New Ham Frustrations Finding Frequencies (#842)

Henrique is having a hard time finding Frequencies to talk on. He is a new Ham and he is getting really frustrated abot it. Watch to learn what one of the best solution to this problem is.
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[@matthew.tamasco]

So true Dave. One day I called my call sign and said "listening" on 2 meters during a lull of activity in a simplex contest and a jerk replied "listening for what"? Several other hams took advantage of my call and scored QSO points with me. We all IGNORED the jerk. But the nice people far outnumber the jerks. I called CQ on 2 meters asking for a radio check. One ham heard me but could not respond at that moment. Since he did not hear anyone else pick up my call he went on QRZ and sent me the report I was looking for via email later that night. So many will go out of the way to help!

[@terryjwood]

When someone asks, "Listen for what?" you tell them, "I'm listening for ANY CALL!" 🙂

[@terryjwood]

Technicians can also work 28.3 to 28.5 MHz SSB! And don't forget about six meters, 50-54 MHz. Lots of fun to be had there!

[@DARTHDANSAN]

True

[@seasparrow7427]

So would that be 28300 kHz SSB?

[@terryjwood]

@@seasparrow7427 You are correct. Techs can use only 200 watts, but I've worked all over the world on 28.3 to 28.5 MHz using just 100 watts and an Antron A99 vertical antenna or the MFJ-1984 end fed long wire. Ten is a great band and with the current sun spot cycle, it's really been open for great DX! Most of the SSB activity is between 28.3 and 28.5, so that's perfect for Techs!

[@tulenik71]

And it is better for them to become better operators. Using repeaters will not give them anything.

[@terryjwood]

@@tulenik71 My mom was first licensed in 1940 and used AM back then. She never embraced SSB, calling it "monkey talk". In the mid-70s my family got on 2-meter AM and FM and the local club put up a repeater. She had a wonderful time. Her favorite mode had made a comeback! But having the chance to work 10 (or 6 or 2) meter SSB give Techs a new experience and may encourage them to upgrade to General or Extra. Working repeaters won't really inspire them to upgrade.

[@NickFrom1228]

In some places the gmrs repeaters are quite busy. Seattle area has one that is quite powerful and well positioned so the entire puget sound area uses it quite effectively.

[@chadvandam7179]

Hello Nick, I am in Seattle area. Could you tell me more about this repeater and its frequencies? Thank you.

[@robertbeda959]

Thank you for this. Helps to alleviate some of intimidation factor. Passed my Technician in April, have yet to get on the air so far. Hopefully, early 2023. Happy Holidays. 73 KF0IYN.

[@davep6977]

DMR, I'd say he's like a fish swimming upstream. If he want 2 mtr simplex. Try SSB (144.200) It's a blast and we'd love to have him. Nothing like honing your optimizing skills better than working weak signal. we talk 100 mile radius on a daily basis and I'm in the Great Lakes/Chicago area. It's great when I call CQ and a ham from South Carolina answers me. It's also promotes efficiency in case an emergency situation arises and there is no internet W9DLP

[@mattstosh6960]

Very good topic. I've heard several old / well established NETS simply move up or down a bit when someone (like a POTA activator) is sitting on top of and transmitting on that same frequency Very polite,,, so don't let the jerks diminish your interest in Ham Radio.

[@timbaeten]

You're welcome Dave, appreciate you!

[@erygion]

I learned what DMR/Fusion/D-Star is today thank you, this is a great video!

[@johnkiljan7441]

Well said. Thanks!

[@bradgollifer9340]

In my area you have to hit the repeater 60 miles away in a larger city or find local net times or you will find nothing but dead air on 2m and 70cm.

[@francismcclaughry9851]

when I got tec license that was a repeater about ten blocks from my house . it was a club and I enjoyed it a lot. now that I''m in southern part of the state. there is repeaters. but I would have to put up a beam to hit the repeaters. even though I have a two meter beam in the garage, but I have not put it up. we are in the southern part of the state after retiring. I have not done much on the radio. I need to get back to it . I have a five ninety ken wood. and a 73000 hundred.

[@Davidjb37721]

If they say that the frequency is busy, ask them if you can use it nobody owns the frequency Some people is hard to get along with.

[@Rifraph48]

" Some people is hard to get along with." Some people drive you to learn to be a stoic.

