Where have all the Hams gone (VHF)

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paulears
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Re: Where have all the Hams gone (VHF)

Post by paulears »

I live in a small UK town with historic ham activity. Analogue repeater about the same as 40 years ago, but simplex dead. DMR is busy, but not hectic. HF isnt as active as you’d expect, and I can’t use it due to interference. The digital modes seem where it’s at really. One radio, chatting world wide works. I can’t subscribe to the not proper radio idea, because most arguments in that area centre on RF, and also apply to repeater assist. If RF and a microphone are involved it’s OK with me.
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Re: Where have all the Hams gone (VHF)

Post by Auldgeek »

It's very much peaks and troughs up here. There's regular pockets of activity on both FM and SSB on 2m and it's encouraging to see activity nights being promoted on 4m, 2m and 70cms by the 3 or 4 clubs that cover my area.
However, it can be very quiet for days on end.
I tend to use digital more these days, mainly due to very poor hearing but I can still use voice with assistive technology.

Personally, I've never been one to ignore general CQ calls but have definitely witnessed selective replies if I'm just monitoring while doing other things.
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Werthers
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Re: Where have all the Hams gone (VHF)

Post by Werthers »

2 meters is alive and its been picking up there have even been some CQ calls on 145.500 Its never going to be active as it once was but for 2021 you can't complain.

Repeaters are dead even the DMR repeater is dead.

DMR 70cms simplex is unheard of and nothing on 70cms analog, there all on PMR446.

I've just invested some more money into a 4 meter set up even though the band is dead... well almost there is a Wednesday net at 8:00 so I maybe able to work 4 meters then. Another net on Thursday too same time.
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Re: Where have all the Hams gone (VHF)

Post by M3PIE »

Their are a few nets on 2M round here, plenty of SOTA stations operating on the hills round here too on the hills.
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Re: Where have all the Hams gone (VHF)

Post by Werthers »

I've got to say that two meters is an amazing band. The fact that I can make a contact on simplex indoors from a handheld standard rubber duck antenna from 5 miles away with a good signal says it all.

You can have the most crappy antenna and still get out on 2 meters.

Not that I use a handheld indoors for anything but just saying how easy it is and how forgiving two meters is.

4 meters on the other hand is the opposite and requires a lot more work to get out a decent signal.

Its good to see 2 meters active.
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Re: Where have all the Hams gone (VHF)

Post by Werthers »

Oh man 4 Meters really gets out with a half decent antenna. My 4 meter antenna is a beast. Its an unbranded one I got from Italy and I did not realize how long it was going to be. The base of the antenna is a little on the heavy side so I will need to get a better pole to mount it but tested it temperamentaly and it gets out for miles. The only down side is I don't know what my neighbors will make of it. I may have to get permission to have this one up. All my previous 4 meter antennas proved to be not so good.

One day I will upgrade my 2/70 antenna to something bigger. Mind you I don't think the hobby will be going for to long as its pretty much coming to the end of days for VHF/UHF and HF will slowly go the same way within the next 20 to 30 years I expect.
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Re: Where have all the Hams gone (VHF)

Post by Werthers »

InTheClouds wrote: 27 Jan 2021, 12:20 I am a ham now. VHF has never really appealed to me, unless you are a aficionado of VHF specific prop then CB would
be perfectly fine and from my relatively little experience so far. In terms of range and the DX side also preferable.

You are more likely to get a warm response to a chat style QSO on the CB frequencies as well.

For VHF you have relatively low range, less chance of DX without some E layer/warm air lift and the most
popular radios are HF sets with no VHF built in. Ok so you can put a very high gain beam up without
needing to own a farm size bit of land, that is a nice touch but only if you are drawn to VHF in the first instance.

I find even on HF the shortness is a little unfriendly. I thought I was short at times on DX but HF ham DX is really something else
on the "Your QSO has been terminated" approach. I do understand it though, it seems to be more about how many
DX contacts you can make and not about having any interest in what the other station is using. I imagine experienced hams have heard it all
before and so speaking to the 1,000'th sub 1,000km dx of the year is not super interesting.

There are exceptions of course like anything. 80m and 160m seem more tolerant of talking... and don't get me wrong
I love talking radio as much as idle daily chit chat.. in fact I prefer it, though a good a balance is nice.

I am enjoying it, trying to get a handle on the different bands. As a relative new comer I take it for what it is
and so far I am enjoying myself, QRP was a bit of a struggle to get out of Europe the last months, though I did manage it
on 10W after DIY'ing a better antenna. Stuck to my 10W and was a good boy.

