1.25m lost spectrum question

[KD6WAG]

Has there been any effort iwith either the ARRL or hams in general that have RECENTLY attempted (as a large group) to reaquire the stolen 40% of the 220mhz spectrum?

Since the original UPS company doesn't use that spectrum, why can't we hams have it back?

I don't know how or what the argument was when that portion of the band was originally taken from us hams, but couldn't a strong effort made by us hams try to get it back? I'm sure UPS was hitting the FCC hard in allocating that portion of the band several years ago. Since they are not using it now, why don't we campaign hard to get it back?

One argument we could use is that the military is forcing us out of some 70cm frequencies due to pave-paws. (I know, we're secondary on 70cm).

I wish the ARRL and ham clubs would start a campaign to reclaim what we lost on 1.25m.

[ai4ep]

:) Yes, it would be a great POSITIVE move by the FCC after they removed the CW requirement last year . :D

[K7JEM]

Understand what you are posting before you post.

That spectrum is gone, never to return.

Joe

[ai4ep]

Yes, the FCC never has been known to have the backbone to reverse a decision .

[kd5kfl]

That spectrum was taken away because it wasn't used much. It wasn't used much because there aren't many commercial radios for that band. There aren't many commercial radios for that band because it is used for other purposes in most of the world. So the motivation to develop radios for amateurs isn't there. No market for the product.

[kf6rdn]

Are we fully using the bands we have NOW? 2 meters, 220 (The space we do have), 440 etc that we need more?

[K9STH]

In the early 1970s the EIA was pushing for a Class "E" Citizen's Radio Service to supplement the Class "D" Citizen's Radio Service (a.k.a. "CB") that was to use FM, allow repeaters, etc., and operate in the 220 MHz to 222 MHz band. Several Japanese manufacturers were so sure that the FCC would agree to this and stated producing FM transceivers. When the FCC denied the Class "E" service the manufacturers were "stuck" with a pretty good inventory of 220 MHz FM transceivers. To "unload" these "white elephants" the manufacturers installed certain amateur radio frequencies in them and sold them on the United States amateur radio market.

I still have one of these that I use during VHF contests to give out a few "points" on 222 MHz. It is a Tempo Commercial Line 220.

The FCC did "make good" on half of what they took away by allowing amateur operation in the 219 MHz to 220 MHz band.

Glen, K9STH

[KC5CSG]

Are we fully using the bands we have NOW? 2 meters, 220 (The space we do have), 440 etc that we need more?


Well said. With the amount of traffic I hear on 2 meters, 1.25 meters, and above it can be argued we could have even more taken from us. We do not use what we have now! Not to mention the lack of activity on 33 cm, 23 cm, and above. I think a suggestion to reclaim our "stolen" space would be met with laughter and probably a review to take even more.

Remember, we lost it because we DIDN'T USE IT THEN. We're still not using the space fully now. I guess hams can't learn a lesson after all..........

BTW, the FCC was gracious enough to give us 1 Mhz of the 1.25 meter band back. Take it for what it's worth. Now, if you all got up off of your butts and actually start figuring out ways to use the bands and get some activity going there on a normal basis then you can claim to have reason to demand that space back.


Jerry

[KU0DM]

1.25m is a nice band, nice people, nice machines (despite how few they are).

Too bad the only companies that make 220 rigs are Alinco and Yaesu.

[KC5CSG]

1.25m is a nice band, nice people, nice machines (despite how few they are).

Too bad the only companies that make 220 rigs are Alinco and Yaesu.



My Kenwood HT xmits on 2, 1.25, and 70 cm. It's a very popular radio too. I even monitor 1.25 with that very same radio. I have NEVER heard so much as a peep on 1.25 meters. In fact in the 2 or 3 years that I have had this HT I have never even keyed this radio on 1.25 except only call my callsign to see if the thing would actually xmit there. One time. BTW, that HT would be a TH-F6.

Jerry

[KU0DM]

I didn't know Kenwood made a HT for 220...

Interesting.

[KC5CSG]

I didn't know Kenwood made a HT for 220...

Interesting.

Sure do. It's a nice little Tri Bander. I've enjoyed it. My wife sent it to me as my christmas present when I was in Iraq. So far, it seems to have not taken in any sand which means it did much better than our military radios......LOL

Jerry

[KI4PRK]

I think kenwood used to make a real nice 1.25M mobile rig. Never seen one, but heard nice things.

