I don't know that they're particularly looked down on. The problems I
have with them are:
1) My portable beams are configured for horizontal polarization. They're
also tuned for 144.200. It would be too much to carry along another beam
for vertical polarization, and I'm going to lose at least 20 dB on FM with
that arrangement. I can use my 5/8 wave vertical on my car but I don't
have much range.
2) I've been operating from portable hilltops far away from population
centers. If I were in the middle of Chicago, I might have better luck
with FM. But I'm not. 2 meter FM activity on simplex frequencies is
generally sparse around here anyway.
3) Most of the people on FM around here have no idea what a contest or a
grid square is. If things get REALLY slow I'm likely to try calling CQ on
144.46 or some such frequency with the abovementioned 5/8 wave vertical,
but I have to explain the whole contest to anyone who answers. This has
happened a few times.
If I knew there would be a goodly number of people to work, I'd spend nore
time on FM.
73, Zack W9SZ
On Fri, 23 Jun 2006, Mike Tessmer wrote:
>
> Something I've never quite understood is why are FM QSOs seemingly looked
> down upon by so many in the VHF contesting community?
>
> I understand the built-in inequity of large population centers vs. boonies.
> I understand the differences of FM vs. weak signal modes for longer
> distance QSOs. But FM is merely another mode, just like SSB and CW are.
>
>
> 73, Mike K9NW
>
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