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KENWOOD TR-751A 2M All-Mode transceiver

Blackcat630 said:
29.600 can surprise you sometimes. Last cycle about 6-7 yrs ago I was monitoring 29.600 and heard a station from Spain. +20.. dude sounded like he was sitting in town with me. If that wasn't enough, he asked me to checkout his ustream page while we were chatting. I pulled it up and heard my self live in Spain at his qth. Really cool experience and I will never forget it. Kinda cool to hear the 2-3 second delay it took to get online and back to me across the pond.
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I used to work 10m FM a fair bit. I enjoyed working through the US Virgin Islands 10m repeater on 29.560/660 when the band was open to the Caribbean. Often I could work Europe via the repeater but not direct as we both had openings into the Virgin Islands but not to each other.
 
Tallman said:
I had always thought that FM wouldn't skip like that. At one point the FCC was talking about making CB radios FM so the would not have worry about the 150 mile rule.
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Skip is a function of frequency and not mode. The narrower modes like SSB and CW are superior from a signal to noise ratio point of view however FM will skip very well. I have worked 10m FM simplex into Europe running 25 watts from the mobile and even while using a modified European CB radio that was FM. I had a blistering 6 watts on high and 0.5 watts on low. Both power levels made the trip to the UK while mobile. Granted it wasn't yesterday when I did it and it was at a peak in the last cycle.
 
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I have worked 10m FM repeaters in the Virgin, Is. before from Central Indiana.
I have worked 2m FM Simplex from E. of Indianapolis to Kansas City, KS (over 500 miles). I have worked 10 or more states on 2m Simplex, ...Pittsburg, PA(also 500+ miles) Cleveland, Oh. … Chicago many times (250+ miles). The best I remember was somewhere in TX very close to the Lou. St. line right at 700+ miles. These contacts were all on 146.52 FM Simplex...Vertical antenna at 45-50ft and about 80 watts. These openings are rare that distance but do happen, normally in early Spring or early Fall and with TROPO effect.
The same can happen on 6m FM Simplex 52.525. Many contacts in the 300-500 mile range with 100 watts and Vertical "Ringo" antenna.(35-40 ft.)
You just have to be lucky enough to "Be There" when it happens! :)
All the Best
Gary

I remember now the "Best" 2m FM Simplex from 20m E. of Indianapolis to Houston, Tx to the Space Ship Columbia when Dr. Owen Garriott W5LFL (I think) on their first voyage with a Ham operational on board. He had made contact with W5RRR(Johnson Space Center ARC) and when he finished I called them. I had a Pair of Stacked 15 element beams at about 60ft/1,050ft ASL and 250 watts.
I literally fell out of my chair when he acknowledged my call. The same thing pretty much happened when I worked the Russian MIR space station(R0MIR) on 2m. Astronaut Shannon Lucid was on a pass that took her across Nebraska towards Chicago. I chatted with her for 4 or 5 minutes on that pass. Pretty friken cool!!!
 
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Blackcat630 said:
For weak signal work ssb would definitely be better than fm... but when mother natures got er skirt up... sometimes mode really don't matter..
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I have worked Canada,N.Y.,& Colorado from Northeast Florida on 2 meter FM so it can for sure hop on Tropo Openings but they are very Rare but a lot of fun when they happen.

SIX-SHOOTER
 
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Captain Kilowatt said:
I used to work 10m FM a fair bit. I enjoyed working through the US Virgin Islands 10m repeater on 29.560/660 when the band was open to the Caribbean. Often I could work Europe via the repeater but not direct as we both had openings into the Virgin Islands but not to each other.
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HF bands are far different than VHF frequencies like 2 meters in any mode. That's Apples vs Oranges.

SIX-SHOOTER
 
SIX-SHOOTER said:
HF bands are far different than VHF frequencies like 2 meters in any mode. That's Apples vs Oranges.

SIX-SHOOTER
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Yes very well aware however I was commenting in reference to the post stating that someone was not aware FM will "skip" like that and also in reference to another post also talking about 10m FM propagation. I plan to put up at least one 13B2 and possibly a stacked pair of them this summer for some 2m SSB work. I may mount one V and the other H for both FM and SSB but will likely mount them both H and just use the Diamond X-50 or possibly the 11 element Cushcraft for vertical.
 
Back in may 2017 I checked the aprs enhancement map which I frequently do from time to time.. I noticed a huge blob of red spanning from the edge of Nevada all the way to Virginia. I run a 13B2 at just under 60 ft and with my hundred watts I started calling east. I heard a station return from a grid area I wasn't familiar with. I had him at s8 when I realized he was coming in off the BACK of the beam. Turns out he was in western CO. 979.9 air mile haul. Once I got turned around at him he was 30-40 over s9. He told me I really didn't need to turn the beam at him either.. no problem copying. My jaw dropped. To date best opening I've experienced on 2m ssb. Glad he sent me a card back to confirm!

Below is the link to the tropo map. Comes in handy for vhf & up grid chasing.
http://aprs.mennolink.org
 
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Here's a trick to try. Do you have a older programable analog police scanner in the closet? Then so drag it out, most cover the 2m and 6m Amatuer bands(some even 10m FM/29.500+ MHz), and make a great monitor for listening. Though hooked to an outside antenna work well, even the old whip antennas can provide signals when the band is open. This also gives you a chance to scan local repeaters plus Simplex frequencies in and around your area, without your 2m rig on the air.
When you start hearing extra signals on your local repeaters or Simplex frequencies, this may be an indicator the bands are stretched out and open.
All the Best
Gary
 
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BJ radionut said:
Do you have a older programable analog police scanner in the closet? Then so drag it out, most cover the 2m and 6m Amatuer bands, and make a great monitor for listening.When you start hearing extra signals on your local repeaters or Simplex frequencies, this may be an indicator the bands are stretched out and open.
All the Best
Gary
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I do that. (y)
2 and 6 are so dead here locally, any activity usually indicates the band is open. :D
 
Captain Kilowatt said:
Yes very well aware however I was commenting in reference to the post stating that someone was not aware FM will "skip" like that and also in reference to another post also talking about 10m FM propagation. I plan to put up at least one 13B2 and possibly a stacked pair of them this summer for some 2m SSB work. I may mount one V and the other H for both FM and SSB but will likely mount them both H and just use the Diamond X-50 or possibly the 11 element Cushcraft for vertical.
Click to expand...

I have owned Two of the 13B2 yagis & I removed them because of moisture inside that little black box which causes havoc with the SWR. I sealed them with silicone & they filled up with water I guess from condensation. I drilled a small drain hole & wasp,dirt dobbers,or spiders filled the holes so they filled up with water again. I finally had them removed & replaced them with the better antenna that Cushcraft stopped making many years ag the 215WB. I now have Two of those & nothing that fills up with water & they are a better antenna hands down than the 13B2.

SIX-SHOOTER
 

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