Transatlantic VHF/UHF DX

Why are YOU a Ham radio amateur, PA5COR?

Why is any one a an amateur radio operator any more? Possibly because there are people who don't realize, or want to accept, that technology has now made amateur radio obsolete?

Why is there a need for amateur radio at all? Surely not for emergency communications when land lines, cell phones and email are far more pevelent and just as - if not more - reliable than any kind of radio communications? (Yes, amateur radio is just as prone to failure as a telephone, cell, or computer so don't even bother pretending that it's infallable).

Chuck, AA1MN

 

Look, if you don't care for echolink that's fine, but why do you criticize those who do use? Do you believe an amateur license gives you the privilege to criticize those who don't share your same interests or views? If so, think again.

Yes, I myself am a critical of amateur radio - but not those who choose to use it - as it is now obsolete. The internet, of which Echolink is now a portion, along with cell phones, landlines, and the good old fashioned mail has pretty much pushed amateur radio to the wayside.

I accept it and move on. Those who choose to use amateur radio for whatever reason have every right to do so - just as I have a right to good naturedly heckle 'em about it. Don't make me or them bad people though do it?

Chuck, AA1MN

 

No, Chuck. I haven't got the energy to chase the b........rs now so I use snares.

Phil G3XAP

 

No Chuck, you simply can´t understand the vivid amateur radio and DX existence on information society days because the only "obsolete" here is your way of analysis the technological evolution.

You even don't understand why we are discussing amateur radio on Internet because you think in black and white, modern and old, but even the telecommunications researchers don´t go on that common sense.

You cant understand why Joe Taylor, Nobel of Physics, still care about amateur radio, making several updates in signal process far away of any other technology.

You did not consider HSMM or Spread Spectrum experiences made in amateur radio service and the other technologies used by commercial communications were firstly developed by hams.

You did not realize the latests amateur radio emergency services advances in USA, India, Brazil, saving lives in areas where your cellphone don't even reach.

And If reach, will cost a bit more.

Maybe you received some indirect benefit came from these recent pioneers in amateur radio.

Maybe you don´t like paper books, but you have to read some of then like Mediamorphosis wrote by Roger Fidler for better consider the technological coevolution.

And when that book will be easily accessible by e-paper or by cellphone, amateur radio will still play an interesting role by several experimenters because the radio technical world faced by these guys will still higher, founding challenges to be broke by hams that really goes to the field, freely making practical things useful for our society, for better understand radio propagation, for better build and design antennas, for create new communications softwares, for saving lives with our simple but useful voluntary emergency operations, building an context that some critics for years just can´t understand.

 

You didn't move on, you renewed your license.

Reasons enough were given to counter your's
Why do we do it, because we can and want to do it.
Personal satisfaction to build a project and see it come alive
Personal broadening of the horizon. learning something new every day wich we don't have to do, but as natural inquiring species is in (most) our genes.
For most personal reasons, some of wich we don't need to explain if you didn't find them out now by yourself.

If for you hamradio is outdated, do the thing you should do, send the license back.

 

Strange thing - when I was young and fit I did a lot of rock climbing and mountaineering

I could have used a helicopter (if I could afford it), I could have used a four wheel drive vehicle - any of those would have got me to the top of whatever I was climbing - but where is the FUN in that?????

I also taught my sons how to fly-fish. Sure, there are easier ways to get a dinner (I could always go to the local shops and BUY fish) - again, where is the FUN??

It's the same with radio - to me it is far more fun to work that weak DX station. Sure, I could rag-chew on Yahoo, MS Messenger or even echolink, but that's far too cut and dried.

If there's no challenge in doing something - why DO it?

 

Why wake up at 3:00 am to work some DX in the other side of the globe if you can just pick up your cell phone and call it up.

 

for AA1MN

Hola tio.
Para que voy a complicarme la vida aprendiendo ingles?
Si solo es para responderte es una perdida de tiempo.

 

You're right, my analysis of the tecnological evolution is obsolete. So obsolete in fact that my black and white way of thinking concedes that it is no logner necessary to have to depend on questionable atmospheric conditions to make a contact whent there is a more reliable way to do it.

