2m amateur radio band endangered?(f4fxl.org)
f4fxl.org
2m amateur radio band endangered?
https://www.f4fxl.org/2m-amateur-radio-band-endangered/
81 comments
There are millions of 2m transceivers, some of which have appreciable power output. Attempting to operate drones on this band would be seriously stupid, even if other uses (which are historically solidly entrenched) would be banned.
Forgive the pun but I don't think this will fly.
Here is a better article:
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2019/june/france-proposes-1...
And without an irritating ad-blocker detector, if you want your stuff to be read don't block it with this sort of nonsense.
Forgive the pun but I don't think this will fly.
Here is a better article:
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2019/june/france-proposes-1...
And without an irritating ad-blocker detector, if you want your stuff to be read don't block it with this sort of nonsense.
It would be a shame if, in the event this passes, all those transmitters were to squeal across the spectrum in a coordinated fashion and render the spectrum basically unusable... hehehe.
That'd cost a lot of hams their operating licences...
Though there is precedent for it -- from back in the days of the "Russian woodpecker", an OTH RADAR system. Some used to key up and play various sounds at it...
Though there is precedent for it -- from back in the days of the "Russian woodpecker", an OTH RADAR system. Some used to key up and play various sounds at it...
So, I pray, go we all: http://www.arrl.org/news/view/radio-amateur-to-lose-license-...
Icom just come out the the IC-9700 with the primary band being 2m at 100w. I thought this site was better with the additional link near the end, plus it is from someone in France.
> And without an irritating ad-blocker detector, if you want your stuff to be read don't block it with this sort of nonsense.
Or start surfing with Javascript off as default. The popup must be JS-based as I can't see it. :)
Or start surfing with Javascript off as default. The popup must be JS-based as I can't see it. :)
> And without an irritating ad-blocker detector, if you want your stuff to be read don't block it with this sort of nonsense.
Just click it away.
Just click it away.
Serious bad news - not just for amateur radio operators, but for community emergency response groups, local event coordination (bike races, marathons), and any number of regional Red Cross response teams.
Thales, the French military aerospace company, seems to be behind this band-grab. They're apparently looking to use the 2-meter band to control drones and unmanned aircraft.
Thales, the French military aerospace company, seems to be behind this band-grab. They're apparently looking to use the 2-meter band to control drones and unmanned aircraft.
This is outrageous.
The good news is that there is enough 2m equipment out there that there could actually be a feasible mass radio protest and intentionally render the band unusable. There is no way in hell the FCC or similar authorities abroad could ever actually track down all the equipment or have the manpower to deal with violations. They cannot even stop robocalls in the US.
The good news is that there is enough 2m equipment out there that there could actually be a feasible mass radio protest and intentionally render the band unusable. There is no way in hell the FCC or similar authorities abroad could ever actually track down all the equipment or have the manpower to deal with violations. They cannot even stop robocalls in the US.
I certainly wouldn't encourage or participate in such a "protest" and I hope that no one I know would either.
It would be extemely detrimental if we lost the 2M band but this is not the right way to "protest" it.
Fortunately, I don't think this constitutes a real threat to the worldwide amateur 2M band. A "reassignment" of 144-146 MHz worldwide, as described here, is simply not going to happen -- not for this purpose, at least.
It would be extemely detrimental if we lost the 2M band but this is not the right way to "protest" it.
Fortunately, I don't think this constitutes a real threat to the worldwide amateur 2M band. A "reassignment" of 144-146 MHz worldwide, as described here, is simply not going to happen -- not for this purpose, at least.
I'm not sure why you're getting downvoted. _IF_ they actually re-assign the frequency and use it for communicating with unmanned aircraft then disturbing the comms could have unintended consequences, and the response to such an incident would undoubtedly be just as disproportionate.
Yep, I'm all for speaking out against and protesting things you don't agree with, but jamming the entire band after it has been reallocated and you are no longer permitted to use it -- breaking the law, in other words -- is not the solution and certainly wouldn't help your argument.
