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Fall 2005 Issue |
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FM FM/Repeaters—Inside Amateur Radio’s “Utility” Mode By Bob Witte, KØNR |
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A VHF/UHF transceiver set up for dual
receive on the 2-meter band, with one |
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This summer I did two road trips, over 1200 miles long, across the Midwest from Colorado to Indiana either via Interstate 70 or 80. I like road trips and always make sure I have something interesting to do with the ham gear while traveling. I’ve tried different types of radio activity during similar trips, including working a VHF contest as a rover, working HF mobile, and working the FM repeaters along the way. Repeaters are useful on a road trip, but I have to admit that sometimes I get tired of dialing around trying to find the right frequency and CTCSS while mobiling down the highway. I’ve noticed that simplex contacts can be especially enjoyable, since you tend to work other hams out doing their own road trips. It is almost like DX in reverse. Normally we think of DX stations as people from far away brought to us via the magic of radio. Two-meter FM mobile simplex is just the opposite—people close by who may have come a long way via their automobile travels. It is fun to make random contacts and find out where people are from, where they are heading, and their interests in ham radio.
With that as background, I want to encourage
everyone to try 2-meter FM simplex when out on the road. Here are a few
tips for making this work better: Okay, so maybe this is an obvious one. However, did I hear someone suggest that we need an official 2-meter FM Road Frequency? Well, we have it. It is 146.52 MHz, the National Simplex Calling Frequency, per the ARRL 2-meter band plan. This frequency is commonly referred to as “Five Two.” It is the frequency to use when you are cruising the Interstate. (I am going to intentionally sidestep the issue of ragchewing on .52 for now—maybe later, maybe never.) I am not proposing that you stop using repeaters, just that you make it a point to monitor .52 in addition to listening to the local repeaters. This leads to our next tip. |
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