And I don't understand why Joe Taylor, or anyone for that matter, would choose to the most difficult when the simpler solves the situation far more effectly which is why I, and most people I dare to say, don't know - or care - who Joe Taylor or any Noble winners are ... because people like them tend to want to make our lives more ponderous rather than more enjoyable.

Further, I don't need to consider the technologies used in communications were - in some cases but far from all - were developed by hams possibly because they were not PERFECTED by hams.

No, I didn't realize anything about amateur radios services saving live in this or any other country during emergencies because professional services - EMTs, firefighters and police - do a fine enough job, for the most part, without need of amateur radio services which is why I and most others don't call on professionals when in need of assistance rather than amateur radio operators.

Maybe I do like paper books, and hardcovers too, since I have a collection of several hundred at present in my personal library and a degree in literature to go along with it.

Chuck, AA1MN

 

And does any of that justify making a thing more difficult than is necessary? Or is "send the license back" the best one can expect when reason cannot be understood? Would you like it if the United States took back our help the next time your country asks us for it?

Chuck, AA1MN

 

For the last years the USA asked US for help, moot point then...
You said you were done with ham radio, so send in that license.
Since it is YOU that does not (want) to understand our reasons we do what we do, even after the explanations , you come up with an answer then.

Don't know what help from the USA or us has anything to do with hamradio and the reasons we do it.
Some strange reasoning you have there.

Cor

 

Chuck, AA1MN:

I don't know why you even posted to this since your point of view is not even very clear. I know that you think it is a waste of time, but other than that I am not sure as to why you believe this.

I see that you like to operate 2m and 70cm. From this fact alone I would think that you would be interested in the results! I operated mostly HF and I am still interested in the outcome.

No, this is not going to open any new avenues that have not been explored -- other than for this specific path. It has been know for many years that FM broadcast stations have been picked up over this path, so we know that the possibility exist for amateurs to accomplish this too.

Why did you even become a HAM, Chuck. I thought that all HAMs were explorers of RF, and were always interested in new possibilities for radio communications. If HAMs from the past thought the way that you do, there would be no advancements to radio communications.
Chuck, you should also think about the other technological advancements that have came from HAMs trying to improve the efficiency of their stations. A lot of our society is based on the work of amateur radio operators, and quite a few people don't even know that we exist.

I have started to build an EME station for 2m using the WSJT mode. Should I not do this because it has been done and is a waste of money? Heck no! It seems like a lot of fun to be able to work the world using 4 small yagis, less than 500w, and doing it by bouncing my signals off from the moon! If this setup works good I am going to build antennas for 70cm, 1.2ghz, and beyond.

Chuck, another comment you made about using a bow and arrow to get dinner, I would like to comment on: I hunt with a bow and arrow now and again, as well as a muzzleloader. Yes, it is obsolete but it is a lot of fun. I also fish quite a bit as well; should I just go to the store to get fish?

To be narrow minded as you are, Chuck, is just a very odd thing for a HAM. It can also be a very dangerous thing. I don't know why your ability to abstract think is so limited -- especially coming from a state such as MA, where the education system is far superior to many places in the country.

Get treatment for your chronic case of anal cranial inversion, since it seems that from having your head up there it has caused oxygen deprivation and lost brain cells.

John, AD7VH

 

Hi Flavio, thanks for posting this. I just recently got my license, and have only heard tropo ducting once, but it was really exciting. It's amazing to think about making contacts >4000km on 2m.

To try and get this thread back on track: what's the farthest you've ever heard VHF/UHF traffic from?

 

My farthest QSO in 144 MHz was PP5/PY2ZX GG53qw <> FM5CS FK93lx covering around 4.600 km point to point DX by Transequatorial Propagation.

In South Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina we can reach 6.000 km by the same propagation with WP4 area also on 432 MHz.

W3ZZ organized the records for ARRL, including the Tropo Ductings:

http://www.arrl.org/qst/worldabove/dxrecords.html

Thinking in wider scope of VHF, 50 MHz is the DX Band for extreme long distances since the layer F2 could be used during high sunspot periods even when QRP. In my case was Okinawa Japan, around 19.300 km.

PY2ZX