Any such unintended consequences would simply be their own fault, people did not agree they could use that wavelength.
Really? If international accord is reached and that band is re-assigned for other purposes, and HAM operators protest by screwing with un-mannen aircraft and something bad happens, do you seriously think "I never agreed to stop using this frequency" will be accepted as an excuse?
I'm not a HAM operator, but I agree that it does seem like a really bad idea to re-assign a band frequently used for stuff like emergency communications. Still, if someone caused a plane to fall down just to make a point then I would assign the blame to that person and not the operator of the plane.
I'm not a HAM operator, but I agree that it does seem like a really bad idea to re-assign a band frequently used for stuff like emergency communications. Still, if someone caused a plane to fall down just to make a point then I would assign the blame to that person and not the operator of the plane.
The operator of the plane was unwise to use a band that is already in use, international accord does not dictate the reality of the situation.
I'm a ham and the only radio I own is in the 2m band. I don't use it much day to day, but usually join in at least one disaster drill a year and help out with ham support for a local bike ride in an area with little cell service.
If I get kicked out of the 2m band, I doubt I'll move to a 70cm radio, why spend the money (including helping the local ham club replace their repeater) if there's no guarantee I can stay there.
The USA gets what is essentially free disaster communications in return for a few MHz of bandwidth. Seems like a small price to pay.
If I get kicked out of the 2m band, I doubt I'll move to a 70cm radio, why spend the money (including helping the local ham club replace their repeater) if there's no guarantee I can stay there.
The USA gets what is essentially free disaster communications in return for a few MHz of bandwidth. Seems like a small price to pay.
Assuming this is legit that's a BFD for the ham community.
144-146Mhz is probably the most active band given the low cost of equipment and high utility due to not being dependent on the solar cycle.
144-146Mhz is probably the most active band given the low cost of equipment and high utility due to not being dependent on the solar cycle.
Seriously. 2m is the bread-and-butter of local ham communication. It's used as widely as the 11m CB radio band, and for similar purposes. Back when I had a car I had a 70cm/2m dual-band magnetic antenna on my roof that I would use regularly, as do many others.
It would also be insane to attempt to re-allocate this band for any other purpose, given how many millions of transmitters on this band already exist out there. The average car-mounted transceiver puts out 50 W. Many base stations run at hundreds of Watts, and are attached to quite excellent antennas (e.g. my parents have an 18 foot antenna on a mast at the top of their house, with a total base elevation of around 40 feet).
Good luck taking over the band. None of these drones can put out a tiny fraction of the power that the existing users of the band are already emitting.
It would also be insane to attempt to re-allocate this band for any other purpose, given how many millions of transmitters on this band already exist out there. The average car-mounted transceiver puts out 50 W. Many base stations run at hundreds of Watts, and are attached to quite excellent antennas (e.g. my parents have an 18 foot antenna on a mast at the top of their house, with a total base elevation of around 40 feet).
Good luck taking over the band. None of these drones can put out a tiny fraction of the power that the existing users of the band are already emitting.
Someone over on another forum that sounds like "read it" mentioned that this is likely a non-starter. There are more than a few satellites that operate in this band that cannot be moved to another frequency.
Never mind the fact that there would then suddenly be thousands of radios that could transmit on air band frequencies now in the hands of folks who ain't too happy.
Never mind the fact that there would then suddenly be thousands of radios that could transmit on air band frequencies now in the hands of folks who ain't too happy.
I'm pretty sure HN is fine with direct linking reddit discussions as long as its constructive
Yep. There have been entire posts who linked to reddit posts.
Wow that would be a huge loss, I think the last reallocation was the 1.25m band. This would affect things world wide so it's not a surprise why Thales group would want to scoop it up.
This would totally suck. I just recently got my transverter (http://transverters-store.com/) working and am trying to get my antenna in the air. Personally, I don't see this happening if the ARRL and the other radio societies get involved.
