, the romance is gone. You can now reach anyone, anywhere, at any time, as clear as a bell! You don't need training, nor a license. The dreams of what once could be, are now the reality of today. The thrill is gone, and we've all become just a little more jaded for it. However...

There are still those who will sit in their shacks, late at night, headphones clamped to their heads, listening for that CQ from overseas! Especially now, as the Solar Cycle is doing its thing on 10 meters! Except, they're doing it during the day. But, this cycle will soon end, leaving them back in the shack late at night, waiting for that CQ from across the pond. It occurs to me that, it's not so much about our technology as it is about our state of mind. Some of us are still dreamers, and I hope more people catch on to that aspect of amateur radio. Amateurs may have once lead the way with wireless technology, and may have ultimately fell behind to a degree. However, they still have the corner on that romanticism.

I'm not an amateur, I never got my ticket for reasons of my own. But I do like listening. I just got an FT-710, and I plan on doing some nice, late night DXpeditions out under the moonlight, in the middle of some field somehere, headphones clamped to my head, listening for that quiet, little, "CQ DX, CQ DX," way down in the dirt. It just doesn't get any better than that!

The state of the art will always change, but your state of mind need not follow!

Yeah, for the most part I agree, the thrill is gone. It's no longer "cutting edge". Once can take a little rectangular item out of their pocket and talk or do video communication with anyone nearly anywhere on the planet... cheaply.

For $60.00 a month, or $720 a year they don't need to buy expensive radios, power supplies, run expensive coax or put up large antennas and be tied to a box. Those same little rectangular items do many other things as well, as they are basically computers. Want to listen to radio, calculate the current CD rates, check the news, take pictures or video, or watch cat videos it's all in that little rectangular thing that fits in your pocket. For the average guy or gal out there, simplex radio communications can seem rather primitive, if not overly expensive for its limited use.

Time marches on, sure there is nostalgia and there will always be niche groups of people with the same interests, but when you consider the population of the entire planet, or even this country, we are a rather small insignificant group.

 

[mayidunk]

Small? Hmmm... Insignificant? Perhaps significance is in the eye of the "beer holder?"

Notwithstanding, amateurs (and guys like me), we still have our gear, we still have people calling CQ, and we still have the ability to sit up, take nourishment, and take the garbage out! As long as we have that, I don't think we're doing all that bad.

Remember, it ain't the state of the art, it's the state of the heart!

 

[MTS2000des]

Ham radio is what one makes of it. As a local club president once said "Ham radio: if you're not having fun, you're doing it wrong"
VHF/UHF isn't your thing, HF, digital, even ATV- there are two dozen or more modes and dozens of frequencies. It is the ultimate radio playground. It is not for everyone. That is okay. There is room enough for everyone. Make your own joy, share it with the world.

 

[kk9h]

Hi everyone. Let me put an additional thought into this thread. I have been licensed since 1967 and I enjoy many aspects of this hobby. I am the trustee of my local ham club and we have repeaters on 2M, 220, 440, 23cm, FM, D-Star and System Fusion. Our 440 FM repeater covers all of Chicago, most of the adjacent counties and is one of our area’s most active repeaters throughout the day. The same is true with our 440 D-Star repeater that is located at the same site. While my favorite part of our hobby is HF DXing related, I always enjoy a good chat on any of our VHF/UHF systems, especially if it is with someone new to the hobby, new to our club repeater or simply new to me. In fact, I truly believe that half of the fun of our hobby isn’t just the technical or operational side, it’s the social side. Meeting new people and keeping up with old friends is easily achieved almost any time with VHF/UHF radio systems via mobile, base or portable radios and I think that aspect of our hobby will keep this technology active in many places for years to come. I am also pleased to report that we have had a number of younger people get their licenses and join our club in recent years. In most cases one or both of their parents and siblings have joined them soon afterward which has been fun and rewarding. So, there is hope. Anyhow, that’s my take on VHF/UHF usage around me and I am encouraged looking forward.

BTW, I get asked all the time by people who see the license plate on my car “Do people still do that?” and of course I say yes. In fact I love to leave them with this trivia question because I think it helps them remember it:

What are the only two hobbies in the U.S. that require a “Federal” license in order to participate in them? The answer of course is amateur radio and flying an airplane. It’s always greeted with a smile and enlightenment.

 

[n9gxa]

I think a big way to have amateur radio look more inviting is if the internet was to go down world-wide for a long enough time. Too soon and the lack of internet is still the problem. After awhile, people will be wishing they could operate the "old fashion way".

Of course, not being able to do anything commerce-wise because of no internet would mess up all of us.

 

[N4DES]

Historically what we typically see with non-disaster outages are siloed carrier outages (AT&T, Comcast/Xfinity, Verizon, T-Mob, etc.) and by design end users have at their disposal multi-carrier paths with their mobile devices, and even more so now with the introduction of Starlink. This has not brought them to amateur radio and might be bringing them more to GMRS because of the ability to have a single $35 license that covers the whole family for 10 years and no testing is required.

QRZ has an interesting Amateur Radio statistic on their website that states this:

EXPIRED! How to avoid losing your license...

The USA Callsign database contains about 750,000 listings and at any given moment, approximately 30,000 of these callsigns are expired! Over 1,000 old callsigns are returned to the unused pool each month!

IMO Amateur Radio is barely treading water....