What's going on with 2m?

[gewecke]

LOL I still want in!!! I found a club and a well respected ham shop in my area....now all I have to do is pass the exam.

Be careful what you wish for! :roll:
Clubs are not at all what they're cracked up to be.

73,
n9zas

 

[zz0468]

Be careful what you wish for!
Clubs are not at all what they're cracked up to be.

Don't be such a crank. There are some really outstanding clubs out there.

 

[LtDoc]

Fuzy_GSXR1000,
Good. Those tests aren't as bad as they seem at first. They only require a little study (if done right) or a good memory. Being around people with the same interests is also a nice way of doing things. Those interests change over time so the first interesting club you find may not stay as interesting as it is now. Nothing unusual about that. This is a hobby that has a huge number of possibilities/opportunities so get your feet wet. Everybody has to start somewhere, so enjoy the experience.
- 'Doc

 

[rapidcharger]

Great post, BOO.

 

[AC2OY]

Fuzy_GSXR1000,
Good. Those tests aren't as bad as they seem at first. They only require a little study (if done right) or a good memory. Being around people with the same interests is also a nice way of doing things. Those interests change over time so the first interesting club you find may not stay as interesting as it is now. Nothing unusual about that. This is a hobby that has a huge number of possibilities/opportunities so get your feet wet. Everybody has to start somewhere, so enjoy the experience.
- 'Doc

Thanks Doc!! I've attended two meetings so far and all the people I've so far are fantastic! Everybody is soo willing to help me it's scary!! Plus I have a Elmer that I didn't know was a ham until a few messages ago...even though he sold all his gear he knows tons aboutbradio's antenna's and allthstbgoid stuff! I read about from four different books a day and try to absorb as much as my little brain can. Not quite there yet but I won't quit. I won't start to ask about equipment yet but I have tons of questions and the more I listen to hams on the repeaters....well you know...lol!!

 

[elk2370bruce]

You guys are STILL at it?

I watched you suffer a dull aching pain,
Now you decided to show me the same.
No sweeping exits or off stage lines,
Could make me feel bitter or treat you unkind.
Dead horses, piled up sky high,
Dead, dead horses, the stink brings tears to my eyes.

Your poetic (license or unlicensed) brings tears to my eyes and a smile to my face.

 

[uno1904]

I found everybody hangs out on 70cm in my area


Sent by passenger pigeon using Tapatalk KD0SOK

 

[gunmasternd]

Thanks Doc!! I've attended two meetings so far and all the people I've so far are fantastic! Everybody is soo willing to help me it's scary!! Plus I have a Elmer that I didn't know was a ham until a few messages ago...even though he sold all his gear he knows tons aboutbradio's antenna's and allthstbgoid stuff! I read about from four different books a day and try to absorb as much as my little brain can. Not quite there yet but I won't quit. I won't start to ask about equipment yet but I have tons of questions and the more I listen to hams on the repeaters....well you know...lol!!

repeaters are kinda a waste of time and the people on them. most of them dont do much for the hobby they like talking about whats going on today rather then hamradio.

uhf and vhf is where the fun is and moonbounce. those are demanding bands and the people that make the effort are the ones you wanna learn from.

 

[AC2OY]

Ok....can I listen to that with my Pro-197? I don't have a radio other than my scanner yet. I figure I'll get the license first?! Better yet donyou want to buy me a ICOM-9100? That will cover those bands right?!

 

[AK9R]

Most any scanner will cover the two most popular amateur radio VHF-UHF bands.

The 2 meter band is 144-148 MHz with repeater outputs (in most parts of the country) on 145.110 to 145.490 and 146.610 to 147.390. The 70 centimeter or "440" band is 420-450 MHz with repeater outputs clustered at 442.000 to 445.000 or 447.000 to 450.000 depending on local frequency coordination policies. Also, you will find in some parts of the country, a fair amount of 2m simplex activity from 146.400 to 146.600 and 147.400 to 147.600.

So, search the ranges I've listed to see what you can find.

I highly recommend that you spend some time listening before you get your license and before you get on the air. Getting to know the local customs, the personalities of the local repeaters, and the regulars who hang out on them will make it easier for you to fit in with the crowd. I think I listened for about two years before I got my license and got on the air. The biggest compliment I got was from a long-term ham who, based on my on-air presence, was quite surprised to learn that I was newly licensed.

The Icom IC-9100? Yes, that is a base radio that will cover the 160m through 10m HF bands, the 6m and 2m VHF bands, and the 70cm and 23cm (with optional module) UHF bands. Some hams shy away from "all-in-one-box" radios because if just one band fails, you are completely off the air while the radio is in for repair. But, if you have limited space, it might be an alternative. Keep in mind, though, that this is an all-mode (AM, FM, SSB, CW) radio on all those bands. Almost all repeater activity is on FM. Single-band or dual-band FM radios are much less expensive than the IC-9100.

