Channel Memory Management

[mjohns2]

What is best practice for Ham Radio’s with a limited number of channels that can be programmed/saved to the radio? With only 128 programmable channels, I’m limited to Simplex and local frequencies. When I go camping or simply leave the county, I need to reprogram the radio.

Is this best practice?


MJ

 

[DaveInDenver]

It's impossible to include everything even when you have 1,000 locations. 128 channels isn't all that limited, but are you a regular user or is your radio just for group runs?

There are generally around 25 2m simplex frequencies. The exact number varies depending on 15KHz or 20KHz (CA uses 20KHz AFAIK) spacing and how much spectrum is given. I would put all the simplex frequencies in personally, but you can save space by only using ones you use a lot and just dialing the VFO for the others.

That's the same for monitoring frequencies, weather, etc. Since they don't need squelch tones you don't need them to be in memory and can just carry a card with important frequencies.

As for the rest of the band with a FM mobile you're thinking repeaters. There are only so many repeater pairs designated. That will be about 65 or so. The problem is that even though there are only so many pairs there are 50 PL tones (CTCSS) that means there are a few thousand combinations of tone and frequency pair. Maybe pick state-wide linked systems or known high use. That's something that local hams will have to advise. You could just put in all of your state's accepted repeater pairs and manually turn on the appropriate tone, which is tedious but works. Some radios do a tone search but I don't have much experience about how that works, but maybe that is how it's supposed to work.

Maybe include a few local rag chew repeaters with tone if you're a daily talker.

 

[AndrewP]

I doubt you will find you need 128 pre-programmed frequencies. That's a good number and only seems like too few when compared to more expensive radios that can have 500.

If you do find you "need" more than 128 just keep separate programming files in your computer and change the programming depending on where you'll be. CHIRP is ideal for that sort of thing.

As Dave says, carry a repeater book with you in the car, or the cell phone app that lists local repeaters where you are. Then just dial them up with the VFO.

Still, you will likely find that you talk mostly on a few simplex frequencies, and a few repeaters and linked repeater systems. I doubt in real use, you'll come close to filling up your memories.

 

[Mashurst]

There are a lot of ways to skin this cat. These are just my thoughts. If you are new to HAM or to the repeaters in your area. I would program no more than 20 or so and maybe as few as a handful. Start with the ones right around you or in areas you travel. Repeaterbook.com is great for this or the ARRL book. I would put them in by call sign and make a sheet that cross reverences them to a transmitter location. If you do too many you will not be able to learn what they are. Each repeater has a "personality" and a coverage area and ultimately knowing that is very useful information. Who hangs out on there and what times? What are the kind of things that get talked about? In my area I mostly use my clubs repeater but if I needed help in the middle of the night I know that another one in the area may be better set up to handle emergency traffic, unless I was trying to reach a specific person that I know was most likely monitoring another one. The point is if you just dump 128 repeaters in there they will all just be mysterious. Start with a few and build up from there. I would rather have 3 or 4 that I know well than 100 that are just numbers. It's also nice to have room to add a channel when someone tells you about one you are not familiar with so want to leave room for this.

For simplex I would use VFO unless it is one you are using all the time for some reason like a trail group.

The other thing I would do is on a few repeaters that you know and use, I would put in the repeater output frequency as a simplex. This way you are monitoring for any relevant traffic... the wife calling, QSTs or emergencies. This is almost always what we use for trail runs because we can hear the repeater but we are not going into it when we talk. If you hear something on the repeater and want to respond you can click one down. You want to do this right next to the repeater so like ch6 is repeater X and ch7 is repeater X output. I use a "-" to indicate this "AG6AU-" or simply the frequency "147825". I have heard of some that do this for every repeater they program. You dont want any tone. Odvoisly use low power for this and avoid talking over repeater transmissions. Anyone else listening to the repeater that is close by without tone decode will hear you as well so you want to make as small a footprint as you can.

Plan to reprogram your radio a lot as you learn and develop your own system.
Best of luck KJ6EUO

 

[gary in ohio]

You really have a need for 128 channels for day to day local use? In any case with the ease of programming radios just program what is need for your route. ARRL digial repeater book has a way to map a route and give your freq along the way. or just use repeater book or the other repeater directories.

 

[Frdmskr]

I have my frequencies set up this way...first 10 or so are everyday use. Next lot (need to count) are all the regional ARES/RACES frequencies. (Oddly these are all simplex and most local repeaters). Finall a small section for all NOAA WX channels and a short list of repeaters for the ride from my house to my parents ( abt 7 hrs). Beyond that I keep desperate files that I can quickly dump in.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[brentbba]

Different radios, different ways. I've got a Yaesu FT-8800. Too many memory channels to remember. It has 10 'banks' you can store frequencies in and god knows how may frequencies in each bank. You can put six of these banks on a quick select botton on the face of the radio. My 'Elmer' suggested using a bank for a select area. He said he'd use a bank to program frequencies along travel routes. Personally, I've got a bank for every county here in SoCal and have the local repeaters programed for the county into that bank and a few select simplex, like 146.520 in all the banks. I travel to/from Moab at least annually and have all the repeaters along that route programmed into it's own bank. Works for me.

 

[craig333]

8800 also. In addition to ham frequencies I keep the WX, GMRS, FRS because you just never know when it might come in handy.

 

[Crom]

No wrong way to do it, as long as it works for you.

For San Diego, I group all the repeaters on each major mountain top into a contiguous block [Otay, Laguna, Palomar], and then each local area into another bock [East County, North County]. Those all fit in memory space 0-99. Then I have the entire So. Cal. band plan simplex frequencies into another block, GMRS/FRS, MURS, grouped together starting at 100-199. Then I have repeaters programmed for areas that I travel to starting at 200-300. I also have State, Federal and other agencies starting at 300-400.

This makes sense to me because I can program everything into the radio, but when I scan, I can choose a "bank" to scan, and even link the "banks" for scanning purposes.

It works great for me! :sombrero: