2m Ham real world uses.....

[LXRACR]

I just passed my tech. level ham class tonight! I'm ready to rock. I have a
2m mobile mounted in my rig and am now curious how to best utilize it (I will be teaming up with an experienced ham to learn the in's and out's). I like to go to the Desert (so. CA near the Arizona border). Is there any channels that are better then others? Im still learning, If I have a problem out there is there a specific channel that is better then others to get help? I know the old channel 9 thing with CB's, is there an equal with a VHF? Thanks in advance! Jason

 

[Hedge]

146.52 is the common simplex hailing freq.

Try http://k5ehx.net/repeaters/qrepeater.php to look up repeaters to listen to in your area while waiting on your call sign to show up in the mail. I've become more comfortable with the ham-specific lingo by looking up local ham club websites, finding the time of the weekly net and checking in there.

 

[cellularsteve2]

Congrats on passing the exam. I too got my ham license with the thought of utilizing it in the back country including for emergencies.

Yesterday I drove back 10 hours from North Grand Canyon to soCal (Arizona, Utah, Nevada, CA) and was monitoring 146.520. I was surprised how little radio traffic is on that frequency. I called out many times and only in Las Vegas did I get a reply.

I am somewhat leery of relying on this to reach someone in an emergency. I would like to learn more about frequencies other than 2M, to get long distance communication in a mobile environment.

Maybe someone can shed some light on that for us?

 

[1leglance]

While 146.520 is the national hailing freq don't expect much traffic on is as most ham only monitor it now & then.
In reality you need to buy a pocket repeater guide and keep it in your rig, that way you will always have the repeater info for the area you are in. It updates every year but I would only buy a new only every couple of years.
Now a note about using it, the repeaters are named for the mountain tops they are on or sometimes for the town/area, so you need to use a map/gps to figure out where you are in relation to the repeater to know if it is worth reaching out to.

On my yaesu radios there is a simple bit of software and cable that attaches my laptop to the radio and lets me quickly add repeaters before going in to an area.

Using a repeater is easy once you have done it a few times, but I highly recommend keeping the manual for your radio with the repeater guide in the rig to help you with programming in the field.

Another option is to scan with your radio when you are in an area to hear what freq are in use, then try looking up that freq in your guide, program it in and reach out to folks.
Taking the 5-10 min to do this when out having fun will be worth it's wgt in gold if something ever does go wrong (at least you won't panic).

I love ham radio and when on road trips often set it to scan so I can join in on conversations along the way.

 

[rambrush]

I have to agree with the above post, Coming through Kingman I only know of one operator who might monitor that frequency. A few of us monitor the 146.760 which is linked to Bullhead City and Lake Havasu. 448.250 gets some usage and also the 443.050 machine. If you have 220 you can get us on 224.500. 448.650 is our wide area machine. Most of these can be used out almost to Seligman on I-40 all the way to the California border.
Out on Route 66 we use the peach springs tower.

 

[Chazz Layne]

I have to agree with the above post, Coming through Kingman I only know of one operator who might monitor that frequency. A few of us monitor the 146.760 which is linked to Bullhead City and Lake Havasu. 448.250 gets some usage and also the 443.050 machine. If you have 220 you can get us on 224.500. 448.650 is our wide area machine. Most of these can be used out almost to Seligman on I-40 all the way to the California border.
Out on Route 66 we use the peach springs tower.

OT - thanks for this post... that answered a whole bunch of questions about this area I haven't had a chance to ask.



Back on topic: Also consider picking up a portable directional antenna such as an Elk. These are light weight, fold up nice and small, and dramatically improve your chances of hitting a repeater under less than ideal conditions (which is where vehicles always break, right?).

 

[ObGobOobaleeney]

Agreeing with the advice about repeaters. I keep updated repeater book in my truck, and pre-program my rig with repeaters in the areas I'm traveling.

But I've been surprised how busy 146.520 can be sometimes in my area (southern California), sometimes 2m simplex in general can be busy.

My trail buddies and I started using a simplex 440 freq instead. Much quieter.

 

[ObGobOobaleeney]

Back on topic: Also consider picking up a portable directional antenna such as an Elk. These are light weight, fold up nice and small, and dramatically improve your chances of hitting a repeater under less than ideal conditions (which is where vehicles always break, right?).