 

[razerface]

we bought yaesu 2m handhelds. For a couple weeks we have owned them,,,we have not heard anything but a weather channel. LOL,,, we just get to recharge the batteries every once in a while,,,,so we don't know if it is worth it to take the test.

Thought about strapping them to our ultralights and using them for comm,,,legal in the air?

 

[N4JKD]

we bought yaesu 2m handhelds. For a couple weeks we have owned them,,,we have not heard anything but a weather channel. LOL,,, we just get to recharge the batteries every once in a while,,,,so we don't know if it is worth it to take the test.

Thought about strapping them to our ultralights and using them for comm,,,legal in the air?

2 meters is a vast wasteland in some places, and some still active. Here in Tennessee, 2 meters and 70cm are both still active, you just have to find the right repeaters. When I go back home to Indiana and visit, I put the local 2m repeater in, and have only had 2 people come back to me in the 3 years I have gone back to visit. I don't go to do ham radio work, but still always take a handheld with me, and program some repeater frequencies between here and there.

Jason Dailey
N4JKD

 

[rapidcharger]

we bought yaesu 2m handhelds. For a couple weeks we have owned them,,,we have not heard anything but a weather channel. LOL,,, we just get to recharge the batteries every once in a while,,,,so we don't know if it is worth it to take the test.

Thought about strapping them to our ultralights and using them for comm,,,legal in the air?

How far are you from where the repeaters are located? Repeaters in big cities are usually located in downtown buildings or on hilltops, water towers, radio towers or mountains (where available). If you;re a good distance away from all that, it might take an external antenna to receive them.

 

[KK4QDQ]

Everyone is complaining about the cost of getting into this hobby. I challenge you to find any hobby that is not expensive to get into if you don't have friends that share their equipment.

I am into Photography (SLR, Flash Heads, Tripods, etc...), Skydiving (Rigs, Chutes, Altimeters, jump suit, Helmet, etc...), Music (Mixers, DI Boxes, Instruments, Amps, Cables, etc...), and many other things. I am fortunate enough to have some disposable income to pursue my interests and I didn't do everything at once. I have spent over 20 years getting the equipment to support my hobbies. Ham is no different. I have a couple of handhelds and have been listening for some time. Now that I am licensed, I will begin researching where I want to go worth this hobby and start acquiring the equipment needed as I have the funds or skills to build.

I know things are rough for a lot of people but this is just reality. Most hobbies require an investment to join in. Maybe it used to be easier in Ham Radio, maybe it didn't? I suspect that the real issue is the disposable nature of society today. 30-40 years ago, equipment was made to last and to be maintained. Just about everything today is made to last the expected period until the next version comes out. It is also made with surface mount components and designed to be tossed when it fails as the cost to put it on a bench and just see what is wrong is often the same or more than the cost to just replace. Without older equipment that keep working or can more easily be maintained/repaired, there is less used equipment to be had.

I got my first Ham radio back in the 1970's when I was a kid. It was a giant silver box with a giant dial on the front and full of tubes (my favorite was the purple). We connected a wire to the antenna lug and ran it out the window to the roof. We had no idea what we were doing but we listened to stuff all over the world. When it failed, I had to take the tubes down to Radio Shack and test them. At 10 years old, I could do basic maintenance. The radio could transmit but we were not licensed and I have no idea if it was actually capable or had a problem in that circuit. I think I paid $25 for that radio back then and later sold it to a friend for the same price when we moved. I just don't see equipment like that hitting eBay or Craigslist or at a HamFest these days. Many Hams probably collect it and I think the national or global reach of eBay increases prices beyond what they might be in a local situation.

Well, a long first post from a long time lurker that was listed in the FCC database this morning for the first time. I already made my first contact on a local repeater. I am fortunate to be surrounded by many local repeaters that are somewhat active. The Disney repeaters usually have someone listening if you want to talk, even if no one is talking for hours at a time. One is linked to NYC, LA, Wash DC and Conn. I hear people talking about the repeaters, Ham radio, Disney and many other topics during the day. I will take the General Exam next month (missed it by one question last week without any study on the General - got 100% on Tech) so I can experiment on some other bands. The Orlando club seems to be very active and I hope to make some good friends I can learn from.

 

[N4JKD]

Be careful what you wish for! :roll:
Clubs are not at all what they're cracked up to be.

