Incentive Licensing thread on QRZ.com

[Pete, WA2CWA]

220 to 224 MHz was underutilized for many years. Even now, with 222 to 224 MHz, the only time you see any "real" activity is during a contest. And, around the same time period we lost 220 to 222 MHz, we gained the 33 Centimeter Band (902 to 928 MHz). So, as amateurs we lost 2 MHz and gained 28 MHz. We're 26 MHz ahead. No great loss here.

[w5omr]

220 to 224 MHz was underutilized for many years. Even now, with 222 to 224 MHz, the only time you see any "real" activity is during a contest. And, around the same time period we lost 220 to 222 MHz, we gained the 33 Centimeter Band (902 to 928 MHz). So, as amateurs we lost 2 MHz and gained 28 MHz. We're 26 MHz ahead. No great loss here.

That doesn't answer the question of is there any surplus 220Mc gear out there, that UPS is not using.

[AF9J]

Some gear was made for use by UPS, but I was led to believe that they didn't buy much of it.

Ellen - AF9J

[w5omr]

Thanks, Ellen.

Out of curiosity, are you still in the Madison, WI area?  Marv/KC9VF has family up there, and goes up for some holidays.  He currently lives in Elk City, OK and has a 192' vertical with 360 radials under it.  He runs a T-368 and is able to operate it from remote, via the internet.  Just an 'awesome' signal.  Helps to have acreage in the middle of nowhere, where no neighbors can complain about TVI ;-)

Back to the 220 subject, I recently purchased an Alinco 25w 222~224 mobile FM xcvr and have it connected to a 7 element beam at 25' and have made some fairly decent (for VHF) hauls, typically around 50 or so miles (as the air flows through the crow), and it's a 'safe haven' away from the 2m 'gang' of malcontents in the San Antonio, TX area.

Above 29Mc, I'm usually on 440Mc for the same reason.  I also don't let my FM stuff play near the -real- radio gear.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

220 to 224 MHz was underutilized for many years. Even now, with 222 to 224 MHz, the only time you see any "real" activity is during a contest. And, around the same time period we lost 220 to 222 MHz, we gained the 33 Centimeter Band (902 to 928 MHz). So, as amateurs we lost 2 MHz and gained 28 MHz. We're 26 MHz ahead. No great loss here.

That doesn't answer the question of is there any surplus 220Mc gear out there, that UPS is not using.

Sorry, I wasn't targeting your question.

[AF9J]

Thanks, Ellen.

Out of curiosity, are you still in the Madison, WI area?  Marv/KC9VF has family up there, and goes up for some holidays.  He currently lives in Elk City, OK and has a 192' vertical with 360 radials under it.  He runs a T-368 and is able to operate it from remote, via the internet.  Just an 'awesome' signal.  Helps to have acreage in the middle of nowhere, where no neighbors can complain about TVI ;-)

Hi Geoff,

Sorry my reply took so long (things got kind of busy for me late yesterday).  Sorry, I haven't lived in Madison, since I graduated (in Aug. 1987) with engineering degree #1.  As a matter of fact, that was aroudn the time, the FCC mentioned they were going to take away 220-222 MHz away from us (as a VHF & UHF weak signal operator [both then and now], I was not a happy camper about that).  Nope I liv e in the Milwaukee metro area now.

73,
Ellen - AF9J

[w5omr]

Sorry my reply took so long (things got kind of busy for me late yesterday).  Sorry, I haven't lived in Madison, since I graduated (in Aug. 1987) with engineering degree #1.  As a matter of fact, that was around the time, the FCC mentioned they were going to take away 220-222 MHz away from us (as a VHF & UHF weak signal operator [both then and now], I was not a happy camper about that).  Nope I live in the Milwaukee metro area now.

Hope you're enjoying the cooler weather up there.  I'm jealous.  Still waiting on 'Winter time Conditions" here on 75m. 
There -is- a 'front' (of sorts) moving through South Texas, as I type this, and our -high- temperatures will drop 'all the way down </sarcasm> to 80°F, and a 60% shot of yet more rain (like we need any -more- rain, running at a 36" SURPLUS for the year)

This morning, on 3.885 (around 6'ish) I heard a couple of 1x2 9-land calls and a resulting QSO between them that I could have even joined in, had the storm noise was low, here.  Hopefully, we'll all get the unique opportunity of working you on the air, Ellen, this (wishful thinking) quiet winter.

Be well.

[AF9J]

Well Geoff,

I heard on the news yesterday, that they think ther's a possibility of a La Nina-type winter.  This would give us (at least up here) cooler than normal temps.  That would certainly help to keep down the noise.

73,
Ellen - AF9J
At work