The first two NoVs was calibrated in channels. Live with it.
I think you’ll find the only place where there was any mention of “channel names”, such as “FM”, “FE”, etc, was in the RSGB Spectrum Forum’s Guidance Notes. The NoV, from the outset, only stipulated frequencies in MHz.
The channel names never had any official or legal status and it soon became clear that they were redundant anyway. In the RSGB Spectrum Forum FAQ dated 2005, it is written:
“When we were first planning for the start of 5 MHz, we knew that the cadets used two-letter designators for their own channels and were not permitted to mention actual frequencies on the air, so we chose to label our 5MHz channels so that the cadets could use these designators when talking with amateurs. But it’s now clear that the cadets are permitted to refer to our channels by frequency, so there is no need for the Foxtrot designators.”
Maybe the channel designators came to be considered redundant, but they remained convenient, much easier to say than a frequency, so they have lingered. Just as “S20” is still immediately understood on 2 metres FM, although it is in fact obsolete - not many people bother with “V40” et al!
Anyway, the point - as you have accepted by turning your attention to channel designators - is that on some ham bands channels exist and are appropriate, just as they do and are in CB.
I think you’ll find the only place where there was any mention of “channel
names”, such as “FM”, “FE”, etc, was in the RSGB Spectrum Forum’s Guidance
Notes. The NoV, from the outset, only stipulated frequencies in MHz.
Old age Walt. I’d have bet you a beer they were in the NoV and you’d have won!
The very concept of “channels” was alien to the NoV’s. They referred to “experimental bands” to describe the contiguous subsets of permitted frequencies and quite rightly too. They may have been “channels” as far as SSB was concerned, but for CW or data were bands in which several transmissions could be supported.
73 de Paul G4MD
PS sorry about the hijack John, an excellent and inspiring report again for which many thanks
On that basis S20 et al. is a “contiguous subset” of frequencies, too. As a ham that has operated extensively on 5 megs SSB, my attitude is that if it quacks like a duck…you know the rest!
See now, if some organisation attempted to channelise say 20 metres, I would object as much as any other ham, but we do have bands and parts of bands where channelisation is normal and accepted, so I don’t see why the reminder of the existence or past existence of FE has caused so much discussion.
Funny thing Brian, I’ve heard people refer to the old 2m channels and the new ones but never done so myself. All the VHF gear I’ve had has a frequency display and channel names made little sense. I suppose someone in your case who witnessed the move from spark to modern radios will have used radios like a TR-2200 where they had channels marked on them and so S16 makes sense.
I don’t think anyone understood the new channel names!
The RBN - “I clean forgot about that strange device.” Strange indeed, but nonetheless very useful if your mobile phone doesn’t work for a self spot. There are so many frequencies used for SOTA now that you can’t always expect to be heard, even on 7.032MHz. The chasers that monitor the bands are spread thinly.
“You seem to be keeping to your policy of non repetition.” - Yes, it is still what floats my boat. I can’t seem to summon much interest for repeats, preferring to activate HuMPs when I can get out of the office and they will most likely only get activated once by me.
“I see you too have been overseas recently…” - Portugal was very relaxed. I love the people there, particularly in the countryside north of the coastal strip of the Algarve. I used a hire car for those, though I do fancy driving down sometime.
“That posh motor of yours is serving you well, far and wide.” - I keep my motors for 10 years or more. Buy them at about 3 years old and put them on eBay when they become financially unviable. The last one did 260k and I still got £320 for it. I gather it was shipped off to Lithuania to help keep other Audi A6’s going.
“The latest 500 quid wonder… power steering and electric windows…” - Sheer luxury! What you need next John is cruise control. Brilliant for the drive back home after a day on the hills!
Funny thing Brian, I’ve heard people refer to the old 2m channels and
the new ones but never done so myself. All the VHF gear I’ve had has a
frequency display and channel names made little sense. I suppose
someone in your case who witnessed the move from spark to modern
radios will have used radios like a TR-2200 where they had channels
marked on them and so S16 makes sense.
Funny guy!
No, I went from a homebrewed crystal controlled AM rig on 70 cm to ditto on 2 m to an FT290R1 and a MM linear on SSB, I never set foot on an FM channel until I got my FT817 twelve years ago! On that rig I put the 5 megs channels in the memories with the “F” designator, but when I replaced it with the FT817ND I put the frequencies in the memory - by then I needed no reminder of what the F designations were!
When I activate on 2 metres FM I am as likely to say “up two channels” as “S22” and others seem to work the same way and understand, but I have to say that I have never heard the V channels referred to, tho’ once or twice I have actually heard something like “S22-and-a-half”!
I’ve heard people refer to the old 2m channels and the new ones but never done so myself. All the VHF gear I’ve had has a frequency display and channel names made little sense<
Going back to the days of Spark - sorry xtals, I converted my first 12Ch Storno
600 to 2M. The channel selector bezel could be easily removed and relabled with 20 for S20, 22, 23, R6 for R6, etc. The same could be done with Pye & Burndept kit with greater or lesser degrees of access. In these early days with few repeaters it was great for driving as S20 was just two up from R6 (R7 being in between in my configuration) and S21 one up from S20 etc (R0 was the set’s Ch1). We tended to refer to QSY 22 or CS/R6 (GB3CS). Simples. Nowadays there no need for the old S/R format, and as mentioned the V format never took off - a solution for a problem that didn’t exist. With 12.5KHz kit I tended to call it R6 and half or up “half a channel” or 21 and a half etc. Could never remember the V number - now in saying that R6 was V60 because of the 6 being present - hi!
As early adopter of 5MHz’s for SOTA I never really used the F designator but did and still do like the ‘channelised’ format - a 2M on HF? So adopted 398, 403, 371 etc as the labels in memory channel 50 upwards in my 817 and other HF kit. Call on 398 and QSY 371 if clear? Works for me.
I have never accepted, or used, either the old or the new channel names on the 2m or 70 cm bands. The concept of channels was dreamt up by the UK FM Group London and subsequently endorsed in the early 70s by the RSCB. To this day, I only refer to frequencies in MHz on the VHF/UHF bands - irrespective of the mode in use - and this applies to my SOTA activities too. There is no mention of VHF/UHF channels or channel designators in the UK Licence. It is perhaps significant, too, that VHF/UHF activities on SOTAwatch are alerted and spotted in frequencies … not channels!
Thanks for the very interesting report & apologies for being away from the radio on Bank Holiday Monday. From your report it seems my presence would have been beneficial as apart from possibly one or maybe two more QSO’s on Top Band, your venture onto 30m may well have been spotted as 10.118 is pretty much my default SOTA monitoring frequency at present. In any case you had a good day & a nice tally of 66 QSO’s.
