Simplex calling frequencies
 

K0CKB and I just returned from an 8-week RV vacation. During the 8,500 mile
trip we continuously monitored 146.52, and had our calls and the statement
"Monitoring 146.52" prominently visible on the rear of our coach. Most of our
travel was on busy Interstate highways, and in/near populous areas including
Minneapolis, DesMoines, Kansas City, Topeka, Wichita, OKC, DFW, Waco, Austin,
San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, ElPaso, Las Cruces, Globe, Phoenix,
Flagstaff, Tucson, Las Vegas, and points between.

Not once were we called on 146.52.

At every population center we announced "K0HB (or K0CKB) monitoring Five Two",
often more than once.. On only one occasion (thanks WK5C) did we receive a
reply.

Is .52 broken?

73, de Hans, K0HB

K=D8HB wrote:
K0CKB and I just returned from an 8-week RV vacation. During the
8,500 mile
trip we continuously monitored 146.52, and had our calls and the
statement
"Monitoring 146.52" prominently visible on the rear of our coach.
Most of our
travel was on busy Interstate highways, and in/near populous areas
including
Minneapolis, DesMoines, Kansas City, Topeka, Wichita, OKC, DFW, Waco,
Austin,
San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, ElPaso, Las Cruces, Globe,
Phoenix,
Flagstaff, Tucson, Las Vegas, and points between.

Not once were we called on 146.52.

At every population center we announced "K0HB (or K0CKB) monitoring
Five Two",
often more than once.. On only one occasion (thanks WK5C) did we
receive a
reply.

Is .52 broken?

Perhaps they forgot to disable thier K0HB filters?

Had you been in SE Tennessee and I had seen you, you would have
gotten a call. But on the same note, there's been quite a few
occassions where I've passed/been passed by a vehicle with Amateur tags
(or some other "callsign" display), and had my hails go unanswered.

On the other hand, I've gotten several calls, mostly from
18-wheeler Amateurs. Lots of those big rigs are Hams...guess they got
tired of the 10-4 good buddy crowd.

Glad you're home safe, Hans.

73

Steve, K4YZ

wrote in message
oups.com...

KØHB wrote:
K0CKB and I just returned from an 8-week RV vacation. During the
8,500 mile
trip we continuously monitored 146.52, and had our calls and the
statement
"Monitoring 146.52" prominently visible on the rear of our coach.
Most of our
travel was on busy Interstate highways, and in/near populous areas
including
Minneapolis, DesMoines, Kansas City, Topeka, Wichita, OKC, DFW, Waco,
Austin,
San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, ElPaso, Las Cruces, Globe,
Phoenix,
Flagstaff, Tucson, Las Vegas, and points between.

Not once were we called on 146.52.

At every population center we announced "K0HB (or K0CKB) monitoring
Five Two",
often more than once.. On only one occasion (thanks WK5C) did we
receive a
reply.

Is .52 broken?

Perhaps they forgot to disable thier K0HB filters?

Had you been in SE Tennessee and I had seen you, you would have
gotten a call. But on the same note, there's been quite a few
occassions where I've passed/been passed by a vehicle with Amateur tags
(or some other "callsign" display), and had my hails go unanswered.

On the other hand, I've gotten several calls, mostly from
18-wheeler Amateurs. Lots of those big rigs are Hams...guess they got
tired of the 10-4 good buddy crowd.

Glad you're home safe, Hans.

73

Steve, K4YZ

This is just a guess, but "maybe"

1. Any amateurs mobile that may have seen you, missed reading the bumper
sticker because they're too busy watching the road? I know when I'm on the
road and see a ham call sign bumper sticker or plate, I sure in hell am not
going to detract from my driving to play guessing games trying to find them.
That would be like a needle in a hay stack - IF they are even on the air at
all.

2. They're on the "repeater" pairs - perhaps trying to get directions from a
local person - because they didn't think they would have any luck monitoring
146.52!

I use .52 aircraft mobile all the time and never have any trouble finding
somebody monitoring.

Jim





Is .52 broken?

73, de Hans, K0HB

Poor Hans, so typical of today's ham radio ops, stuck in the archaic world
of 52 simplex, while the rest of the world is using Advanced Mobile
Technology.

"Why aren't young people interested in ham radio"? duhhhhhhhhhhh, lets
demonstrate 52 simplex for them, maybe that'll get the kids interested.

73,

Rabbi Phil



"KØHB" wrote in message
nk.net...
K0CKB and I just returned from an 8-week RV vacation. During the 8,500
mile trip we continuously monitored 146.52, and had our calls and the
statement "Monitoring 146.52" prominently visible on the rear of our
coach. Most of our travel was on busy Interstate highways, and in/near
populous areas including Minneapolis, DesMoines, Kansas City, Topeka,
Wichita, OKC, DFW, Waco, Austin, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Brownsville,
ElPaso, Las Cruces, Globe, Phoenix, Flagstaff, Tucson, Las Vegas, and
points between.

Not once were we called on 146.52.

At every population center we announced "K0HB (or K0CKB) monitoring Five
Two", often more than once.. On only one occasion (thanks WK5C) did we
receive a reply.

Is .52 broken?

73, de Hans, K0HB

"Rabbi Phil" wrote in message
...

"Why aren't young people interested in ham radio"?

Hi Phil,

That's certainly a topic worthy of discussion.

You could start a thread if you liked, but my question is related to simplex
calling frequencies, not why Johnnie didn't pass the amateur exam.

72.5, de Hans, K0HB

"KØHB" wrote in message
. net...
"Rabbi Phil" wrote in message
...

"Why aren't young people interested in ham radio"?

Hi Phil,

That's certainly a topic worthy of discussion.

You could start a thread if you liked, but my question is related to
simplex calling frequencies, not why Johnnie didn't pass the amateur exam.

