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Old 21st Sep 2018, 8:22 am   #201
SiriusHardware
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Default Re: Users of 2 metre Amateur Band?

With so few few people using AR at all I think it is ill-advised policy to introduce any facility which is digital-only, thereby excluding a substantial portion of existing amateurs.

To be honest I think it is a step in the right direction if people no longer try to hold conversations, particularly with the traditional long rambling overs, while driving. Such activity is bound to occupy some of the attention which we should be devoting to driving, even if we are using a hands free setup - we've all seen drivers in front weaving all over the place only to find that they are using a phone when we finally manage to get safely past them.

I think repeaters serve a different need now, to bridge the large distances between the relatively few current amateurs. Many of those, especially the more elderly, will be living in circumstances which do not allow them to erect decent aerial systems.

With respect to eco repeaters, GB3BT (Berwick) tried early experiments with green power - it wasn't a great success, among other things, the wind turbine for charging the battery kept freezing up. However, I admire the fact that they tried.
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Old 21st Sep 2018, 9:16 am   #202
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Default Re: Users of 2 metre Amateur Band?

One of my local 2 metre repeaters, GB3NB, carries regular Morse practice sessions under the callsign GB2CW. It seems to generate a small amount of traffic from participants and I suspect there are a lot more people listening, and hopefully learning or brushing up their code, than actually call in with scores. Yesterday they were doing 5-figure runs up to 30 wpm.

Of course there are software packages and commercial/military stations like NAV22 on 3881kHz that are available as well but the repeater sessions bring a bit of a "classroom" feeling to the sessions.

Cheers

Roger/G3VKM
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Old 27th Sep 2018, 10:52 pm   #203
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Default Re: Users of 2 metre Amateur Band?

Mainly thanks to this thread, I have had my 2m/70cms 'base' radio running in the background while I have been doing other things and it has actually been quite active, on and off, on 2m.

One downside is that the radio (an Icom 2710H) seems to have developed a fault on the UHF volume control. On investigation I found that it was the control itself, gone very noisy / intermittent. It's completely enclosed, so no chance of getting some switch cleaner in there. The control is held together by two aluminium rivets and could theoretically be opened and nursed back to health, but I made enquiries to Icom UK and was amazed to find that they still had several of these parts in spares stock, so I've ordered a replacement and one spare (there are four identical pots in the control head, all the same age). I think it is to Icom's credit that they have kept these stocked for so long and never thrown them out.

Anyway, it was thanks to this thread that I started using the radio again and noticed the fault just in time to order one of the last remaining parts, so I'm grateful for that.

Forgot to mention: The radio is from the mid 1990s.
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Old 27th Sep 2018, 10:55 pm   #204
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Default Re: Users of 2 metre Amateur Band?

Thats a nice success story!
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Old 28th Sep 2018, 6:41 am   #205
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Default Re: Users of 2 metre Amateur Band?

Well 2 has been very busy this week, even from the darkest depths of SW Cornwall, with high pressure dominating I’ve had a number of QSO’s in excess of 1000kms on SSB and CW, the best being into Munich at 1200kms.
The IARU 2M distance record was broken again with a QSO down to Cape Verdi off the coast of Africa.
A good week.
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Old 28th Sep 2018, 7:14 am   #206
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Default Re: Users of 2 metre Amateur Band?

Very good. Save some for me...

I'm currently weighing up whether to put my rotator atop the pole or actually at the base and use ballrace mast clamps (they must have a proper name) to hold the mast as it turns.
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Old 28th Sep 2018, 10:03 am   #207
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Default Re: Users of 2 metre Amateur Band?

Tim,you have done very well as my best was Italy in the 1970's.
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Old 28th Sep 2018, 10:10 am   #208
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Default Re: Users of 2 metre Amateur Band?

I have loaned a Baofeng hand portable to a licenced friend of mine in the hope that she might actually use it. Callsign G1L** so not new to it, but never used independantly as far as I know.
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Old 28th Sep 2018, 2:25 pm   #209
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What's the full callsign, will listen out. You never know...
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Old 29th Sep 2018, 10:07 pm   #210
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Default Re: Users of 2 metre Amateur Band?

I had to check that she had no objection... G1LLB. She says that we may be waiting some time to get an unsolicited call from her, but we will see what a little encouragement can achieve!

I am currently playing with RTTY and frustrated to find that a group with Birmingham accents have set up on the calling channel 145.300 as a "natter" channel.

Trying to get signal reports on hf but it's all contest stations again. I have called CQ non contest a few times with no response! Currently on 14.100.
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Old 29th Sep 2018, 11:20 pm   #211
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Default Re: Users of 2 metre Amateur Band?

I was often using RTTY in the early 1980s on 145.300 or S12, I think its status as a calling/working channel has now been scrapped.
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Old 30th Sep 2018, 6:46 am   #212
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Default Re: Users of 2 metre Amateur Band?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Scimitar View Post
Trying to get signal reports on hf but its all contest stations again. I have called CQ non contest a few times with no response! Currently on 14.100.
14.100 is the frequency of the IARU propagation beacons. This is the one frequency in the band you should NOT be calling CQ on. I suggest you look at the bandplans (available on the RSGB website and elsewhere).

