70cm activity: Check out the contest next Tuesday (8th Feb) and every 2nd Tuesday of the month, 2000 to 2230 UK time. Mainly SSB between 432.100 and 432.300, but some FM activity occasioanlly as well. Genuine opportunity to work up to 100 stations on 70cm in 2.5 hours for those of you that find the band quiet!
If you are in GM or some other extremely “70cm-quiet” part of the country, then get on air and beam in towards IO83 square. You will be very popular and will fill your logbook.
SOTA QRGs: The only one that gets habitually “monitored” is 7.032MHz CW. The only thing close to that is the 2m FM calling channel on 145.500MHz FM. Roy G4SSH can often be there waiting if you have alerted for 3.557MHz CW. Generally speaking, if I am not calling on 145.500 or 7.032 I feel I need to self-spot. The exception is in the contests where you tend to be found if calling, even away from nominated centre of activity frequencies.
I am not sure that a standard SOTA frequency would work on 2m FM. On some weekends, several FM channels can be taken up simultaneously by SOTA activations. Also, some areas of the country (like here in NW England) enjoy high levels of VHF activity, and it is not unusual to find that more channels are in use than are free. Use of the standard 2m FM calling channel of S20 has worked well enough for SOTA for 9 years.
I make many contacts on 70cm each month, but mainly on SSB. A SOTA Fun Day that had a focus on 70cm FM would probably be of most interest to me.
In reply to G4OIG:
Hi Gerald,
In principle, I support your suggestion for recognised working frequencies for SOTA. I still feel that the best approach, for VHF/UHF, is to use the designated calling and ‘centre of activity’ frequencies for initial calls followed by a qsy to the ‘SOTA’ frequency. Monitoring the plethora of ‘favourite’ working frequencies is a non starter and my own chaser MO is to sit on 144.300, more in hope than anticipation. Even when band changing from 2m ssb to 432 ssb, a quick initial call on 432.200 would be helpful. I seem to have the knack (it’s taken years of practice!) of listening for you on 432.222 when you are not there, and listening elsewhere, when you are!.
73,
Frank
“I still feel that the best approach, for VHF/UHF, is to use the designated calling and ‘centre of activity’ frequencies for initial calls followed by a qsy to the ‘SOTA’ frequency.”
I agree Frank. It seems a pity to dilute what little activity there is on these bands by not using the mainstream methods of soliciting contacts. This is especially true for 70cm where contacts are perfectly okay on the designated “centre of activity” frequency and there is at least a chance that the odd non-chaser listening there will get interested in SOTA.
This is especially true for 70cm where contacts are perfectly okay on the designated “centre of activity” frequency and there is at least a chance that the odd non-chaser listening there will get interested in SOTA.
Contrary to expectations, I’ve never picked up a contact by calling on 432.200MHz, but I have often been called by non-chasers on 432.222MHz. Seems that those using the band know what a tuning knob is and are prepared to use it. Perhaps this indicates that there is no need for a SOTA frequency on 70cms SSB.
In reply to G4OIG:
Good point Gerald! About the tuning Knob! However I tend to use the calling channels then QSY!
With regards contest they are useful for checking your equipment but the rubber stamp feeling of the QSO is not my idea of Radio! Why do these contesters spend all this money on expensive antennas, Linear amps, Preamps, Rigs and Laptops to use it for 2.5 hours once a month! Bonkers to me!!! I wish they would put out a CQ call on a day to day basis! Goodness My head had gone all nauseous from standing on my soapbox, I suppose I should get off or I will be on my usual groaning subject of PL-259s!
Having said that I will be taking the 4m Transverter out on contest days to try and work some 4m SSB activity! However My style will be more befitting of the 4m band and its ragchew style! Points are overated, best part of the day will be being on a hill with a radio!
Why do these contesters spend all this money on expensive antennas, Linear
amps, Preamps, Rigs and Laptops to use it for 2.5 hours once a month!
