Why is 146.520 So Quiet?

I tried calling CQ POTA on 520... it wasn't as easy as I had hoped.
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[@HamRadioDX]

Watch more of my USA trip & Hamvention trip here 👉kzbin.info/aero/PLSuX83ay4OuhcfMwilGoiCU_GtUim6neJ

[@KK6USYHamRadioAdventures]

I'm honored to be your first US callsign contact!! I wish you had a roll up dipole we might have made that simplex contact!!

[@HamRadioDX]

It was awesome Chuck!

[@AlvinMcManus]

Yep all you needed was an Ed Fong roll-up dual band J-pole up in a tree at least 20ft up and you might have made that simplex QSO. @@HamRadioDX

[@CharlesHarpolek4vud]

, commonly called this channel "52" was originally invented as a 2 meter FM calling frequency. The idea is the operator gets on 146.520 and call general contact or a CQ or a radio check.... Upon making contact with the second person or more, the original caller announces another frequency on 2m FM where he will move his rig and transmit and receive on that new,,, using 52 to call and then move away. Some areas and USA have such low utilization that you can go ahead and chat on 52 just to show there is live activity.... New hams, go ahead and call CQ or general call for a chat and you'll be surprised who is a pleasant conversationist.

[@temporarilyoffline]

Using a repeater ain't cheating, just a different mode. That's usin your noggin!

[@HamRadioDX]

He was 5/9 son

[@AA0Z]

LOL....first contact with Chuck with the American Flag in the background and the Ghirardelli sign in the background. Priceless.

[@HamRadioDX]

Loved my time there, the bridge ride was amazing

[@andrewfiertek5937]

I monitor 146.520 and almost never hear anyone on it. If I do it’s rare. Thanks for another great video!

[@HamRadio200]

Around my QTH, the hams frequently use the calling frequency as a QSO hangout. We've all concluded, that, although it is the calling frequency, it is used so infrequently, that we might as well use it how we want. We always yield to traffic [never] if there is some, and even make some long distant QSOs when ducting is happening. Use 52 people. Don't be worried about frequency Karens.

[@HamRadioDX]

Wise words 👍

[@KI4ASK]

Agreed. We do the same here in Georgia. Some ARES groups have their own simplex channel - we use 146.535 MHz, but for SOTA and general simplex the national calling frequency is what most of us use and it's often dead quiet.

[@wannabetowasabe]

I completely disagree. Use it for making contacts and then moving over to another frequency. There are plenty of non-repeater channels available for longer contacts. I don't monitor the channel to hear QSO's, I monitor it so someone can call me when they are passing through an area. We then agree on a simplex or repeater channel to continue our contact.

[@HamRadio200]

@@wannabetowasabe If you roll through our area, you'll actually hear someone on 52. Maybe just hanging out, or they might be talking about the weather or their radios, topics of frequent discussion. :P

[@wannabetowasabe]

@@HamRadio200 What or where is "our area?" There are plenty simplex frequencies that are national in assignment. I don't like rag chewing on 52. Rather, when I get into a town I either bring up a local repeater or get on 52 and ask what local repeater I can get on. Then, when on another frequency I ask about the town and get good suggestions on lodging, meals and things to do/see. I would not want to tie up 52, it isn't designated for that.

[@qrplife]

The bench you are sitting on is where I setup my portable station when I activate Fort Point NHP. Fun fact, at that location you are actually in a POTA 3-Fer , Fort Point NHP, Presidio of San Francisco NHS, and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA). 73.

[@barrybogart5436]

Glad you got on a bike. I rented a bike on a visit there and rode across the GG and all around Marin County. I also rode over to HRO in Oakland, of course!

[@elliothuh669]

In San Francisco I made two contacts from Mt Diablo. Which sounds good but considering the line of sight from Mt Diablo should of been like 10 people. I made one contact near the golden gate bridge to one person across the bay in Oakland if I remember correctly. The Bay area is some what dead compared to the cities in so cal.

[@K1STG-Fred]

It's rough making a 2M simplex contact from right on the bay but get up in the hills and it is amazing around here.

[@stargazer7644]

You need to replace that rubber dummy load with a jpole or a beam.

