At K1SIG we regularly check in on 2m and 70cm FM, usually on the call
frequency. We run horizontal beams, so we'd be cross-pol but it usually
works enough for new contacts. We keep planning on having a 2m FM station
up full time with a mobile whip, but we haven't made it happen yet. In
January it netted us at least one new mult.
Good luck.
Sean Waite, WA1TE
On Thu, Jun 8, 2017, 21:23 Bruce Tobias <wb9woz@comcast.net> wrote:
> My thanks to everyone who replied via the list and also privately.
> I'll address some you thoughts below.
>
> I'm not new to contesting. I've done vhf ssb contests for several
> years. Before we downsized to a 1st floor condo type unit, I had a
> roof full of G0KSC yagis for 6-70cm. And 3 HF antennas.
>
> I'm doing FM only because I see it as a challenge. When I did
> VHF/UHF sideband, I always had FM running to pick up the extra Q's,
> so people are out there. When I ran sideband, 100 watts on 2m, 35
> watts on uhf, and 25 watts on 220. I can't compete with too many
> SOLP stations.
>
> Guys say I need to be on a mountain to be competitive. The only
> mountains we have around here are made from trash. Greene Valley is
> about one mile from me. Elevation about 900 ft. Most of you might
> think that's not much, but for us, its pretty high.
>
> I don't really want to rove. We have several rovers in the Chicago
> area, and they do a very good job.
>
> I do talk up contests on nets and also my local club. Seems most
> people don't have simplex freqs programmed in their memory channels.
> If its not a repeater, they wont even try. Their loss. 146.52
> simplex is pretty dead in the Chicago area. Before it was allowed,
> 146.55 was the go to simplex channel for contests. Almost zero FM
> activity on anything else. 146.52, 146.55, 223.50 and 446.00 are
> pretty much it around here. I'm very polite, I'll move anywhere
> someone wants to go.
>
> Last September I played on the trash hill for less then 3 hours on
> Sunday. To my surprise I placed 6th nationally. Granted there were
> only 18 entries, but still much better then I expected. People
> wanted a FM only category, so I'm going to try it.
>
> Like I said at the beginning. I look at it as a challenge. I'm not
> up for mountain topping running only 10 watts like Zach. He found
> his niche, maybe FM is mine.
>
> Thanks for letting me ramble
>
> Bruce
> wb9woz
> EN51xr
>
>
>
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>
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