2m SOTA - Every which way but Digital

2m activations can be a blast. There are so many ways to make contacts with 2m, and on this summit I used a bunch of them. The result? Plenty of contacts in the log and a heck of a lot of fun. Give some other 2m modes some love on your next activation.
0:00 Let's get to the summit
1:26 Station Tour
2:20 FM Simplex
6:26 CW and Sideband
8:11 Working Satellites
16:11 Time to head back down
K5ATA Goodgame Ham Radio and Outdoors channel
/ @k5ata
Since I get so many questions, I share my favorite gear from Amazon in my new Amazon store. Antenna building supplies, masts, batteries, you name it. Check it all out here:
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Ham Radio KZbinr Swag from Jason, KC5HWB:
grapevineamateurradio.com/

[@Ravens714]

Awesome, nice to make a contact with you. Also awesome that I made it on your video😁.

[@K6ARK]

Indeed! Thanks for the contact. That was a really fun activation.

[@SmokeSignalsRF]

Pile Up on 146.520...long distance contacts - that's awesome!

[@roadie6153]

Great video, like the CW/voice 2m contact.

[@dxexplorer]

You know what I love the most in your videos ? The enthusiasm every time you go out for this. I'm just seeing one haply little kid playing with the favorite toys hehehe. Another nice video... 73.

[@w1tggradionerds882]

Great to see some 2M activations. Nice work on the Video Adam as always.

[@i335a]

Thanks for showing what is possible on 2m!

[@paweorzechowski8968]

This is great! CW and satellites are my New Years Resolution for 2021!

[@K5YVY]

That’s great, long distance 2m FM always excited me. Good job Adam.

[@wild-radio7373]

Watching the replay now!♡♡♡ Happy new year! :) 🤜🏻👍🤛🏻

[@stewartrv]

Also have a FT-857d and just build a LiFePo4 pack so now need to build a few antennas and I'll give it a go too! Very inspiring thanks!

[@Nar1117]

Hell yeah! Nice work! 2m ssb is next on my list! I bought a transverter for my Kx2 and also hopefully getting a tr-751a soon....

[@TheNoCodeTech]

#ThNHR Team replay for the win! Never seen so much activity on 146.520 Awesome!

[@KI4ASK]

Excellent trip - you worked a lot of stuff. 73 de KI4ASK

[@TangoOscarMikeN3WS]

Great activation.

[@Kevinkn6iiw]

Nice job

[@MedusalObligation]

I need to research this and give it a try. Lots of peaks around here.

[@gliderrider]

I make one qso and I’m like, SUCCESS!

[@QRPCW]

Grande!!! Aventura 73

[@user-zs5gz9ws7s]

Fine

[@JAMES-KB7TBT]

Thanks for the contact! de KB7TBT - Senators Wash Desert Ratt Pack Amateur Radio Group - Yuma, AZ

[@AZJAS]

Howdy! I found your channel and video! You have a new SUB - worked you on 2m FM (146.520) KA7TXS - Looking forward to working you again! 73s de John - KA&TXS

[@K6ARK]

Thank you John, I appreciate the contact!

[@yurijbukhanov2291]

Respect! RA7R

[@ReedAB8AS]

Enjoyed this one! Where did you pick up the K5ATA T? Disregard the T question.... I found the link below the video 👍🏻

[@stillthakoolest]

You should be using full phonetics of your call on the satellites and a full duplex radio so youre not causing interference on the uplink when youre not getting in to the satellite.

[@josiahkelly7442]

Details on the portable yagi, please!

