Message-Id: <20040615025234.RANO26119.imf19aec.mail.bellsouth.net@[68.212.103.20]>

Louis wrote:
   >Well, it would be hard to justify keeping the band based on the
   >activity in Rochester.  It's too bad, because the 220 MHz band is a
   >really great band, with characteristics very much like 2 meters.  I
   >think that ham clubs need to make a concerted effort to develop
   >this band if we expect to keep it.  The best way to do that is to
   >approach manufactures and see if they would be willing to give
   >group discounts to sell a whole bunch of radios at once.  This does
   >two things--it encourages manufacturers to make other models
   >available for the band, and it raises the level of activity on the
   >band which in turn encourages others to buy radios for the band and
   >encourages people to put up repeaters on the band. 73, de Lou K2LKK

One of the problems for repeater activity is this though.  SUrplus
gear and commercial equipment for repeater use is readily available
for 2m and 70cm thanks to the Ge master ii's, MOtorollas and Kenwood
commercial vhf and uhf repeaters among other brand outs there.

SInce 220 is not one of the bands near commercial 2 way spectrum you
don't see the low cost commercial gear that one can convert to
repeater service.

I bought an old Ge master II for example for about $75 bucks.  A home
brew J pole antenna, was probably $10 worth of parts from the hardware
store for some 1/2 inch copper pipe and some fittings.  Crystals
another $20.  I had more in the duplexers and controller than I had in
the rest of the system.   My church was going to give me a spot for it
in the church belfry.  THen life had other plans for me and the church
told me that if I wasn't going to babysit it they wouldn't let the
group put it up there.  Hence I sold it all, got what I put into it
and didn't lose a dime.

TO consider the same type of project for 220 would have been much more
money.

73 de nf5b



Richard Webb

Electric Spider Productions
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

--- Benjamin Franklin, NOvember 1755 from the
Historical review of Pennsylvania