SSB should be above 14125 with most of the activity between 14200 and 14300. The major contest this weekend is cQWW RTTY, around the data frequencies below 14100 and above CW (up to 14070) but will spread a little, but still leaving the beacon slot clear.

73 Dave G3YMC
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Old 30th Sep 2018, 7:07 am   #213
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Default Re: Users of 2 metre Amateur Band?

Its very easy to inadvertently sit on the 'wrong' freq. A mate and I rightly got told off the other day for qso on 7030, the qrp freq. We moved of course and did NOT give our GQRPC numbers ha ha. Mea culpa
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Old 30th Sep 2018, 8:26 am   #214
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Default Re: Users of 2 metre Amateur Band?

The QRP frequencies and similar are a bit different, they are just 'centres of activity' or rather frequencies where people of a similar interest gather. Nobody has an exclusive right to them but some tend to get a bit upset if you stray on their patch. And as a QRP operator I rarely use the QRP slots myself, there is plenty to work elsewhere.

The IARU beacon slots are 'exclusive' frequencies, the only ones in the band plans, and are specifically clear so that the beacons can be copied without interference. Although your licence allows you to transmit there you should not and it is not a place you would expect others to call you for the same reason.

I missed in Scimitar's post that he was calling on RTTY. I suspect getting non-contest RTTY replies this weekend during the contest is rather unlikely whereever he goes.

73 Dave
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Old 30th Sep 2018, 9:04 am   #215
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Default Re: Users of 2 metre Amateur Band?

I accept the CoA thing Dave, but the gentlemanly thing to do is not use or hog such freqs I always think. Mind you, its a minefield and far from 2m of this thread.

Anyone gEt any SSB or CW on 2 this weekend? Very good condx I understand.

David
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Old 30th Sep 2018, 9:27 am   #216
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Default Re: Users of 2 metre Amateur Band?

Thanks for the heads up about the beacon. I used a slot vacated by another Rtty station contesting, so didn't give it a thought. Like the theme of the thread, I would like to see some RTTY traffic on VHF/UHF, ideally with proper hardware but I think I may be waiting a long time. Still, I am trying to do my bit and will appear on 145.300 some evenings calling in vain!
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Old 30th Sep 2018, 9:32 am   #217
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Default Re: Users of 2 metre Amateur Band?

I was looking around at the contesting rules generally and found an American site with some very firm advice which I found ridiculous. ALWAYS send 599 for instance, what use it that to anyone? NEVER use DE because it could be confused with the state of DElaware. So it went on.

I think that contest RTTY would be better served by just leaving two computers to exchange WRU automatically if that is the level of personal involvement required.
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Old 1st Oct 2018, 8:30 pm   #218
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Default Re: Users of 2 metre Amateur Band?

Quote:
Originally Posted by dsergeant View Post
14.100 is the frequency of the IARU propagation beacons. This is the one frequency in the band you should NOT be calling CQ on. I suggest you look at the bandplans (available on the RSGB website and elsewhere).
Remember though that bandplans in the UK are not compulsory. And bandplans vary in different parts of the globe. US hams traditionally had frequency-restrictions on the basis of their license-class, which didn't always mesh well with non-US license-conditions [they had 7.1-7.2MHz and 3.8-4.0MHz which were denied to us Europeans].

Knowing if the person you're trying to work was a "Technician" or "Extra"-class licensee was historically important when suggesting frequencies.
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Old 2nd Oct 2018, 7:01 am   #219
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Default Re: Users of 2 metre Amateur Band?

You obviously don't know about the IARU beacon project and the very reason why by universal agreement this is specifically kept clear.

http://www.ncdxf.org/beacon/index.html

See the FAQ's section:

"A: The IARU HF Band Plan reserves the beacon frequencies for the International Beacon Project. Almost all member societies of the IARU have incorporated this recommendation in the band plans in their countries. In some countries it is mandatory by law, and in other countries it is recommended operating practice. Interference from amateurs should be reported to the appropriate member society of the country where the interference originates.

The IARU maintains monitoring stations in each of the three regions responsible for reporting non-amateur operation in the amateur bands to the appropriate authorities."

In these days of poor HF conditions and reduction in amateur activity on the traditional modes due to the advent of FT8 and other new modes the IARU beacons continue to be an important service and this band plan segment should be respected.

Dave
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Old 13th Oct 2018, 5:40 pm   #220
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Default Re: Users of 2 metre Amateur Band?

Driving down from Tyneside to North Yorkshire in the early evening yesterday I heard no less than five simplex 2m frequencies in use, not heard the band so active for a long time. One curiosity was the mention of an M7 callsign who was out of receiving range for me. Have Ofcom now started to issue M7 callsigns? First I've heard of it, if so.
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