I bought an Arrow dual band hand-held antenna (intended for working satellite repeaters). The construction quality is amazing.

It's got fairly broad bandwidth, and works fine in the repeater freq range. I've yet to test it in the desert where I roam, but it has tested quite well at home.

http://www.arrowantennas.com/

But the guy who makes them is caring for his very ill wife at present, and orders are backlogged. I'd wait for one again. Its a very well made antenna.

 

[burquedoka]

I bought an Arrow dual band hand-held antenna (intended for working satellite repeaters). The construction quality is amazing.

It's got fairly broad bandwidth, and works fine in the repeater freq range. I've yet to test it in the desert where I roam, but it has tested quite well at home.

http://www.arrowantennas.com/

But the guy who makes them is caring for his very ill wife at present, and orders are backlogged. I'd wait for one again. Its a very well made antenna.

Wow, this is a very cool tool to have! I was never aware of the ability to communicate with nets through a sat. This could be a very useful tool to have in the middle of nowhere with out a HF rig. This video is VERY informative. http://vimeo.com/6868846

 

[xtatik]

Here's a list...

Here's a file pulled from my FT-60 and converted to a .xls file. I had to clean it up a bit, but it will get you started and definitely covers the areas you've mentioned in your first post. It covers pretty much most of the worthwhile or useable repeaters (meaning they are reasonably monitored) for the So Cal desert regions from the Mex border and north to the Death Valley areas. Then it continues north through the Owens Valley and up to Reno.
It also includes most of the Western Intertie System (Winsystem), which is the largest linked repeater system in the world currently. These are the abbreviations beginning with "W". Most of the abbreviations are self explanatory, especially if you've traveled out here for awhile. If you need me to "splain" the abbreviations, just let me know by posting up or PM.
edit: I probably need to mention...the Winsystem is primarily a 440 system. If your a 2m single-bander, you'll want to omit them.

 

[LXRACR]

Thanks!

Thanks for the replies! I ordered the Nifty Guide for my radio and will be picking up a repeater list. Hopefully I get the hang of it!

 

[ObGobOobaleeney]

Wow, this is a very cool tool to have! I was never aware of the ability to communicate with nets through a sat. This could be a very useful tool to have in the middle of nowhere with out a HF rig. This video is VERY informative. http://vimeo.com/6868846

They're fun, but not sure how handy they can be, really. The few times I listened in, satellite repeaters are tricky. They pass over very quickly , and are usually swamped with a massive pileup of people trying to log a satellite contact, having time only to give their call signs ans acknowledge the contact.

But the arrow antenna has a nice secondary benefit of being a portable, stowable dual band high gain yagi that will work on land repeaters, likely better than most mobile antenna whips.

 

[adventureduo]

One real world use..

We just spent 5 days in the Mojave Desert where we were a support vehicle for a 10 vehicle training group. We were on our own as the support rig running into town and such. In this instance, we ran 2 meter communications and utilized a local repeater to talk to the main group almost 99% of the time. It worked great where cellphones, CB's, FRS would not cut it. We could be 50-100 miles away from the group and still communicate.

Enjoy learning, it will never end. The HAM world is vast.

 

[ObGobOobaleeney]

emergency repeater usage

Back around '99 we had two dirt motorcyclists collide full-speed near our camp. One biker was critically injured.

Our 911 cell phone calls kept getting dropped. So I used my dual band ham walkie to call for help via a repeater. It worked, got somebody in Big Bear to call 911 for us and help get the medevac airborne. The helicopter showed up and the guy lived. (later emailed us and said he was struggling to walk again, but making progress)

 

[rusty_tlc]

We just spent 5 days in the Mojave Desert where we were a support vehicle for a 10 vehicle training group. We were on our own as the support rig running into town and such. In this instance, we ran 2 meter communications and utilized a local repeater to talk to the main group almost 99% of the time. It worked great where cellphones, CB's, FRS would not cut it. We could be 50-100 miles away from the group and still communicate.

Enjoy learning, it will never end. The HAM world is vast.

This is a perfect example of a great application for HAM.