[KU0DM]

Sure do. It's a nice little Tri Bander. I've enjoyed it. My wife sent it to me as my christmas present when I was in Iraq. So far, it seems to have not taken in any sand which means it did much better than our military radios......LOL

Jerry

You should sell that information to Kenwood, I'm sure they would love to put something like that on the cover of QST.

[KC5CSG]

You should sell that information to Kenwood, I'm sure they would love to put something like that on the cover of QST.


Nah, what I find more interesting is my wife actually bought the radio, knew I wanted to use it for single channel ops in Iraq and MODIFIED it herself! She had never touched a soldering iron in her life but went online, found the mod, then went to a DIY site to lean how to use the soldering iron. Of course, I really didn't use it at all for single channel ops while in Iraq but I did carry it with me everywhere as a back up (just in case) and to listen to SW stations with my ugly wire antenna I strung up outside of our ops tent.

Upon coming home I opened it up to see how good of a job my wife (KD5EXX) did in moding the radio I noticed absolutely NO sand in the radio. It had been through more sand storms than I can remember. Also, the wife did an excellent job for a first time attempt. Amazing what a woman can do that MEMORIZED THE TEST, DIDN'T TAKE A CW TEST, AND HASN'T KEYED ON A RADIO IN YEARS when she puts her mind to it.

I think it would be fair to note that the display didn't do so well. It did pick up quite a few scratches from the sand blasting into it but it is still easily readable. The radio has sentimental value now so it will never be sold. Maybe a kid of mine will take it off my hands if they ever become licensed.............

Jerry

[KD6WAG]

Are we fully using the bands we have NOW? 2 meters, 220 (The space we do have), 440 etc that we need more?

You're kidding right? You're from SoCal like me and you're asking if we're using all of the spectrum on 2m and 70cm?

Have you tried getting a repeater up and running lately? Down here in Southern "6" land, those two bands are C-R-O-W-D-E-D.

222mhz is not as crowded, thank God, however trying to allocate repeaters spilts is more of a difficult option. Many private repeaters have gone up on the 1.25m spectrum.

Lately, I've found more people going to 1.25m out here in SoCal. When I purchased my new Alinco 222mhz radio several months ago, my friend at HRO said they are selling those radios regularly.

I just joined a local club out here that has a private linked 1.25m repeater system and the membership is pretty strong. In fact, 1.25m is getting stronger out here in SoCal. I turned on the radio this evening and heard two nets on two different repeater sites. CONDOR was even active today. It was great!

[kf6rdn]

No I haven't (tried putting up a repeater) I have, however flipped through the band, as well as the repeaters that are local, while there is activity, and the band is used, I wouldn't say it is saturated. As far as coordinated repeaters sure plenty are legit, but plenty are either defunct or "personal cell phone towers".

440 is full of pay to use systems. 1 of which I'm actually considering joining, even though the sysop is sort of a ditz, but the people on it are cool.

I think are club (SCVARC) has a machine linked to 220 I was able to hit with my yaehoo ht.


You're kidding right? You're from SoCal like me and you're asking if we're using all of the spectrum on 2m and 70cm?

Have you tried getting a repeater up and running lately? Down here in Southern "6" land, those two bands are C-R-O-W-D-E-D.

222mhz is not as crowded, thank God, however trying to allocate repeaters spilts is more of a difficult option. Many private repeaters have gone up on the 1.25m spectrum.

Lately, I've found more people going to 1.25m out here in SoCal. When I purchased my new Alinco 222mhz radio several months ago, my friend at HRO said they are selling those radios regularly.

I just joined a local club out here that has a private linked 1.25m repeater system and the membership is pretty strong. In fact, 1.25m is getting stronger out here in SoCal. I turned on the radio this evening and heard two nets on two different repeater sites. CONDOR was even active today. It was great!

[VA3SAX]

judging by the traffic on 222 you can bet that the rest will go the way of the first 2 megs. I have heard things a grand total of twice in my year of owning a 220 rig and that was during the vhf contest. if we want to keep any of those VHF bands then we had better start using them. Go ahead turn on whatever vhf radios you have around and call CQ scan the bands for other people who just read this post. lets make a movement to keep our bands

[K1VSR]

The vast majority of my operating is done on 220. There's plenty of activity around here. I'd say a good 80% of my operating is done either on 220 simplex or on the local repeater.