[@baptiste6058]

Hi Adam, Best wishes for 2021. Thanks for your channel and sharing your experience. I see you tapping on your phone and I wonder what is your log app on your smartphone ? Please could you share your tips on logging your QSO ? 73 Baptiste F4IOD

[@K9KMVTheUnluckyHam]

Great video Adam. Can you describe the beam antenna you used please? Mike K9KMV

[@K6ARK]

Yes! There's a video for that. kzbin.info/www/bejne/l2W7epqPeZKXZ80

[@bradleyjohnson452]

Very cool. I just picked up a 857d. How many watts were you running? I saw that Josh was at 5w. Just curious about the life of the battery with 2m SSB

[@kellbodholt8986]

Recently discovered your channel on a recommendation from N6DNM. Learning a bunch on SOTA activations, antennas and rigs from your channel. 73 de KI7UXT

[@VE2FGJ]

How much TX Power did you use? Good video thanks!

[@K6ARK]

50w on FM, CW, and SSB simplex, and I think 15w with the satellites.

[@nicholasquintero1080]

K6ARK I was just about to say how much that looks like where I live. Then I realized it is where I live LOL LOL. Are you guys off of Temecula parkway? I can't remember the name of that highway.

[@K6ARK]

Ha! This spot is up Chihuahua Valley, east of Temecula on hwy 79 South. Just past hwy 371, chihuahua valley road cuts off to the north east.

[@dltellet]

What frequency were you on for 2m CW?

[@K6ARK]

144.200

[@metaller_alex]

2 meter side band ? SSB you mean ? I thought 2 meter band is FM only. Please correct me if I am wrong.

[@jamesstytle5258]

2m is just a wavelength. While FM is the most popular mode, you can use your favorite mode.

[@rossbassette7518]

Some radios are SSB capable for 2 meters. However, mode is not that popular, now, due to the solar minimum.

[@dasy2k1]

No mode restrictions on 2m although generally SSB is in the lower portion of the band and FM higher up. Unfortunately 2m all mode transceivers that are portable enough for use on sota are somewhat pricey (FT-818 is probably the cheapest available at the moment )

[@K6ARK]

Above comments are correct. I was stoked to hear someone come back to my CW call, even on SSB. CW on 2m is another couple orders of magnitude less common than SSB even. And as for rigs, the Yaesu FT991 has 2m and 70cm on all modes. The discontinued FT-857 does too. I love that radio for portable ops.

[@forgetyourlife]

@@K6ARK Yours is the only channel that likes the 857 and doesn't like the face slappy Signal Stick....Thank you Sir!!!

[@thecarys563]

Fantastic sat passes. Going to keep trying! FB de KC6ARY

[@mayolomartinez110]

hi Adam, I just saw your video, very funny, an apology I did not listen to you, I have checked my audio and noise comes in, I hope to do a qso S2S with you via satellite, congratulations for your channel, Mayolo XE1MYO

[@K6ARK]

No apology necessary, Mayolo. I would love to get my first satellite S2S with you. Thanks, and I'm glad you enjoye the channel.

[@ed-jf3xh]

You don't CQ on U/VHF! Is this the new generation of ham? Just QRZ the freq.

[@vk2sky]

One doesn't normally call CQ *on a repeater*. QRZ ("who is calling me?") is for when you've heard a station calling you but you don't have their callsign yet. VK2SKY (Edit: add callsign)

[@K6ARK]

Richard is right. It's unusual to call CQ on a repeater (you certainly can if you want, though). It is standard/common to call CQ on simplex on any frequency or mode, including 2m, 70cm, and up. QRZ means "who's calling?". None of this is new.

[@ed-jf3xh]

@@vk2sky The strict definition of QRZ is as you say. However, I guess the 60's and 70's were different as my experience was that CQ was not heard on V/UHF, even on simplex, AM or FM, with the exception of 6mtrs. To be fair, I can't speak for SSB on the higher freqs. But, things change with time. Just not used to it.

[@ed-jf3xh]

@@K6ARK Maybe not new to you...

[@K6ARK]

Interesting. If I heard someone sending QRZ on CW or calling it on SSB, I would just assume there was another station calling them and that I couldn't hear them. That's how it works on all other bands. How did you call on CW in the 60s and 70s?