Can radio societies compete against Thales, the French military aerospace company?
Sure they can. It's just France.
This is akin to shutting down the 27 MHz band for some other purpose, it isn't going to happen unless there is a very good reason for it and no single commercial entity should be able to monopolize a chunk of the spectrum for worldwide use if it is already in use.
This is akin to shutting down the 27 MHz band for some other purpose, it isn't going to happen unless there is a very good reason for it and no single commercial entity should be able to monopolize a chunk of the spectrum for worldwide use if it is already in use.
It's also not even the nation state of France. France has many hams who are likely upset, too. It is a sketchy defense electronics company that has pitiable revenue. I suspect the French people/the rest of the world would see this an unjustifiable corporate power play and act of oppression if hams get the word out.
One interesting bit of trivia (I always wondered about but finally read-up on): Early on, amateur radio bands were allocated in a manner that ensured (in all but one case) harmonics would bleed into another, higher amateur band, rather than into a frequency used for another purpose. Changes in the late 1920’s dispensed with this[1], but we do still see rough multiples in many cases (160/80/40/20/10 meter, 60/30/15 meter, etc.).
[1] http://w2pa.net/HRH/family-harmonics/
[1] http://w2pa.net/HRH/family-harmonics/
This is the final motivation why the ham vhf band is safe. The proposal by the french company was simply out of context.
[deleted]
Already many other ham bands are under-serviced by available hardware because the allocations aren't uniform worldwide.
Fortunately the popularity of 2m means the backlash here will be swift and forceful, if 2m can't be preserve for amateur use then no band can.
Fortunately the popularity of 2m means the backlash here will be swift and forceful, if 2m can't be preserve for amateur use then no band can.
I can’t read it because there’s a modal bitching about my ad blocker which I can’t close. Way to go.
The notification goes away if you click anywhere in the background where the page is dimmed.
Didn't for me.
Thales don't care about you.
>Adblocker detected! Please consider reading this notice.
Tab closed.
Tab closed.
Ads and anti adblockers seem especially out of place on a .org site, perhaps because the TLD was "originally intended for non-profit organizations or organizations of a non-commercial character"[0] (though such provisions were never enforced and now apparently completely absent).
Speaking of adblocker blockers, Nano Defender[1] is quite effective at blocking them.
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.org
[1] https://jspenguin2017.github.io/uBlockProtector/
Speaking of adblocker blockers, Nano Defender[1] is quite effective at blocking them.
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.org
[1] https://jspenguin2017.github.io/uBlockProtector/
Non-profits still need money to operate. I don't think there's anything inherently contradictory about a nonprofit using ads for funding.
The notification goes away if you click anywhere in the background where the page is dimmed.
I didn't see that, but it might be because I block JS in general by default.
Like most pages, the "reader mode" in Firefox makes it readable.
Can someone explain to me why it makes sense to dedicate 3Mhz of useful spectrum worldwide to an esoteric group of amateur radio enthusiasts in an era where we have the Internet?
I understand it may be an active community, but it's tiny. Why should this valuable spectrum be set aside for this purpose?
Just go on IRC.
I understand it may be an active community, but it's tiny. Why should this valuable spectrum be set aside for this purpose?
Just go on IRC.
There are many reasons. Areas hit with wide-spread disasters have no functioning infrastructure. Radios are a quick and easy way to put an infrastructure into place. The 2 meter band is not susceptible to solar cycles, and it's cheap to make a radio operate in these bands; you can buy one for $20 on Amazon. Reliable spectrum + cheap radios + simple licensing procedures means you have thousands of unpaid volunteers with the technical know-how and equipment to set up a rather complex and efficient emergency communications network in a very short amount of time.
In other words, your smartphone isn't going to work, thus IRC isn't going to work. Even in areas hit by simple things such as power outages. Or events that take place over a wide geographic area with little to no cell service (think automobile rallies, marathons, biking events, etc). All these need reliable, inexpensive communications, and people to run them.
