One week AFTER December 15, 2006

[ai4ep]

http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif Well, it has been one full week since the FCC announced the license requirement changes...from what you have heard " on the air " on any amateur frequency ( HF, 6 meter , 2 meter, 440, any mode )....what HAS changed in YOUR area ?

What you have read on the internet / newspaper / tv dont count.

What you have heard IN PERSON dont count.

Just tell all of us what changes you have noticed from your own or others " on-the-air " activities ?

From what I have heard in the past week --- no changes above 30 Mhz, however for some strange reason, the 3.965 twice daily net here in Alabama seems to be having problems from a casual listening. There is a net at 10 am ( background noise around 9 - 10 s-units ) consistently every day, yet at 6;30 pm ( noise level maybe a 7 - 9 s-units ) the net is erratic or sometimes non - existant. So apparently even with LESS noise there ARE problems.

So what have YOU noticed " on-the-air" in YOUR area in the past week...good & bad ?

[N2RJ]

I've only been on local repeaters since my stuff is packed away (I have to be out of here by the end of january) and the condx suck during evening drive time. In the mornings I hang out on 14.220 with the 9Y group, but these days I haven't been driving to work when they're on. I mostly just pop in say hi and howdy do, then listen.

Locally? One or two NCT's in my club are talking about upgrading.

I've been asked to volunteer for some VE sessions next year. (I agreed.)

Other than that, nothing. I do only monitor 1-2 repeaters though.

[K0HWY]

Not much seems to have changed here. There's some talk about upgrades and I heard one group meeting on a two meter repeater to have a sort of round table discussion to prepare some of the techs of their upgrade to General. It's a good concept but it became apparent after listening for a few minutes that it's a case of the blind leading the blind.

Anywho, nothing major. I don't think there's going to be as much drama as some had hoped for. Looks like everyone is going to maintain a level head about things.

[K0RGR]

All the Techs I've talked to plan to upgrade ASAP. There is a desire for a General Class ASAP. Some are looking forward to gettting on 10 if it opens up.

[AG3Y]

SSTV calling frequency on 14.230 is DEAD ! ! ! Even the webcams are stagnate with the same pictures on some of the contributing stations for DAYS! Propagation is stinko all across 20 meters, it would seem ! I hear occasional stations popping in and out, but nothing stays solid long enough to make for enjoyable ragchewing or picture exchanging.

Just my observations ! 73, Jim

[k0cmh]

Unfortunately, nothing.

I try to work the daily Missouri Traffic Net on 3.963 at 5:45 pm local time. Before Dec 15 (maybe we should give it a fancy name like "dee one five") there were guys that were either already be on 3.960 and 3.965, or who would come up on those frequencies right after the net started.

I thought that either 1.) those fellows would move to one of the newly available frequencies so as to make a little room for an established net, or 2.) the net would move to one of the newly available frequencies.

NO to both. The net still lives in QRM city.

[cu2jt]

The FCC changes affected me in one way, although I am not in the USA.

By special permission, I can transmit up to 7.2 MHz and, before December 15, that meant that I could join the South Jersey Net on 7.156 or call CQ and get some Extra guy picking me up.

After December 15, my favourite net has moved from 7.2635 down to 7.185 (± 5 KHz) and I do not have to work split to participate in the net. Great for me, since a lot of the net guys didn't know how, were not able to or simply didn't want to work split.

So, how did I do. Well, the present condx on 40m sucks so I have actually barely heard the net. It also happens that the Myanmar Broadcasting Service is on 7.185 and they are loud here with their 50 kW and nobody in the US hear them.

But things will get better. Sooner or later, Myanmar, Hong Kong and all the other FB stations will move out of that frequency range. After that, I believe those 25 KHz will be one of the busiest frequency ranges in the entire ham radio spectrum.

[N4CYA]

Some to upgrade to General's including myself and some say going away from amateur radio due to the morse code being dropped some of the extra class licensee's said

[KC0NBW]

Quote[/b] (ai4ep @ Dec. 22 2006,19:31)]http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif #Well, it has been one full week since the FCC announced the license requirement changes...from what you have heard " on the air " on any amateur frequency ( HF, 6 meter , 2 meter, 440, any mode )....what HAS changed in YOUR area #?

What you have read on the internet / newspaper / tv dont count.

What you have heard IN PERSON dont count.

Just tell all of us what changes you have noticed from your own or others " on-the-air " activities ?

From what I have heard in the past week --- no changes above 30 Mhz, however for some strange reason, the 3.965 twice daily net here in Alabama seems to be having problems from a casual listening. #There is a net at 10 am ( background noise around 9 - 10 s-units ) consistently every day, yet at 6;30 pm ( noise level maybe a 7 - 9 s-units ) the net is erratic or sometimes non - existant. #So apparently even with LESS noise there ARE problems.