It comes as no surprise there are few on VHF speaking as a relative newb.
Its good to have a good balance, they go hand in hand with each other. Quite a few people have been isolated since the pandemic and it can be hard to hold a conversation when you've done nothing with your days or not seen anybody for weeks at a time. I still went out as much as I could and did stuff but not having regular interaction with other people can have an impact on mental health. I expect that is why the oldies have nothing interesting to talk about other than the same mundane things on there daily 20 minute afternoon repeater nets.

Even way before the pandemic I have noticed that people in general are a lot less sociable. I blame smartphones.
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Re: Where have all the Hams gone (VHF)

Post by 26mb04 »

Whilst 2m/VHF range on a handheld really is fantastic, the band is now full of people I don't want to speak to.

I used to go on APRS (144.800) because it was limited to people who actually had knowledge of TNCs, networks, etc. They'd spent weeks, months building everything and getting it to work. Now it's full of people who don't even realise it (DMR hotspots anyone?). 99% of APRS RF data is now spam from gateway admins adding everything including the kitchen sink, and it's killed the mode. The same thing has happened on 2m voice. It's become the creche of the hobby: New folks (who may or may not learn anything else), and the old guard who use the band solely to remind each other to take their meds.

I'm sorry if this sounds harsh, it's my genuine experience of 2m where I live.
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Re: Where have all the Hams gone (VHF)

Post by paulears »

Yep. People forget communications are two way. Chat requires common ground. In a contest, which lots hate, there is no chat, it’s a path test with humans involved. Dmr is a sort of contest. English person pops out of network in Mexico. Mexico person with no English answers. It’s not comms, it’s a contest thing. I’m very happy with that. It spurs people on to find rarer talk groups and make links. The old folk reminiscing and talking about meds. Fine. Leave them to it. Newbies chatting about tech stuff, with so much wrong end of stick. Join in and help or not? Depends on the group and the helpful person. Try it and see?

Newer people seem to believe part of the rules is a requirement to answer, no matter what. They then find the band empty. Hundreds may be listening and not remotely interested in talking to them. To those who call and call and call, it’s frustrating. If they said something people might find interesting people might answer. Where I live it’s often like this. Then one day, the guy nobody ever answered and who drove us mad, added this to his CQ. “This is Xxxxx on dive boat ABC in Lake Lothing calling CQ CQ” and instantly he got half a dozen in a net. He was bored silly on an anchored boat. Once he said what he was doing, he had great chats. That important bit, dive boat, triggered interest.
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Re: Where have all the Hams gone (VHF)

Post by Werthers »

I heard two old G hams having a conversation on GB3HW about things that I really did not want to hear about talking about there bowels and other things that should be discussed in private rather than on a repeater. :sick: Oxtail soup anyone? :lol: :lol:

GB3DA is better to listen to, more diverse with interesting conversations and has a few female hams on it, mind ya there all old dogs but still nice to hear a female voice on the radio regardless.
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Re: Where have all the Hams gone (VHF)

Post by paulears »

Go simplex then. If you don’t like conversations don’t hang around. We have an off switch. Why single out boring people by call sign age? Brand new licences can be equally boring, or interesting. I know G3 and G4 hams who can send you to sleep instantly, but others are far more interesting.
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Re: Where have all the Hams gone (VHF)

Post by LeakyFeeder »

A small group im part of have gone to UHF DMR simplex to get away from the **** on VHF.
To date the dregs have been unable to find us so we will stay put.
No hassle n no **** to spoil things...
Only time i use VHF is when im off to see my other half and fancy a natter thru GB3IR or HG...
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Re: Where have all the Hams gone (VHF)

Post by warhorse »

i used like the fact that certain normal people were drawn to this hobby by the nature of who they were and a common denominator was they had a musical ear be a swl or a real interest in the hobby not a ex cbr with a ego to mod every ham radio to use on uk 27?81 it really is a disgrace how certain clicks conduct them selves really is a cancer nice to here hams talking tech other than drible old or new m3-7 etc in some ways even the quite 2 meters is a joy not to listen too non ham radio Enthusiasms but bad behaviour like constant keying on repeaters in example lol good to hear any ham into the hobby and enjoying it in the right context other than the frustrations
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Re: Where have all the Hams gone (VHF)

Post by chazwozza »

They all left 10 years ago
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Re: Where have all the Hams gone (VHF)

Post by InTheClouds »

The foundation licence holders I have spoke to have all been ok, in fact I don't think I have spoke to any UK hams that are not fine.

Could it be the way you project yourself ? Just a thought.

On HF the most annoying things I experience is deaf stations whistling over dx, calling directly without asking if freq in use, Euro's (which I have absolutely no problem with if calling CQ) responding to me calling DX and going over exciting DX stations, a theme of doubling up over DX is appearing, that is the most frustrating of all. And Italians I hate to single them out but they have the worst ham band etiquette of any nationality... it is not all of them I hasten to add some are great.. but many are very bad operators.
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