Next time you're stuck in an area hit by a natural disaster, and you've made it out alive, there's a significant chance amateur radio played a part in that.
In other words, your smartphone isn't going to work, thus IRC isn't going to work. Even in areas hit by simple things such as power outages. Or events that take place over a wide geographic area with little to no cell service (think automobile rallies, marathons, biking events, etc). All these need reliable, inexpensive communications, and people to run them.
Next time you're stuck in an area hit by a natural disaster, and you've made it out alive, there's a significant chance amateur radio played a part in that.
> Next time you're stuck in an area hit by a natural disaster, and you've made it out alive, there's a significant chance amateur radio played a part in that.
Or, more likely, professional radio.
Or, more likely, professional radio.
"Professional" radio is likely after the first 24-48 hours of a large scale disaster, but for large hurricanes and earthquakes, radio amateurs are almost always the first dedicated communicators on site before local police and EMS networks come back online and external agencies arrive. This is simply because they're already present, and that emergency communication is a major facet of the radio service and why it continues to exist today.
Even companies have one or more amateur radio stations on site and several licensed and experienced communicators, just in case. I've worked at 3 and I'm familiar with dozens.
Even companies have one or more amateur radio stations on site and several licensed and experienced communicators, just in case. I've worked at 3 and I'm familiar with dozens.
They're completely different use cases. When you have a dedicated frequency it's robust to a lot of common failure cases.
Take the Boston Marathon Bombing, of all the communication infrastructure Amateur Radio was one of the few that stayed up[1].
It's really common for hams to provide event support in cases like that and other events where cell communication is limited to none at best(think bike races out in rural areas).
Spend a bit of time poking around the hobby, you might find it's more interesting than first glance.
[1] http://www.arrl.org/news/radio-amateurs-provide-communicatio...
Take the Boston Marathon Bombing, of all the communication infrastructure Amateur Radio was one of the few that stayed up[1].
It's really common for hams to provide event support in cases like that and other events where cell communication is limited to none at best(think bike races out in rural areas).
Spend a bit of time poking around the hobby, you might find it's more interesting than first glance.
[1] http://www.arrl.org/news/radio-amateurs-provide-communicatio...
"Amateur radio enthusiasts have made significant contributions to science, engineering, industry, and social services. Research by amateur radio operators has founded new industries, built economies, empowered nations, and saved lives in times of emergency."
As someone who works in the commercial radio industry, I understand where you're coming from - the amateur radio radio bands are relatively silent (but definitely not unused) compared the the commercial/business bands, which is frustrating. There are applications which are difficult or impossible to do for customers that would be doable if amateur spectrum was reallocated for commercial uses.
That being said, having "amateurs" (who often know as much or more about radio than people who do it for a living) be able to experiment and learn radio is a net benefit to society.
As someone who works in the commercial radio industry, I understand where you're coming from - the amateur radio radio bands are relatively silent (but definitely not unused) compared the the commercial/business bands, which is frustrating. There are applications which are difficult or impossible to do for customers that would be doable if amateur spectrum was reallocated for commercial uses.
That being said, having "amateurs" (who often know as much or more about radio than people who do it for a living) be able to experiment and learn radio is a net benefit to society.
> There are applications which are difficult or impossible to do for customers that would be doable if amateur spectrum was reallocated for commercial uses.
Oh? Isn't this comparable to "let's start allocating class E to help IPv4 live longer"? IOW: It's just a piss in the ocean, and wouldn't help meaningfully. (and also would raise a whole bunch of problems like $millions to $billions in deployed existing equipment, and other problems mentioned elsewhere)
I'm sure it'd be great for someone to get 2m band, or 70cm band. But you (the commercial operator) wouldn't get it, would you? It'd be sold to someone and it'd be gone from amateurs and from you.
Near 70cm there's the commercial FM band that you could argue has way more than 2MHz of just slack between stations.
Or am I missing something?