[@p4rsec]

worth noting that, while very expensive, an OpenSpot 4 Pro can do cross-digital with DStar and other modes. so if you have a DStar radio, you can talk on anything else without other radios

[@MedusalObligation]

I don't do digital anything. But, even as a General I spend a lot of time Simplex on 2M FM and some time on 2M SSB. I also monitor the Magic Band (6M) and jump in when it is running. I find a little on 10M (28.3-28.5 SSB Simplex) As a Tech, you have a LOT of bandwidth in many emissions modes. Moreso than each upgrade adds. Learn to pound out code and you have access to 80, 40 and 15M bands as a Tech.

[@tulenik71]

10 m started to be usable approx. 1.5 y ago, and it is daytime band. So maybe that's why. Nowadays it is working quite well. But of course you have the skip zone - just now I am in Bratislava (Slovakia) and even Moscow (3000 km) is in the skip zone. Ural mountains quite good. Kazakhstan not so but India (after 2nd skip) is great.

[@seasparrow7427]

Dave, I ordered an antenna MLA 30+ and the power supply isn't a USB power supply. It has 2 wires instead of a USB. What do I do?? What do I plug it into?? And I absolutely LOVE that wall clock!! Is it a 2 or 3 windup? Someday I'll own one.

[@RyanFixesCars]

Use a USB power supply connected to the MLA-30 biasing tee USB port. The circuit in the biasing tee converts the 5 volts input to 12 volts out of the SMA connector, labeled to Antenna. The 12 volt powers the preamplifier in the MLA-30 antenna unit. The preamplifier needs at least 9 volts to work. I have tried powering the MLA-30 several ways (9 volt battery, a 12 volt wall wart with another bias tee). The best way for me was the unit's biasing tee with the battery USB supply.

[@dave_AC3HT]

Thanks Dave for the good video. 73, AC3HT

[@DARTHDANSAN]

Isn’t the 200 mhz very limited in users since it’s not common

[@zeproo]

Or use 27 Mhz, at least in Europe. 11 meter band here in Europe is totally different than in the USA. 95% of all stations are in FM-mode +-25 watts, clean signals, no amps, antenna's as high as possible. Most radio's are higher end CB radio's or 10m models .The crowd is a mixture of non-licensed CB enthusiasts and a huge bunch of Radio Amateurs. I think that the majority has a HAM licence. No argues, no swearing with many activities like friday net or technical.. When band is open then we hear that 11m mess from USA coming through, its awful, ... luckily at night its quiet.

[@tulenik71]

CB with 25 W is clearly illegal. 4 W AM/FM (sometimes, AM 1 W only) and SSB 12 W. But it is still not harmonized as it should be and in some countries you can still run into problems. With SSB it would be OK but unfortunately most of CB users here are using FM and usually don't know anything about SSB operation (because only several rigs have SSB).

[@godarklight]

When I first set up my station, I was going to do WSPR to test but I heard a daily open net on 7132khz and said g'day as it was just easier to hit the PTT. They were incredibly kind and I now check in almost every day, and now I do my best to be as welcoming in return. Thanks for the video and I feel sorry for the new tech that didn't have the same experience I did, VK4GDL.

[@hotpuppy1]

Don't just stop at General, go all the way. It's just a little more study.

[@michaelpolimer2128]

it is unfortunate that at a time the hobby is declining that the jerks drive people away...... as was mentioned below 6 meters is a whole different world and Techs also have 10 meter SSB privileges plus CW on 40 & 15...... takes a lot more equipment and effort than a simple, cheap GMRS hand held but he will get out of it what he puts into it......I am the trustee of one of the best coverage 2 meter repeaters in the greater Boston area which is largely quiet.....40 years ago you couldn't find an open spot....... 73 and good luck Mike, K1FNX near Boston

[@radiohobbyist13]

Ham radio is mostly dead above the HF bands. The prevalence of the internet and the digital age seems to have done more harm than good. To make matters worse, our privacy is 99% gone. People don't feel comfortable broadcasting things over a repeater that was commonplace ten or more years ago. Telling total strangers where you're going, what you have and what your interests are just isn't cool in today's world.

[@michaelpolimer2128]

@@radiohobbyist13 perhaps but people Tweet their every move and thought to what can amount to hundreds/thousands of "friends" (never done that so really don't know how that works to be honest) in 60 years of hamming I have never run into a bad one, fake hams yes, occasional jerks yes, but far and large good people, 73 MP

[@glenmartin2437]

Thank you, Dave. A good video. Sometimes, I simply enjoy listening to the conversations. N0QFT