Any channel plan for FM?

[RitualQursh]

Four Wheelers on 4, Super Bowl on 6, truckers on 17-19, SSB on 38. Have we come to a consensus on FM? Where should one monitor to find FM users?

 

[Brother DXer]

Four Wheelers on 4, Super Bowl on 6, truckers on 17-19, SSB on 38. Have we come to a consensus on FM? Where should one monitor to find FM users?

FM has been used for quite some time. FM call frequency is 26.805, then move on elsewhere for qso.
There are several groups using FM as well. I'm down there occasionally, making some good contacts.

 

[BC Coyote]

As Brother DXer said, there already is an FM channel..... 26.805 has actually been the FM call channel for decades but has only seen widespread usage in the last few years. I've talked to over 100 stations on there in a couple of years with just 150 watts and simple antennas. I talk regularly to people all over North America with most just running 40 or 50 watt radios. I've even made it from the west coast of North America to Australia, Alaska, Ireland and Mexico on FM. Check it out it's a fun frequency!

Edit to add: 26.805 is Channel 23 Band C on most export radios.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

I'm guessing he was referring to a frequency within the regular 40 channels.

 

[TM86]

Allegedly our friends in Europe use channel 31 (27.315 MHz for those with VFO's) as an FM call channel.

 

[BC Coyote]

I've never, not once, heard FM on the regular 40. My experience with FM is that it works much better than you'd expect, but only on a relatively interference-free frequency. It's not very compatible with SSB and AM modes being used on the same frequency at the same time. I suspect that once this solar cycle starts to wind down and there is less DX, then we may start hearing more FM on the regular band.

In the meantime, there's tons of great folks all around the world on 26.805 FM so that's where I go when I want to talk FM.

 

[unit_399]

I've become lerry about running FM since losing a pair of Toshiba 2879s in my amp when talking on 26.805FM. I forgot to turn my drive down and keyed up 1500 watts continuous off and on for a few minutes. That, combined with some junk heat sink compound let the transistors bite the dust. Expensive mistake. One I won't make again.

J.J. 399

 

[BC Coyote]

I've become lerry about running FM since losing a pair of Toshiba 2879s in my amp when talking on 26.805FM

That's a big bummer blowing your amp JJ! Hopefully it can be put back in service without too much hassle.

I notice my Palomar 200 does run a lot hotter on FM. Nothing the fan can't take care of though.... I can have a long blab-fest on FM and while it gets good and warm it's never too hot to touch.

My general rule of thumb with all solid state radio gear is that if it's too hot to touch comfortably for 10 seconds, then it's too hot and it's time to let it cool.....