Oh? Isn't this comparable to "let's start allocating class E to help IPv4 live longer"? IOW: It's just a piss in the ocean, and wouldn't help meaningfully. (and also would raise a whole bunch of problems like $millions to $billions in deployed existing equipment, and other problems mentioned elsewhere)
I'm sure it'd be great for someone to get 2m band, or 70cm band. But you (the commercial operator) wouldn't get it, would you? It'd be sold to someone and it'd be gone from amateurs and from you.
Near 70cm there's the commercial FM band that you could argue has way more than 2MHz of just slack between stations.
Or am I missing something?
So, I work with radios operating in the 450-470 MHz spectrum (among other bands). How these frequencies are assigned is complicated - they are usually coordinated, but aren't necessarily exclusive. So, for example, when setting up a data telemetry link between two points, you should go through the coordination process to find a frequency that is clear in the area you want to operate in. Frequencies are currently assigned on a 12.5kHz spacing, so in that band there are 800 channels (for various reasons, a given business or individual's application isn't eligible for all of the 800 - they may be reserved for public safety, or for low power voice, etc).
Two issues arise from this limitation - you may not be able to get as many frequencies as you want (perhaps you want 10 channels to have overlayed networks and/or repeaters). You also may not be able to get a 25kHz channel, which used to be the default assignment, and now is special request/justification only due to band crowding. Smaller channels = less bandwidth = less potential applications. In extremely crowded areas, there may be no available frequencies at all (or they may be limited to a few watts, reducing range and potential applications).
Amateurs currency have access to 420-450 MHz, an even larger band. If any of that were to be re-assigned, in theory it would be easier to get more channels or larger channels (there's no technical reason you could operate at 50kHz or 100kHz in that band, for example). Opening up even 2 MHz of spectrum could mean tens of thousands of additional stations could get on the air or new or existing licensees could get larger, faster channels.
A common misconception is that all commercial frequencies are auctioned off for geographically exclusive operation - this isn't true in this band and some others. A 10 year license is available to any American citizen, business, or municipal organization for about ~$500.
edit: I am aware this article is about 144-148 MHz, not 400 MHz. 150-174 MHz is more or less adjacent to the 2m band, and is handled by the FCC in more or less the same way as the 450-470 MHz band.
Two issues arise from this limitation - you may not be able to get as many frequencies as you want (perhaps you want 10 channels to have overlayed networks and/or repeaters). You also may not be able to get a 25kHz channel, which used to be the default assignment, and now is special request/justification only due to band crowding. Smaller channels = less bandwidth = less potential applications. In extremely crowded areas, there may be no available frequencies at all (or they may be limited to a few watts, reducing range and potential applications).
Amateurs currency have access to 420-450 MHz, an even larger band. If any of that were to be re-assigned, in theory it would be easier to get more channels or larger channels (there's no technical reason you could operate at 50kHz or 100kHz in that band, for example). Opening up even 2 MHz of spectrum could mean tens of thousands of additional stations could get on the air or new or existing licensees could get larger, faster channels.
A common misconception is that all commercial frequencies are auctioned off for geographically exclusive operation - this isn't true in this band and some others. A 10 year license is available to any American citizen, business, or municipal organization for about ~$500.
edit: I am aware this article is about 144-148 MHz, not 400 MHz. 150-174 MHz is more or less adjacent to the 2m band, and is handled by the FCC in more or less the same way as the 450-470 MHz band.
> Amateurs currency have access to 420-450 MHz, an even larger band. If any of that were to be re-assigned, in theory it would be easier to get more channels or larger channels (there's no technical reason you could operate at 50kHz or 100kHz in that band, for example). Opening up even 2 MHz of spectrum could mean tens of thousands of additional stations could get on the air or new or existing licensees could get larger, faster channels.
I worry about slippery slope it would create. AFAIU, opening up those few MHz out of amateur band would let tens of thousands of commercial station to pop up... and the band would get crowded again, leading to pleads for the amateurs to release couple more MHz, until eventually amateurs are no more in this part of the spectrum.