[@k7fhc]

Newbee question. How did you get an American call sign?

[@HamRadioDX]

I sat the US exam remotely

[@richarde735]

safe travels back to Hobart! glad you were able to make the trip to the States!

[@HamRadioDX]

Thanks Richard 👍

[@spaceflight1019]

"Anyone with any sense had already left town"

[@AD6DMDennis]

Hams in San Francisco stay asleep till 7pm.

[@HamRadioDX]

Ohhh is that the reason!

[@HAMRADIODUDE]

And go to bed at 8:30pm

[@WR3ND]

"You gotta get up to get down."

[@Gordon705]

I have 2 radios. The 1 I have 146.520 on one band and 446.000 on the other, I can monitor both. Both are VERY quiet !

[@DonDegidio]

Hi Hayden, Congrats on your first KD9SSB contact. No worries it was with KK6USY. 🙂 Have enjoyed all the Hamvention videos. Wish I could have made it this year for my first. Next year for sure. You all stay safe. 73 WJ3U

[@HamRadioDX]

Thanks Don!

[@2metercrew389]

Great Scott!!!!! I wish I would’ve known you’re only about 30 miles away from me😐😐😐😐

[@HamRadioDX]

We had to keep it secret squirrel!

[@falcorthewonderdog2758]

I travel the country in an RV with my call sign and monitoring 146.52 on the rear window. Radio is on whenever I'm moving. In 5 years I have yet to hear anyone on 146.52 let alone someone actually call my call sign.

[@SHTFchef]

Not sure what that antenna is but the antenna selection is huge. I like the Nagoya 771.

[@timothykearns2232]

146.52 is quiet in my area...But I do hear POTA operators occasionally. There are many mountains in my area (Mt Wilson is very far away from me) that one station uses regularly, and he has an enormous signal. .52, at one time, was the national calling frequency (gentleman's agreement). Now, it is still used as a calling frequency at times. Have fun with your handheld! Tim, NN6A in SoCal.

[@R3dN3cK]

I just picked up that same Kenwood at Dayton. I like it so far. I got it to work Sats. Already worked ISS!

[@redone823]

would you share the model of the kenwood? thanks.

[@MeOnTech]

I am preposing that every Ham get an inexpensive dual band and program the calling frequencies. 146.52 and 446.00. Dedicate this radio for calling frequencies. Keep it in your call and turned on all the time. The newer cheap radios have USB charging which makes this more feasible.

[@HamRadioDX]

Or add those calling frequencies into a priority scan channel, so they are always being scanned along with regular frequencies

[@mballer]

Do you ever do any DXing to the south of Australia over the edge of the flat earth?

[@edwardfletcher7790]

There's no point, the NASA border guards never answer back.... LMAO 😂

[@DonzLockz]

Thats awesome Hayden. :) I was within 100m of your first location back in 2017. Awrsome to be there in person. Glad you worked Chuck, the only AR operator in SF!😂🥇🏆

[@HamRadioDX]

What a nice spot down on the bay

[@Mxyzptlk21]

Well bummer, wish i had been around and listening that day. Diablo repeaters have a great reach!

[@hcy0]

POTA with a handheld - very cool.

[@OnTheRoadInMaine]

I am not sure how it is in California but where I live there is a group that hangs out on 52 and chats from time to time, usually afternoons and evenings. I used to hang out on it but in the past 6-12 months interference has filtered in, and that, added to most of the stations I can hear being too difficult to hear with the interference, I went over to GMRS because the static gives me headaches. One of the big reasons I dont like HF. Over all I do prefer 2 meter simplex or whatever simplex on the local bands will work, over using repeaters. It is rare to find Hams who are into this. When I first got into Ham radio, it was much different. Simplex is dead in my area and many other areas across the country because 2 meters and similar bands just don't stretch all the way across the Atlantic or Pacific so many Hams see it and all the other higher bands as unusable, no good for anything. When it comes to contesting on 2 meters, if there are any Hams hanging out on simplex, some of them will not bother answering a CQ especially when it is followed by an OTA station. Like I said, I am not sure about California, but I have heard quite a few Hams who are partial to local simplex especially on 2 meters that are not into contesting and they will flat out refuse to answer. No offense to the contesters but I am the same. I dont do contesting. My radios are for communicating only. There is a lot you can do with simplex with all the local bands. You might not make contacts for your log but you may just make friends locally. Dont be afraid to use Simplex. Sometimes all it takes is a few guys to regularly use it and when you get other Hams scanning the bands they might fall on the frequency you are using and you can get a large crowd using simplex and it being a known spot to contact someone in an emergency or just hang out and chat.