72.5, de Hans, K0HB




When I went to reply before, the message was sent by a slip of the hand,
faster than I had intended. I can't speak for all, but I know myself -
around here, there used to be a group who didn't like repeaters, so - they
talked on Simplex. Many of them have since moved away from the area and
apart from each other - to be able to do FM simplex. Maybe they still talk
on h.f., I don't know. Many operate simplex when they're close by and don't
wish their conversation broadcast over many miles - such as a husband and
wife - where the wife may be shy and not care to use repeaters as often.
Still, you have the "repeater" clubs, where the members tend to congregate
on the repeater frequencies more so than Simplex. Then too... with amateur
radio "seeming" to drift downward in popularity (one reason the youth aren't
involved), there are fewer to listen to simplex. Fewer on repeaters as well.
These may be some of the reasons simplex isn't so busy. Even the repeaters
around here don't seem so active as they once were. Is it because of
computers? I doubt it - though it is possible. I think it is that people are
more hurried in life to make a living and to enjoy any fragments of time
with their families anymore - to take the time to enjoy a hobby which may
have been once endearing and is now more so a dust collecting hobby.

I've not been on any repeaters myself for about a year or more. I've not
been on H.F. either. Just don't seem to find the time for it much anymore.
Too busy doing other things. That is sad, considering I was "very" involved
in it. I suppose, once you get out of the habit, it is hard to get back into
it. Actually, it feels good not toting a radio everywhere, even a small one.
A cell phone is more than enough. When I do my other job, I have a radio
with me. I don't care to look like Batman with a utility belt and a hundred
radios. I carry only what I need.

I'm sure there are myriads of reasons why folks don't talk Simplex. Just as
there are for no one taking exams anymore - never mind - passing it.

cl

cl wrote:

"KØHB" wrote in message
. net...

"Rabbi Phil" wrote in message
...


"Why aren't young people interested in ham radio"?

Hi Phil,

That's certainly a topic worthy of discussion.

You could start a thread if you liked, but my question is related to
simplex calling frequencies, not why Johnnie didn't pass the amateur exam.

72.5, de Hans, K0HB





When I went to reply before, the message was sent by a slip of the hand,
faster than I had intended. I can't speak for all, but I know myself -
around here, there used to be a group who didn't like repeaters, so - they
talked on Simplex. Many of them have since moved away from the area and
apart from each other - to be able to do FM simplex. Maybe they still talk
on h.f., I don't know. Many operate simplex when they're close by and don't
wish their conversation broadcast over many miles - such as a husband and
wife - where the wife may be shy and not care to use repeaters as often.
Still, you have the "repeater" clubs, where the members tend to congregate
on the repeater frequencies more so than Simplex. Then too... with amateur
radio "seeming" to drift downward in popularity (one reason the youth aren't
involved), there are fewer to listen to simplex. Fewer on repeaters as well.
These may be some of the reasons simplex isn't so busy. Even the repeaters
around here don't seem so active as they once were. Is it because of
computers? I doubt it - though it is possible. I think it is that people are
more hurried in life to make a living and to enjoy any fragments of time
with their families anymore - to take the time to enjoy a hobby which may
have been once endearing and is now more so a dust collecting hobby.

I've not been on any repeaters myself for about a year or more. I've not
been on H.F. either. Just don't seem to find the time for it much anymore.
Too busy doing other things. That is sad, considering I was "very" involved
in it. I suppose, once you get out of the habit, it is hard to get back into
it. Actually, it feels good not toting a radio everywhere, even a small one.
A cell phone is more than enough. When I do my other job, I have a radio
with me. I don't care to look like Batman with a utility belt and a hundred
radios. I carry only what I need.

I'm sure there are myriads of reasons why folks don't talk Simplex. Just as
there are for no one taking exams anymore - never mind - passing it.

cl

The only simplex that I hang out on is 144.2 USB.
Heck, all the repeaters around here use a tone, and I don't have a tone
capable radio :)

" HAM AND EGGS -- A day's work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for
a pig."

"KØHB" failing to comprehend standard English,
Hans wrote the following message and sent it on 52 simplex:


Hi Phil,

That's certainly a topic worthy of discussion.

You could start a thread if you liked, but my question is related to
simplex calling frequencies, not why Johnnie didn't pass the amateur exam.

72.5, de Hans, K0HB

Actually I'm kinda surprised that you didn't get anything in OKC. I always
monitor .52 when on the road, and practically every time I pass through OKC
there are at least a couple of hams on the air, chatting away. But I find
the same thing on the highway, even the hams that have a ham tag don't seem
to monitor .52. Coming back from HamCom in Dallas a couple of years ago I
had a ham call me on .52, he said mine was the first response he'd gotten.

However, I find the same thing on the local repeaters when I pass through,
although I maintain up-to-date programming in my radio and I can hear the
repeaters unkey, I don't get any answers to my calls. So it's not just
simplex.

M

"KØHB" wrote in message
nk.net...
K0CKB and I just returned from an 8-week RV vacation. During the 8,500
mile trip we continuously monitored 146.52, and had our calls and the
statement "Monitoring 146.52" prominently visible on the rear of our
coach. Most of our travel was on busy Interstate highways, and in/near
populous areas including Minneapolis, DesMoines, Kansas City, Topeka,
Wichita, OKC, DFW, Waco, Austin, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Brownsville,
ElPaso, Las Cruces, Globe, Phoenix, Flagstaff, Tucson, Las Vegas, and
points between.

Not once were we called on 146.52.

At every population center we announced "K0HB (or K0CKB) monitoring Five
Two", often more than once.. On only one occasion (thanks WK5C) did we
receive a reply.

Is .52 broken?

73, de Hans, K0HB