Well, VHF works pretty well here in the summer time. You are west or east of the Rockies? ----- Original Message ----- From: "Colin McDonald" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Wednesday, June 29, 2005 2:13 PM Subject: Re: recent openings in the midwest >i am in alberta...north central alberta probably 400 miles north of the > montana boarder. > These findings arent really due to wide open conditions, but since we are > so > flat up here we can usually talk quite a good distance in the evening or > when there is low cloud cover which helps to propigate the VHF signals. > Summer time is actually a pretty bad time for vhf conditions and i will > have > to see how much better i can do during the colder months with heavier > cloud > cover to help the signals. > Summer time conditions tend to be pretty speratic here so cant really nail > down any consistantly long distance repeaters yet. > 73 > Colin, V A6BKX > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Jeff Kenyon" <[log in to unmask]> > To: <[log in to unmask]> > Sent: Wednesday, June 29, 2005 10:33 AM > Subject: Re: recent openings in the midwest > > >> Hi Collin, where are you? I think that my repeater I used on Saturday > night >> may have been 80 or more miles. I take it that the bands have been wide >> opened where you are then too? >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Colin McDonald" <[log in to unmask]> >> To: <[log in to unmask]> >> Sent: Tuesday, June 28, 2005 9:22 PM >> Subject: Re: recent openings in the midwest >> >> >> > what sort of long distance contacts on 2M? >> > is that simplex or repeater contacts? >> > I have been playing around with different distant repeaters for the >> > past >> > four days or so now that i have a programmable radio. >> > The farthest repeater i am able to fairly consistantly key in the later >> > evening is around 120 kilometers away. Guess thats about 75/80 miles >> > or >> > something....not quite sure...but that particular repeater isn't >> > considered >> > long range....i can key a repeater 136 kilometers away on 10 >> > watts...its > a >> > long range repeater on a high hill. >> > As far as simplex, i have been copied using 50 watts in the >> > neighborhood >> > of >> > 70 kilometers away by a mobile in motion....sort of rough country in > that >> > direction so i would imagine in other directions i could go a little >> > further. think thats 45 miles. >> > One other repeater that i think is probably around 100 or 110 >> > kilometers >> > away i can very easily key with 5 watts in the evening. >> > >> > antenna is a tram 1480 dual bander at 22 feet...of course these are all > on >> > VHF, i have not had the opportunity to try UHF yet. >> > Are these findings fairly normal? i am in a fairly geographically flat >> > area >> > with repeaters tending to be set up on hill tops well above the main > level >> > of the land. >> > I think the hill tops make a rather huge difference since there is a >> > popular >> > repeater i use about 45 miles away that i can get into with just a low >> > static level on the carier using 5 watts...im pretty sure that is due >> > to >> > the >> > fact that it is on a hill with about a 100 mile foot print in all >> > directions. >> > Flat land is great for 2M. >> > 73 >> > Colin, V A6BKX >> > ----- Original Message ----- >> > From: "Jeff Kenyon" <[log in to unmask]> >> > To: <[log in to unmask]> >> > Sent: Tuesday, June 28, 2005 6:23 PM >> > Subject: recent openings in the midwest >> > >> > >> >> Hi everyone, how have the band openings been in other areas of the >> >> country? Over field day weekend they were great, and I am referring >> >> to >> >> the tropo ones that we have experienced in Michigan and Ohio. Though >> >> I >> >> didn't get to participate in field day type things because of other >> >> comittments this weekend I did manage some long distance contacts with >> >> 2-meters! >> >> >>