I worry about slippery slope it would create. AFAIU, opening up those few MHz out of amateur band would let tens of thousands of commercial station to pop up... and the band would get crowded again, leading to pleads for the amateurs to release couple more MHz, until eventually amateurs are no more in this part of the spectrum.
During emergencies, those amateur radio operators provide serious public service communications. When the cellphones go down - or are overloaded - ham radio comes to the fore. There's a surprising number of hams who organize local and regional communications networks.
Tiny community? 630,000 licensed hams in the USA ... about 2.5 hams for every thousand adults. Very roughly, about the same number of hams as there are police officers in America.
These hams often provide communications to such events as marathons (where people are spread out across a city), regional bike races (which sometimes happen where there's no cell phone service), as well as back-up communications during such troubles as forest fires.
Those hams who check into 2-meter emergency response networks are the people who your community will depend when the phone system croaks.
Tiny community? 630,000 licensed hams in the USA ... about 2.5 hams for every thousand adults. Very roughly, about the same number of hams as there are police officers in America.
These hams often provide communications to such events as marathons (where people are spread out across a city), regional bike races (which sometimes happen where there's no cell phone service), as well as back-up communications during such troubles as forest fires.
Those hams who check into 2-meter emergency response networks are the people who your community will depend when the phone system croaks.
To add to this discussion, most of the frequency bands allocated to amateur radio are not super useful. The 2m band is basically only good for high-ish power (>1w) land mobile communications because the antennas are fairly large. The aeronautical band right next to it is only there because when it was started, the Very in VHF wasn't hyperbole. UHF is actually much better for them because you don't need a huge antenna sticking out into the wind stream but can get more or less the same range. Similarly, the lower bands are basically useless outside of their current amateur radio purpose because nobody is going to carry around a 20m dipole to connect to their cellphone or wifi router. The only exception would be maybe the 13cm through 1.2cm bands which I could see the telcos gunning for in a few years.
13cm already overlaps with WiFi, Bluetooth, and more.
So to argue the other side of this, what happens when the internet is not available? Wireless communication is critical in Emergency situations, assuming the internet will always be there misses the point of the amateur band.
This is why:
https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/47/97.1
47 CFR § 97.1
(a) Recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communication service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications.
(b) Continuation and extension of the amateur's proven ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art.
(c) Encouragement and improvement of the amateur service through rules which provide for advancing skills in both the communication and technical phases of the art.
(d) Expansion of the existing reservoir within the amateur radio service of trained operators, technicians, and electronics experts.
(e) Continuation and extension of the amateur's unique ability to enhance international goodwill.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/47/97.1
47 CFR § 97.1
(a) Recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communication service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications.
(b) Continuation and extension of the amateur's proven ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art.
(c) Encouragement and improvement of the amateur service through rules which provide for advancing skills in both the communication and technical phases of the art.
(d) Expansion of the existing reservoir within the amateur radio service of trained operators, technicians, and electronics experts.
(e) Continuation and extension of the amateur's unique ability to enhance international goodwill.
My father was a HAM operator, and I've seen the value first hand.
Not only do the operators themselves provide value in that they have alternative means for communicating in an emergency but most of them possess skills that come in handy during an emergency or in remote areas.
For example, they understand radio waves, the radio spectrum, and how waves travel through space. I remember my father telling me as a child how some signals travel outwards from the source in all directions, some waves travel in a straight line, and some will follow the curvature of the Earth. I remember him telling me that on the ground during 9-11 there were so many Nextel walkie-talkie's at ground zero (all of them with their signal power maxxed-out) and as a result of all the interference nobody could get a meaningful signal out.
Lots of HAM operators also understand circuitry, logic, programming, properties of electromagnetic fields, complex wiring, complex electro-mechanical assemblies, heavy mechanical assemblies like towers/antennas. They're also incredibly passionate, and mostly understand and respect the importance of strict regulatory compliance.
