With all of the recent band openings on 10 meters, don't forget to try to work some stations using the various 10 meter FM repeaters. These repeaters can be a fun way to work some locations that you might not normally be able to on 10 meters. Today from the Los Angeles area I worked a station in Las Vegas, NV who was running only 20 watts through the KX4I repeater in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Working between Las Vegas and Los Angeles simplex on 10 meters isn't something that happens very often, but it is possible with the FM repeaters.
Here are a couple of tips to working the 10 meter repeaters:
Have fun!
Here are a couple of tips to working the 10 meter repeaters:
- Repeaters are usually found between 29.600Mhz and 29.700Mhz, spaced 10khz apart.
- The offset for 10 meter FM repeaters is almost always -100khz
- Remember, if the band is open, you don't need a lot of power and you shouldn't use a lot of power. Too much power might open up more than one repeater, which will cause confusion and interference with the contact you're trying to make. You might be surprised at how many contacts you can make using the 10 meter FM repeaters using less than 50 watts.
Have fun!