What happened to 220?

[AB2T]

Does anyone still use 1.25m FM? (strictly speaking, the band now starts at 222 MHz, but I still have '220' stuck in my head.) This was supposed to be _the_ Novice VHF band under Novice Enhancement. Perhaps the FCC assigned Novices 220 as a latter day 2m AM, but I never heard any Novices using it back when new Novice licenses were being issued.

Back in the day (um, mid 90's), the big repeater club where I grew up (LIMARC, Long Island) had a 220 repeater. Actually at that time the club had repeaters on 2m (x2), one 220, one 440, and one 1.2 GHz. They still have the full array (though one of the the calls have changed since then). Wow. LIMARC repeater list

Anyway, seems that ALINCO is the only manufacturer that still has monoband 220 mobile and HT rigs. Are there others? Maybe the Chinese manufacturers?

I could see 220 as being a good "ham cell phone" band. A way to keep in touch with a spouse, kids, etc. by putting a mobile rig in each car. Pick a simplex frequency and PL it, and you're good to go. I know that many of us (me included) have an aversion to using VHF/UHF FM as a ersatz cellphone, but someone's got to use the band. So long as everyone's licensed and follows Part 97, it's all good.

Does anyone here use 220 FM? Experiences?

73, Jordan

[N4BBQ]

Does anyone here use 220 FM? Experiences?

73, Jordan

Use it here every day in GA. There's about six or eight repeaters that are up near me that are accessible and have great coverage. Good band.

[N8YX]

There are a couple 220 repeaters in NE OH which see frequent activity.

A number of area hams also use the band for bike-to-bike communications when we're out riding. It's my preferred Dayton band, by the way.

[AB2T]

Use it here every day in GA. There's about six or eight repeaters that are up near me that are accessible and have great coverage. Good band.

There are a couple 220 repeaters in NE OH which see frequent activity.

A number of area hams also use the band for bike-to-bike communications when we're out riding. It's my preferred Dayton band, by the way.

Guess my statistical sample was way off.

Are the 220 repeaters free of the CBesque gunk on 2m? Sorta cool to have a semi exclusive and quiet alternative to 2m.

I don't know what the activity here in Montreal is like, but if there's a user base I might pick up a cheap HT and go for it.

73, Jordan

[KB2CRK]

i have not used it but the equipment has always been a little pricey for me. ( i am a cheap sob). if i could find some resonably priced gear i would use it if i could find others in the area that use it also. a lot of 2m and 440 machines are quiet in the part of ga.

[K2WH]

Kenwood TH-F6 handie talkie is a tri-band HT with a full 5 watts on 2, 220 and 440 bands.

I actually use 220 alot using the good ol reliable ICOM 37A which pops up from time to time on Ebay. Not very much activity on 220 but there are many repeaters in the NYC area.

Check out my spreadsheet for this area. The repeaters are sorted by frequency.

K2WH

P.S. You want privacy? Try 900 mhz.

[N4BBQ]

Are the 220 repeaters free of the CBesque gunk on 2m? Sorta cool to have a semi exclusive and quiet alternative to 2m.

For now, yes. I think the cost of the rigs keeps a lot of folks off this band.

[N8YX]

Are the 220 repeaters free of the CBesque gunk on 2m? Sorta cool to have a semi exclusive and quiet alternative to 2m.

They are in this area. But most of the 2M repeaters are free from it as well.

220 always has been the 'sane' alternative for VHF communications. Back in the days of packet radio, a number of BBS SysOps around NEOH used 223.720 as a forwarding link. There were keyboard-to-keyboard frequencies in use throughout the digital sub-band.

We've been doing our part.

I recently bought a pair of FTM10-SR dualbanders for use on our sport-touring motorcycles. Quite a bit of time was spent at the Yaesu booth in Dayton last year, bending their tech reps' ears about putting 222 in the FTM10 series. It would be the perfect mobile rig at that point.

[N5YPJ]

Unfortunately I've never lived anywhere 220 was used or where there were any machines. Seems like a neat band, too bad it never took off.

[K4AX]

There are two Chinese branded HTs out for the band now, a Wouxon 2m/220 rig for a little over a 100 bucks, and the Wouxon single band 220 rig that covers 216-280mhz.. a KG-816 is the model number, it "should" be under 100 shipped if you can find it.