In short, when shit hits the fan and the EMP's start taking everything out we're gonna need someone to fire up some good ol' fashioned logistics/networking in a jiffy... And they HAM crowd is going to be the only one capable, willing, and eager to do that.
Not only do the operators themselves provide value in that they have alternative means for communicating in an emergency but most of them possess skills that come in handy during an emergency or in remote areas.
For example, they understand radio waves, the radio spectrum, and how waves travel through space. I remember my father telling me as a child how some signals travel outwards from the source in all directions, some waves travel in a straight line, and some will follow the curvature of the Earth. I remember him telling me that on the ground during 9-11 there were so many Nextel walkie-talkie's at ground zero (all of them with their signal power maxxed-out) and as a result of all the interference nobody could get a meaningful signal out.
Lots of HAM operators also understand circuitry, logic, programming, properties of electromagnetic fields, complex wiring, complex electro-mechanical assemblies, heavy mechanical assemblies like towers/antennas. They're also incredibly passionate, and mostly understand and respect the importance of strict regulatory compliance.
In short, when shit hits the fan and the EMP's start taking everything out we're gonna need someone to fire up some good ol' fashioned logistics/networking in a jiffy... And they HAM crowd is going to be the only one capable, willing, and eager to do that.
What are you really going to realistically do with just 3mhz of spectrum that will benefit more people than it does now with its existing use. Serious question.
I suggest reading up on how it’s used before making assumptions.
I suggest reading up on how it’s used before making assumptions.
I would argue that an open 2M ham band is of more civic utility than just about any of the other amateur radio bands. It's very useful in emergency situations and for two way comms it remote regions without telecom. The radios can be extremely portable and with local repeater network have a good effective range.
The comparison to IRC would be more apropos for the HF bands.
The comparison to IRC would be more apropos for the HF bands.
I'm currently in the early stages of a SDR project. It would be really sad to have no frequencies where I could legally test it out.
I don't know a lot about this, but aren't there dozens of other frequencies set aside for this purpose?
There's quite a few, but since they're set aside for esoteric weirdos who should just go on IRC, they're presumably on borrowed time as far as you're concerned.
Not with the same characteristics. Either they are limited on power, limited on range, equipment is very expensive, or are heavily impacted by solar / weather.
Nah. 2m is an excellent general purpose, medium-range communications band. The next closest bands on either end are 6m and 70cm, both of which have different characteristics (70cm doesn't do well with buildings, and 6m is too long for good handheld antennas).
Today there was a global Vodafone outage. I had no Internet access either through my mobile phone and my home fiber connection...
Would've been nice to have a radio handy.
Not so tiny. There are about 3/4 million amateur radio licensees in the U.S. Japan has over a million.
Wow, I didn't know that about Japan. It makes sense. Tons of amateurs everywhere are using Yagi-Uda antennas, would make sense that they have a strong radio culture having contributed so much.
Is that three quarters of a million (i.e. 750,000) or 3 or 4 million?
Sorry about the ambiguity. It's 750,000
http://www.arrl.org/news/us-amateur-radio-population-grows-s...
http://www.arrl.org/news/us-amateur-radio-population-grows-s...
preinheimer(2)
The 2m band is the most prolific uhf/vhf band. Next would be 70cm band but if you get a single band radio it’s most likely 2m. There is a lot of equipment out there that would need to be replaced by people and clubs without a lot of financing. The repeaters serve immensely important roles.
For instance around me in Texas most of the storm spotters for NWS (skywarn) use 2m bands. Not having the repeaters may mean the difference between people being dead or alive when a tornado come through. I can’t over state the importance of these repeaters. But if forced to replace them there will not be enough funds to get the new equipment, antennas, etc.
I do however have hope the ITU has the foresight to protect the band.
Edit: oh and I forgot to mention iirc the ISS uses 2m as their backup communication. It’s used at least a few times a month. That’s how prolific the band is.