Submitted 4 weeks ago by timkenhan@sopuli.xyz to amateur_radio@lemmy.radio
Where I’m from, 2m band seems to be popular due to the small antenna requirement. The fact we’re in densely populated area probably also play a role.
There should be the 70cm band as well, but I haven’t seen any sign of life around here.
Only HF these days, 40 through 10. Was active on satellites, not so much now. 2 m is dead in my vicinity. The weekly net prioritises checkins from Echolink over RF and that’s a dealbreaker for me.
Will go back on satellites when HF conditions deteriorate. 73
Usually 40 and 20. I often only use 2 when I’m on road trips or hiking.
Funny that what got me here was actually the occasional difficulty of reaching folks in the other cars during road trips.
How far can you reach with that 2m HT?
Where I’m from, the license-free HT operation is in a specific UHF range with low power, which I have very little faith on.
I can generally hit a repeater 17mi (27km) away from at home. When I’m outside, I can be heard well, when I’m inside, I’ll break the repeater’s squelch but may not be clearly copied. HT to HT is generally much less, but I’d generally expect a mile or two (3km)
I usually listen in on the 2m band because I like listening to the crazy folks in W6NUT ramble on. It’s like a ham 4chan.
What’s W6NUT?
It’s a 2m repeater in the LA area where the hams that go in don’t declare their call signs say racist things and talk shit to each other.
Sorry for the Reddit link but they’re better at explaining it:
I usually try to find myself on 20m. I like it’s DX-ability at night and appreciate it’s reach during the day. Otherwise 10m is nice because there’s lots of new hams ready to answer CQ calls, or calling CQ themselves.
The person who answered my very first QSO made it extra special by sending me a first-contact certificate; went way above and beyond and I am incredibly thankful for it.
2m for nets, 10m for QSOs because that’s all my radio can handle.
Been trying 20m recently. Currently studying for a professional exam, once that’s out of the way I’ll start studying for the general license exam.
ikidd@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
2m only. I’ll log into the weekly net, that’s about it since I don’t really have anyone I know these days that’s a ham.
timkenhan@sopuli.xyz 4 weeks ago
That’s a ham indeed…
What do you usually find on that weekly net?
ikidd@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
Maybe half a dozen people, but usually nobody has much to say. My dad is in a larger city these days and he says about the same.
I think all the yappers are on 80, I sold my long range equipment years ago because I couldn’t listen to the stupid. I still have a 10m rig that I’ll fire up if the skip is active.