Once a month? Luxury. How about 3 or 4 times a year. I’ve never put a cost on how much our groups contest gear is worth but we’re qrv on 50/70/144/432/1296/2320/10368/24192. The fun comes from organising everything, setting up and generating sufficient RF to melt the sky for a bit! It would be wonderful to have a domestic environment where you could have a station for all those bands setup all the time and be able to run QRO without issues. But most of us can’t.
In reply to MM0FMF:
I enjoy contesting on the HF bands, as you say Andy its good fun setting up the station, and testing its reliability and your skills and stamina to operate for 2/4/8/12/24/48 Hours. Some people enjoy contesting, others ragchewing, others constructing components, and hopefully everyone here enjoys SOTA There is so much diversity under the label “Amateur Radio”, there’s something in it for everyone.
If contesting isn’t your ‘bag’, then double thanks for working me the other night! Mind you, it was a double-figures serial number you gave me, so you must have had a little bit of fun!
I was never really into contesting, and still am not with regard to HF, but these RSGB Tuesday night events are a very nice series - in fact probably my favourite part of being a member of the Society.
In reply to M1EYP:
I have no Qualms with people participating in contests Tom, the jibe was more at the people that have the posh equipment at home and only use it for contests! Why not put out a general CQ call occasionally and have a natter!
I like to give points away to /P stations as they have made a tremendous and commendable effort on winter night to get out! Anyway all this talk of Contest has got away from Gerald’s original Post!
Anyway all this talk of Contest has got away from Gerald’s original Post!
No problem Matt. The discussion has been most interesting.
Back on the orginal subject - just one interesting point that I would like to add, this being that I first used 144.333MHz for SOTA on 21st May 2006. Since that time I have carried out over 300 activations and have only had to use an alternative frequency about 10 times, generally during contests. Alerting for a specific frequency usually allows me to get straight into the action without attracting the attention of “wafflers” (none-chasers, therefore no spot) on 144.300MHz. I well recall John M0JDK having left his receiver monitoring 144.333MHz when I was due to come up on Hafod Ithel GW/MW-029 - all I did was whistle into the mic and back came “Good evening Gerald”. Now that certainly makes you feel good when you are on a remote summit.
Anyway, whatever frequency people prefer, I would appeal for them to note their preference in the comments section of their alert, even if they state 144.3-ssb as a standard. That way at least there is a chance of finding them if you miss their CQ call… now I said I didn’t want to restart that discussion!
I can certainly confirm that it is good to know just where to find you. On the all too few occasions when other matters let me concentrate on chasing I monitor several channels simultaneously: I have the dual watch feature on the 817 and 857 with the squelch turned right down and a TS520S in hunt mode, when I know you are out one rig monitors 144.333 and 5.3985, another one monitors 145.500 and 3.666 (when D layer absorption is low) or 7.118. Mind you, when a target shows up the other rigs are turned down so as not to distract!
Yesterday whilst on GW/SW-002 I did try to use the 144.333 SSB frequency yesterday, however I had deep QRM! Hardly suprising when Rod M0JLA/P was operating 144.330 SSB on GW/SW-041! I used it klater whilst on GW/MW-025!
The only thing I have to figure out is how to change the tuning step on SSB mode of the 817! I tend to lock the tuning dial and use the Select Knob to tune ,so need to reduce the KHz Steps from 2,5 to maybe 1? Anyone got an idea on how to do this?
Sorry about that Matt; I had wondered about the possibility when the choice of 333 came up in discussion. If this is going to be a problem it seems to me that adopting 333 is a bit pointless. I wonder if 335 would be better.
Matt, he up and down buttons on the mic in your hand may prove useful. 1kHZ steps on SSB is still rather coarse. ISTR the buttons work when the dial is locked.
Brilliant - SOTA QRM - bring it on! And on a weekday too!
…adopting 333 is a bit pointless.
No, keep on using 144.333MHz I say, make the S2S and then whoever appeared last announce a QSY frequency and move away. Then anyone in the queue will know where you’ve gone and the one on 333 can alert others there’s a second activation on air.
Adopting 335 is more likely to invite non-SOTA QRM as people move off the calling frequency blind, usually in multiples of either 5 or 10kHz.
There is so much diversity under the label “Amateur Radio”, there’s something in it for everyone.