Hi.

What makes the 220 MHz band so attractive for amateur radio activity is
that it enjoys a lot of the UHF characteristics for tropospheric ducting,
while suffering less from the line of sight limitations of UHF and the
tendency for things like scattering of signals by foliage.  I used to use
220 MHz on a 26 mile commute between Bergen, NY and Rochester, NY with very
good and consistent results.  It is also a little less susceptible to man
made noise sources than 2 meters, and does a better job of penetrating
buildings than 2 meters does.

It is really a much better band for ham radio activities than most people
give it credit for.  Its primary drawback is lack of equipment, and a lack
of users on the band--a reason why amateur radio's claim over this band is
very weak.  I'm afraid that if the FCC issued a Notice of Inquiry about
reallocating the band, I would be very hard pressed to find a reason why
they shouldn't.  This is my challenge to ham radio about this spectrum-Do
something meaningful with it, or expect to lose it.  Because the way it
looks to the rest of the radio industry when we use it like we have been
using it is that we don't need it.  So, "you know what" or get off the pot.

73, de Lou K2LKK





At 06:41 PM 6/14/2004 -0400, you wrote:
>Well, I would never know because of the inactivity there.  From 222-225 we
>have a few MPT-1327 trunking systems around here, but that's about it.  What
>makes it better then the other bands?
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Dan Kysor" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Monday, June 14, 2004 7:19 PM
>Subject: Re: Accessible 220 MHz Radios
>
>
> > what ticks me off is that half the band was going to u p s but low and
> > behold, they're not using it much either.
> > two twenty is a fantastic band with the best propogation of any of the uhf
> > vhf bands.
> > dan
> > At 03:31 PM 6/14/04, Louis Kim Kline wrote:
> > >Hi to all.
> > >
> > >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
> > >
> > >
> > >Louis Kim Kline
> > >A.R.S. K2LKK
> > >Home e-mail: [log in to unmask]
> > >Work e-mail: [log in to unmask]
> > >Work Telephone: (585) 697-5753

Louis Kim Kline
A.R.S. K2LKK
Home e-mail:  [log in to unmask]
Work e-mail:  [log in to unmask]
Work Telephone:  (585) 697-5753