[KD6NIG]

I'm waiting for that "whiteboard" guy they have doing the UPS ads to draw the 220 spectrum on it one day, with "Ham radio" on it, then going....

"Now, UPS is so effective, we can take half of this spectrum (erases Ham Radio and moves it over) and NEVER EVER USE IT. But hey, its just another way UPS beats the competition!"

Voiceover "What can brown do for you? Take away half your 220 band! Have you shipped UPS lately?!?"

:p:p:p

[WA9SVD]

I think kenwood used to make a real nice 1.25M mobile rig. Never seen one, but heard nice things.

Kenwood has made several 220 rigs over the years; such as the TM-641/642 series, which were dual-band with 2 Meters, and an option of 70 cm and for a while there was an option of 6 Meters and possibly even a 10 Meter module. S Meters was standard and either a 220 MHz or 440 MHz module was sold with the unit, and you could add a third module. Since the rig only operated FM, the 10 and 6 Meter modules were discontinued.
Kenwood also made a couple of other single band 220 "mini" mobiles" at about the same time; (1990's) before that, they made a TM-3530, a 220 MHz radio with about 25 Watts out, so it could be used by Novices.
Particularly after Amateurs in the U.S. lost 220-222 MHz, YaeComWood lost interest in the band. Remember, it's only an Amateur allocation (secondary, at that) in ITU Region II, not a world-wide Amateur band. That means a limited customer base, and they felt it wasn't profitable enough to continue design and/or production of new models.

I was lucky enough to pick up a TM-3530 on closeout from AES for a great price. It's just too bad it is FM only.:(

[WA6MHZ]

Not a square inch of the 222 band available for anything in Southern California. Every space is taken up, by active repeaters or phantom repeaters, that own the frequency but never key up. Forget about ever getting a 2M or 440 repeater either. Notta! Now, there might just be some 1296 space available if you know the right people and grease the right palms, and I hear 900 mhz is available if you know how to modify surplus commericial radios but there is just no room here in SOCAL! I so desperately wanted to put up a VOIP station here, and even got the box to do it. But, alas, there is no place to put it without making TASMA, or SCRUBBA hopping mad! Unless I go to 10 Ghz, that is pretty quiet still! Want to hear 222 active? Come to SOCAL!

[K1VSR]

Remember, it's only an Amateur allocation (secondary, at that)...

Incorrect. Amateurs are primary licensees of the 222-225 MHz spectrum. The only place where we're secondary is 219-220 and we're only allowed to run fixed digital message-forwarding systems. I bet you can count the number of those on one hand.

[KD6WAG]

Im pretty surprised because here in SoCal I find that 222mhz is active, albeit not as busy as 2m and 70cm.

Several months ago I put out a "listening" call on 1.25m simplex calling freq. I got a response back immediately. The guy told me about a local club in my area and I joined.

Half way through our qso, a guy in a Cessna-182 came up and joined in. So, 222mHz isn't all that "dead." It's only dead if you don't use it.

What I found out is that more people listen to certain 222mHz repeaters instead of actaully talking on them. I put out calls on various repeaters out here and someone eventually comes back to me on 222mHz.

Yes, I do wish it was MORE active, but only you, me and the rest of us hams can make that a possibility.

I think that all of us should recruit at least one of our ham buddies to go out and purchase a 220 radio. Alinco's are pretty good for the money. If we all pushed 220 more, it would benefit us all and could keep the FCC off our backs. In other words, they wouldn't perhaps later suggest that they are going to take all of 220 away from us.

73.

[N5USR]

I do my part to keep it going here. I have a 220 repeater at the house. Granted, it's really more of an overgrown crossband repeater, as its primary function is to let me talk on 2M simplex with the local crowd while wandering about the house or neighborhood with my HT... But it's still activity! :p

I have grown to really like 220, for various reasons, but the primary one is I can fool around on it and odds are not only will I not bother anyone, most likely no one else will ever know I was there! :D So it's a double-edged sword. I talk up the benefits to others, but on the other hand I kind of like my semi-private playground...

My repeater brings the total number of active 220 machines in the area up to two. The other one is a stunner - about 1000 feet up a TV tower, and wonderful range. I also have a friend's 220 machine sitting in my front room - so I guess I could have #3 on the air if I wanted to... There might be 3-4 more that are coordinated but not on-air, but there just isn't much going here yet.