Can't beat 2m SSB for long distance rag chews. Just talked to a friend 136 miles away with s9+10 signals on both ends.
From most locations, that distance should be workable on 2m SSB every day 24/7/365 using 25W and modest beams. Over water or flatlands, all the better; but even in hilly terrain it should work fine most of the time. "Line of sight" is a strong-signal thing on VHF and UHF, and isn't even necessary on SHF. I've made hundreds of contacts on 2.3, 3.4, 5.7 and 10.3 GHz that are w-a-a-a-y beyond line of sight (hundreds of miles) under totally "normal" conditions. It takes gain antennas.
Yeah excited to do more simplex; however, have been doing some simplex with a friend, and we have noticed that 70cm works better where we are at. I guess that has to do with the wave length and all the tall buildings around us.
I pretty much talk to him 4-5 nights a week, band conditions don't matter. And he is in a direction where I have a ridge that is 400' higher than where I am about 60miles out. Then it drops about the same on his side.