So what have YOU noticed " on-the-air" in YOUR area in the past week...good & bad ?
you ask what we have heard ''on the air'' and then say that anything we have heard in person doesn't count.

make up your mind, do you want to know what we have heard or not #?

[N5PVL]

Nothing unusual or different noted here.

[KD6NIG]

Except for creating some fodder for repeater talking for about 2 days after, all is the same here. Still the usual nets on the machines, and on SSB.

I haven't been to a ham club meeting lately, that may have more lively conversation since the club is pretty heavy General/Extra, but who knows. They seemed pretty open to wanting to have everyone operate at Field day, so they may take it as a welcome change.

The first newsletter after the meeting in January will likely tell that tale http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

But other than that, no real changes. Heard the local VE group discussing having a test session the Saturday after it takes effect, but nothing after that.

[KI4PEQ]

Why would anything change on the air? The R&O doesn't take effect until at least the end of January.

There's a lot of interest from Technicians wanting to sit for the General examination. I plan to sit for it in February in Orlando at the Hamcation.

[KC0NBW]

Quote[/b] (KI4PEQ @ Dec. 26 2006,22:21)]Why would anything change on the air? The R&O doesn't take effect until at least the end of January.

There's a lot of interest from Technicians wanting to sit for the General examination. I plan to sit for it in February in Orlando at the Hamcation.
hit the books and the practice tests in the two week period leading up to the test session.

you should not have any problem passing the general.

you might want to take a crack at the extra at the same time, it won't cost any more money and you at least get an idea what to expect the next time if you don't pass it then. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/cool.gif

[k4kyv]

A lot less QRM on 75/80 phone. Less rudeness. The expanded portion reminds me a little of 160.

The 3500-3600 "narrowband" portion is somewhat more packed with cw signals, but still not what I would call congested. This actually makes working cw a little more pleasant, not having to tune 8-10 kHz between cw signals. The 3500-3580 "cw" portion of the band sounds more like the whole 3500-3750 "cw band" (including the novice segment) back in the 60's.

The very few "digital" signals normally heard above 3600 seem to have successfully QSY'ed to 3580-3600 without much fanfare or difficulty. Looks like their VFO's worked after all. Thank God for WD-40! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

Just as I predicted, once the initial novelty wore off after the first few days, activity on the expanded phone band has dwindled, and 3600-3700 is now almost as sparcely populated as before, but it's a nice place to operate phone with virtually no QRM. It will be interesting to see how much non-split DX work with Europe will occur during the evening hours, once the band fully recovers from the doldrums caused by the recent solar flares.

So you see, the sky didn't fall after all!

On 40m, the band sounds pretty much the same as always, except that phone signals are now heard down an additional 25 kHz. I don't understand why they didn't go ahead and expand the phone band on down to 7075.

15 has been so crapped out that all I have heard on that band is background hiss and a few spurs from my cable modem.

[w8cbc]

Propagation's been stinko ever since.
I think the FCC broke the ionosphere.

3775-3790 has been less congested. That helps on Sunday night. There's AM all over the band - I've heard it at 3685, 3710, 3740 and 3825 kc along with the usual 3880-3885 kc. That's nice. Perhaps I'll spritz some WD40 into the Apache's VFO. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

We shall see what happens when the NCGs and NCEs start showing up. One thing to keep in mind is that getting a signal out in wavelengths longer than 10 metres takes a little bit of honest effort. Many of those I've heard on the 2-metre repeaters around here won't make it. Self-selection.

I'd certainly like some more local and mobile 10-metre activity. It tends to be sparse unless there's propagation. Since Techs will all be allowed to operate between 28000 and 28500 kc, that segment may liven up. Here's hoping.

[KI4PEQ]

Quote[/b] (KC0NBW @ Dec. 26 2006,23:32)]Quote[/b] (KI4PEQ @ Dec. 26 2006,22:21)]Why would anything change on the air? The R&O doesn't take effect until at least the end of January.

There's a lot of interest from Technicians wanting to sit for the General examination. I plan to sit for it in February in Orlando at the Hamcation.
hit the books and the practice tests in the two week period leading up to the test session.

you should not have any problem passing the general.

you might want to take a crack at the extra at the same time, it won't cost any more money and you at least get an idea what to expect the next time if you don't pass it then. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/cool.gif
Thanks for the encouragement. I hope to be able to say I passed at least the General exam in a month and a half. Then I figure by working my code speed up to successfully complete an ARRL Qualifying Run, I would not be a "no code General' for long. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[w0wls]

One of the local clubs is very excited about the changes of Dec 15th. They are planning a test session for Jan 27th. The test session will be centered as to attract operators from at least 4 counties. It will probably be a massive turnout.
Happy New Year! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[W4HAY]

Haven't noticed anything significant on the CW portions of the bands. QSOs usually have to run longer than 30 minutes before it's discussed -- if at all! Too much other stuff to chat about!