[@thomashardy9994]

lol. Years ago, I stayed at that hotel that was behind you.

[@HamRadioDX]

That's a hotel?

[@SouthEasternCommunications]

Some good radio sights that way . That may have been the same repeater I used when I was there can't recall but it was pretty quiet, I was using a vk3/ p call though

[@nickmad887]

Thank you.

[@HamRadioDX]

You’re welcome 👍

[@lomgshorts3]

Why use CQ on 2 meters? We do not use Q signals on VHF FM here in the States. 2 meter SSB we DO use Q signals as it is the SSB mode and weak signal mode as in all other bands and (now used in) channelized allocations. You can operate as you wish if it works for you, but I sign onto 2 meter FM with my call and then just say “listening“ and I always get a response. No problem ?

[@qrplife]

No problem calling CQ on VHF/UHF simplex. I wouldn’t do that on a repeater, but simplex is fine whatever the mode.

[@alvarogaitan2529]

great job Hayden 73 from kb2uew

[@brandonzawaski]

Try hooking up a J Jole to the sma port.

[@goosecouple]

No hams in Kommiefornia. Only kommies.

[@nc4tn]

Here in 4 land, the radio police will scold you for using the “call channel”. I mean, that’s why it’s there, right.

[@VK6ZMS]

Just remember to speak a bit slower. Our Aussie twang can be a bit hard to understand outside Oz.

[@davidbrayshaw3529]

Oh, you are so telling the truth! I had to re-learn how to speak when I visited the states. Annunciation and projection are just things that we don't do here. Singing lessons came in handy, that's for sure.

[@m0aze611]

I can understand every word 😃great see see your enjoying yourself. Been quite a few years since I was there and not likely in the near or distant future. Great place to be. Regards. Mike

[@davidbrayshaw3529]

The US and Australia have reciprocal privileges. Could you not have used VK7HH portable as your call sign?

[@HamRadioDX]

Yes I could’ve. But I wanted to use my US callsign

[@davidbrayshaw3529]

@@HamRadioDX Thank you for your reply. Excellent reason! Glad you had fun.

[@HamRadioDX]

@@davidbrayshaw3529 I did use VK7HH/W8 to make a contact with N8YO at Hamvention though 😀

[@davidbrayshaw3529]

@@HamRadioDX 2 & 70 were open that day, by the sounds of things!

[@45auto]

I have both your VK call and US call in ham alert. Have you done anything on HF?

[@johnwest7993]

It's only the 2 meter calling frequency. :)

[@txfotog]

Open the squelch on simplex. C'mon man! LOL!

[@bbroken1]

What radio was that the Kenwood dt74?

[@HamRadioDX]

D72

[@thomashardy9994]

I never hear anyone on the calling frequency.

[@dennisfitz5071]

You won't find much on 6.52 😢

[@thrillscience]

Who calls CQ on 146.52? I just say "N2GF Listening". You're almost close enough to reach me in Sunnyvale if you had a better antenna (About 45 miles south of you).

[@flightstatic4662]

i hear it all the time tbh

[@HamRadioDX]

Watch more of Hamvention here 👉kzbin.info/aero/PLSuX83ay4OuhcfMwilGoiCU_GtUim6neJ

[@DK5ONV]

💯🎙👌🙋‍♂

[@TheSmokinApe]

Call away

[@HamRadioDX]

QRZ?

[@rohnkd4hct260]

.52 is just not used much

[@brandonzawaski]

Congrats getting a US callsign

[@HamRadioDX]

Thanks!

[@FukWit.]

I don't know but I can't hear shit

[@Steven-pv1xr]

Ham radio is dying like hell. They all want FT9. Fxxxing garbage.

[@HamRadioDX]

What’s FT9 champion?