2m FM calling practices
 

Hi All,

I don't know about Stateside, but as an active 2m FM operator here in the
UK I've noticed an increase in a rather annoying (to me, anyway) practice
when calling CQ.

I know the frequencies are different in the bandplans, but here we use
145.5 as an FM calling channel, then once contact is established, move to
a working frequency.

Several times recently I've heard people calling CQ and I've been all
ready to return the call, but then they say that they will be listening on
a totally different channel, presumably the one they used on the previous
call.

This is all very well, but how do they know that the frequency they've
chosen is free at my end as well as theirs..? If they're anything more
than a few miles away, the channel they're listening on might well be busy
my end and as a result I wouldn't be able to return the call.

Why does this practice seem to be on the increase..? Is it happening in
the US and elsewhere as well, or is it a purely British phenomenon..?


73 Ivor G6URP

2m FM calling practices
 

I don't know about Stateside, but as an active 2m FM operator here in the
UK I've noticed an increase in a rather annoying (to me, anyway) practice
when calling CQ.

That practise has been used for many years in the UK. On 27MHz SSB.

It is an effective method on a band which is so busy that establishing a
contact long enough to QSY is difficult. But you are quite right, its a poor
practise for 2m FM.

But then, where I am the 2m FM simplex frequency is so seldom used that when
a contact is made, we don't QSY, in the hope someone else may hear us and
join in :o)
--
Jack VK2CJC / MM0AXL
FISTS# 9666
Mid North Coast Amateur Radio Group
www.mncarg.org

2m FM calling practices
 

On Apr 28, 12:56 am, "Ivor Jones" wrote:

Is it happening in the US and elsewhere as well,
or is it a purely British phenomenon..?

Here in the colonies our equivalent simplex calling QRG is 146.52. It
is largely vacant and in most cases a QSO initiated there stays there
as there's hardly ever a queue to use the channel.

As a related issue, K0CKB and I spend a lot of our free time traveling
in an RV. When we bought the coach I had a sign-maker cut me a vinyl
decal "K0HB & K0CKB 146.52". I have this decal on the rear of the
coach at eye-level to a following driver, and we religiously monitor
that channel. With over 16,000 miles on the odometer, the majority of
it on major highways, so far we've had precisely one station call us.

FM simplex isn't widely used here. In fact 2M itself is pretty vacant
--- even in a fairly large metropolitan area like St Paul/Minneapolis
you could shoot off a cannon on 2M and not hit anyone most of the
time.

73, de Hans, K0HB

2m FM calling practices
 

"KØHB" wrote in message
ups.com...


[snip]

As a related issue, K0CKB and I spend a lot of our free time traveling
in an RV. When we bought the coach I had a sign-maker cut me a vinyl
decal "K0HB & K0CKB 146.52". I have this decal on the rear of the
coach at eye-level to a following driver, and we religiously monitor
that channel. With over 16,000 miles on the odometer, the majority of
it on major highways, so far we've had precisely one station call us.



I and the OM were driving along a freeway on a trip through Virginia and a
vehicle passed us that had ham antennas. He stuck his arm out the window
and signaled 5 2. So we assumed he meant 146.52, switched to that frequency
and had a nice little chit chat.

Dee, N8UZE

2m FM calling practices
 

"Dee Flint" wrote in
:


I and the OM were driving along a freeway on a trip through Virginia
and a vehicle passed us that had ham antennas. He stuck his arm out
the window and signaled 5 2. So we assumed he meant 146.52, switched
to that frequency and had a nice little chit chat.

In central Ohio 6.52 has some activity. Typically, QSOs started there,
stay there. There are a few folks who have pre-arranged simplex freqs; but
by and large 6.52 is a calling and chat freq.

2m FM calling practices
 

"John" wrote in message
...
"Dee Flint" wrote in
:


I and the OM were driving along a freeway on a trip through Virginia
and a vehicle passed us that had ham antennas. He stuck his arm out
the window and signaled 5 2. So we assumed he meant 146.52, switched
to that frequency and had a nice little chit chat.

In central Ohio 6.52 has some activity. Typically, QSOs started there,
stay there. There are a few folks who have pre-arranged simplex freqs;
but
by and large 6.52 is a calling and chat freq.

While travelling on the road I use the 146.520 MHz (National Simplex Freq)
for contacts and chats.
At the base in San Diego, 146.520 MHz is used as a calling frequency, then
switch to another simplex channel such as 147.555 known as triple nickles.
Another commonly used simplex is 146.550.
All are loaded in my mobile rig and HT's.

In the USA, CQ is not used for VHF/UHF FM. Simply callsign monitoring.
CQ is used for the VHF/UHF SSB mode

Lamont

2m FM calling practices
 

"The Shadow" wrote in message
...


While travelling on the road I use the 146.520 MHz (National Simplex Freq)
for contacts and chats.
At the base in San Diego, 146.520 MHz is used as a calling frequency,
then switch to another simplex channel such as 147.555 known as triple
nickles. Another commonly used simplex is 146.550.
All are loaded in my mobile rig and HT's.


around here it's 145.500 - S20 is the calling freq (mobile or otherwise)

HTH

2m FM calling practices
 

On Apr 29, 5:16 pm, "The Shadow" wrote:

In the USA, CQ is not used for VHF/UHF FM. Simply callsign monitoring.
CQ is used for the VHF/UHF SSB mode

Lamont

In some areas of the U.S, "CQ" is certainly used on VHF/UHF FM. If a
CQ works on 160 through 10 and works on 6m, 2m and 70cm SSB or CW,
pressing the PTT switch and saying, "CQ from K8MN" works fine on VHF
or UHF FM.

Dave K8MN

2m FM calling practices
 

wrote in message
ups.com
On Apr 29, 5:16 pm, "The Shadow" wrote:

In the USA, CQ is not used for VHF/UHF FM. Simply
callsign monitoring. CQ is used for the VHF/UHF SSB mode

Lamont

In some areas of the U.S, "CQ" is certainly used on
VHF/UHF FM. If a CQ works on 160 through 10 and works on
6m, 2m and 70cm SSB or CW, pressing the PTT switch and
saying, "CQ from K8MN" works fine on VHF or UHF FM.

Dave K8MN

It's most certainly used here and the 2m FM band is heavily used in many
places.

"S20" (or "V40" as I suppose we should call it now that 12.5 kHz channels
have come into use) is the calling channel, calls are made and established
there, *only then* should another channel be checked to see if it's clear
*at both ends* before moving there to continue the QSO.

The annoying thing about the practice of announcing that you will be
listening on a frequency *other* than the established calling channel is
as I said, that the person calling has no idea if the frequency they
propose to use is clear where the person who answers the call is. If the
person answering is mobile, it's almost certain they won't hear anyone
else unless the calling station is very close by.


73 Ivor G6URP

2m FM calling practices
 

"S20" (or "V40" as I suppose we should call it now that 12.5 kHz channels
have come into use) is the calling channel,

Hi Ivor

I left the UK just as 12.5 channels were being implemented. Are they being
used? Or does everyone still use the old channels but with narrower
deviation?

"CQ V40" just doesn't seem to sound right to me :o)

--
Jack VK2CJC / MM0AXL
FISTS# 9666
Mid North Coast Amateur Radio Group
www.mncarg.org