Hi Caity, and everyone else,
Very good point about the instant gratification. I
meant to mention something like that in my original
post, but forgot. The VHF bands are not "open" near
as much as the HF bands are. I put open in quotes,
because they will almost always exceed line of sight
communication, which many hams have been schooled to
believe exists on VHF. So in that regard 2 meters is
usually open, but not for several hundred mile QSOs.
You cannot just turn on the radio and make several
dozen transcontential QSOs like you can on 40 or 20
meters, unless you catch a Es opening on 6 meters,
which only occurs about 3 1/2 months of the year. 2
meters is even rarer, unless you happened to catch the
2001 Leonids shower. I think anyone involved in that
shower will never forget it. It was the most
remarkable opening I have ever experience on 2 meters.
So, in that regard HF is much easier. You can always
talk to someone, you can stick a dipole up in the
attic and have success, depending on how you define
success. You may not work the ham sitting on FT8Z
with it, but you will make plenty of QSOs. I worked
over 100 DXCC entities in 3 years using a 20 meter
dipole strung up in my apartment, near the bottom of
the sunspot cycle.
Also, HF rigs are getting really cheap on the used
market. For less than $200 you can pick up a decent
older HF rig. Figure a homebrew dipole and coax will
run $35 more. So, for less than $250 you can have a
setup that will allow you to make QSOs anytime you
want, and your success rate will be high, in that when
you start on HF you can probably work 3 or 4 new DX
countries almost every day. Of course that all
changes with time. I worked 2 new DX countries all of
last year. So far this year I have worked 1, and the
YV0 DXpedition next week will make #2 if I get it.
That is the one curse of having worked 300 + dx
countries. I can still get on 6 and work new grids on
a regular basis, though, even if I do have to resort
to high speed meteor scatter.
73s John NE0P
--- "Caitlyn M. Martin" <mizuhoradio@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Hi, Gary, and everyone else,
>
> --- gary <WD5JVU@satx.rr.com> wrote:
> > That's the thing though, you can't have the luxury
> > of living in a newer area and being able to
> operate
> > the higher bands too.
>
> Well, as per my previous post, I am living proof you
> can. Then again, a single tower and single beams
> per
> band probably would be seen as impossibly limited by
> some. Not me.
>
> > As for six meters, true enough. But then
> > six is usually a different ball game compared to
> > the higher bands. These guys are also six meter
> > enthusiasts, you can bet on that. No doubt in
> large
> > part because they can get some decent results with
>
> > simple antenna set ups.
>
> You'd be amazed what you can do with 2m SSB/CW with
> a
> minimal station. Before we bought the house (CC&Rs
> and all) we rented a townhouse. From a second floor
> balcony I ran 2m with a Lakeview 4 el. beam. When
> the
> band was open (Es) I made some really amazing
> contacts. When it wasn't open I could still check
> into the net on Sunday night and work folks around
> the
> area.
>
> The real reason for lack of participation is the
> fact
> that VHF/UHF bands are not "instant gratification"
> bands. They take work and patience which a lot of
> folks just don't have. Ditto 10m/12m/15m during the
> low years of a cycle. I keep working those bands
> largely because as a QRPer the lack of competition
> helps me get through without being stepped on.
> There
> are still openings but there are a lot fewer people
> on
> during them.
>
> People want to be able to work what they can hear
> and
> they want it there whenever they turn on the radio.
> VHF/UHF weak signal work will never offer that.
>
> Also, the greying of the hobby and the 25% first
> year
> dropout rate for new licensees isn't helping. I
> could
> go into a long diatribe anout that, but I'd be
> getting
> off topic.
>
> 73,
> Caity
> K7VO
>
> =====
> Caitlyn Maire Martin - K7VO
> http://www.mizuhoradio.com/personal/k7vo
> ARRL QRP-ARCI #11018 ARS #445 G-QRP #11577 AK QRP
> #637
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