73,
n9zas

Fully agree...many just want your money to keep a repeater running that is barely used, and don't really give a rat's a** about what you think. I run repeaters, a few ran by clubs, and I seldom use them. The primary one I use is ran by one guy, and he won't take any money for it, just enjoys people using it. He said that is the whole purpose of an open repeater. That is another reason, many scared to get on for fear of having their throats jumped down because they aren't a "paying" member. If that's the case than they need to make it a closed repeater. That is why a couple of the ham repeaters have went dead here, just because they have a "repeater troll" that monitors all the time, and is quick to jump on others if their call sign is not on their members list.

This is one reason I did away with joining clubs a couple of years ago.

 

[N4JKD]

Everyone is complaining about the cost of getting into this hobby. I challenge you to find any hobby that is not expensive to get into if you don't have friends that share their equipment.

I am into Photography (SLR, Flash Heads, Tripods, etc...), Skydiving (Rigs, Chutes, Altimeters, jump suit, Helmet, etc...), Music (Mixers, DI Boxes, Instruments, Amps, Cables, etc...), and many other things. I am fortunate enough to have some disposable income to pursue my interests and I didn't do everything at once. I have spent over 20 years getting the equipment to support my hobbies. Ham is no different. I have a couple of handhelds and have been listening for some time. Now that I am licensed, I will begin researching where I want to go worth this hobby and start acquiring the equipment needed as I have the funds or skills to build.

I know things are rough for a lot of people but this is just reality. Most hobbies require an investment to join in. Maybe it used to be easier in Ham Radio, maybe it didn't? I suspect that the real issue is the disposable nature of society today. 30-40 years ago, equipment was made to last and to be maintained. Just about everything today is made to last the expected period until the next version comes out. It is also made with surface mount components and designed to be tossed when it fails as the cost to put it on a bench and just see what is wrong is often the same or more than the cost to just replace. Without older equipment that keep working or can more easily be maintained/repaired, there is less used equipment to be had.

I got my first Ham radio back in the 1970's when I was a kid. It was a giant silver box with a giant dial on the front and full of tubes (my favorite was the purple). We connected a wire to the antenna lug and ran it out the window to the roof. We had no idea what we were doing but we listened to stuff all over the world. When it failed, I had to take the tubes down to Radio Shack and test them. At 10 years old, I could do basic maintenance. The radio could transmit but we were not licensed and I have no idea if it was actually capable or had a problem in that circuit. I think I paid $25 for that radio back then and later sold it to a friend for the same price when we moved. I just don't see equipment like that hitting eBay or Craigslist or at a HamFest these days. Many Hams probably collect it and I think the national or global reach of eBay increases prices beyond what they might be in a local situation.

Well, a long first post from a long time lurker that was listed in the FCC database this morning for the first time. I already made my first contact on a local repeater. I am fortunate to be surrounded by many local repeaters that are somewhat active. The Disney repeaters usually have someone listening if you want to talk, even if no one is talking for hours at a time. One is linked to NYC, LA, Wash DC and Conn. I hear people talking about the repeaters, Ham radio, Disney and many other topics during the day. I will take the General Exam next month (missed it by one question last week without any study on the General - got 100% on Tech) so I can experiment on some other bands. The Orlando club seems to be very active and I hope to make some good friends I can learn from.

Good luck on getting your general ticket! HF opens up much more opportunity. I personally enjoy a good 40 meter ragchew

 

[bill4long]

Quite a lot of activity in the Indianapolis area during the day, and evenings and weekends on 2 meters, and 70 cm, and a fair amount on 222. One local net has 50 to 60 check-ins. But if you are not near a medium-to-large city, HF may be your best bet.

 

[W2IBC]

repeaters are kinda a waste of time and the people on them. most of them dont do much for the hobby they like talking about whats going on today rather then hamradio.

Sorry but I didn't get a radio just to talk about radio.

if i wanted to hear people drone on all day about the radios they have I would have stayed with cb and listened to 24/7 radio checks

 

[PhotoJim]

I'm just a new ham but am enjoying the local 2-metre band activity where I live (Saskatchewan). I'd like to do a little more simplex stuff but the repeaters here aren't oversubscribed (in fact a couple on the 70 cm band are basically empty).

Sure, 2m isn't as exciting as the HF bands - it's just different. And I don't care if we talk about ham radio stuff or something completely unrelated. It's just fun to talk to somebody new with whom I share at least one thing in common.

I got my call on my license plate and I'm hoping I hear from somebody on 146.520 sometime when I'm on the highway. I don't tend to monitor it in the city (I monitor two local repeaters) but I plan to monitor it on all my highway trips. You never know who you'll meet.

 

[N4JKD]

Sorry but I didn't get a radio just to talk about radio.

if i wanted to hear people drone on all day about the radios they have I would have stayed with cb and listened to 24/7 radio checks

+1 this! I enjoy getting on just to shoot the breeze with other local hams.

Jason Dailey
N4JKD