10m Opening

[DaveInDenver]

Dave, how do I work a 10M repeater?
Same as 2M?

Yes, they are FM, use an offset and maybe a tone squelch. Remember that your 100W (or 200W in your case) radio is designed for 100/200 watts intermittently on SSB or CW. When you use FM, AM or some digital modes like PSK31 and JT65 the duty cycle is much higher, so if your radio does not do it automatically you should roll back the power. I run about 40W max AM or FM with my 100W xcvr. The total power envelope in a 40W FM signal is a lot higher than a 100W SSB and it's the envelope that produces the equivalent heating in your radio and draw from the power supply.

 

[DaveInDenver]

There is a SOTA activation by WG0AT7 today UTC 17:00 from around Colorado Spring on 14.3425, 21.270, 28.400 and 144.52.

Steve usually operates CW, although these sound as though he's doing phone or maybe being /7 it's an APRS thing. Did you hear him?

 

[Bruce Miller]

FB QSO, Rami. Armchair copy all the way. Did you hear the ZS6 station that called me after our QSO? Gud DX. Yes, let's get on 17 and 20 meters, too. Let me know the time and frequency. 17 meters will be less QRM as there is no contesting on the WARC bands.

CU,

Bruce

 

[rhyary]

Hi Bruce. That was great!
I can't believe how good the transmission was.
I heard faint QSOs on the freq, but nothing as clear as our QSO.
On the way back to work, I had a nice QSO with a MM0TFU from Scottland.
I'll toast one Glenfiddich tonight.

Dave,
I didn't know he will be on CW. I am not there yet

 

[CardinalFJ60]

what about we tech-folks?

I've got a quad band radio/antenna setup. IIRC I can only TX on 28-28.5 correct? are there repeaters, too?

I'll throw that antenna on for the ride home tonight - scanning 28-28.5

Does anyone have a favorite 10m freq they typically TxRX on?

 

[DaveInDenver]

I've got a quad band radio/antenna setup. IIRC I can only TX on 28-28.5 correct? are there repeaters, too?

I'll throw that antenna on for the ride home tonight - scanning 28-28.5

Does anyone have a favorite 10m freq they typically TxRX on?

Technician holders have full privileges on 6m and higher. On 10m you can use 28.000-28.300, which is RTTY/data and 28.301-28.500, which is phone. A lot of hams seem to call on 28.400 USB, although I'm not sure it's an ARRL recommended calling frequency. The 10m band plans have the FM repeaters up in 29.510-29.690.

 

[Bruce Miller]

Listen

One of the most important skills an amateur radio operator can/must develop is to listen. Somewhere on the band, someone is calling CQ. Get into the habit of listening for that station, calling CQ yourself only when you're sure there's nobody out there calling CQ. 10 meters is an awesome band. Listen in the 28.300 to 28.500 portion of the band although 28.495 is the DX calling frequency. I would stay away from that spot as it's usually very busy. Also, until Sunday around supper time, there's a very big world wide contest on, 10 meters included. The band will be busy but that could be a good thing if you understand how to operate in a contest. Get on the air. You'll get the hang of it. Once you make contact with a station, be prepared to give a signal report, your name, and your QTH (location), and your call sign suffix should include "mobile" if you are. Let us know who you talk to.

 

[xodeuce]

It was open again this morning. Around 9:30AM CST I had no trouble working a station in Ireland (EI8BLB) via mobile on the way to a meeting. I heard a bunch of pile ups trying to work stations in Western Europe.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Very nice. Worked a handful of Japanese stations Saturday evening about 2200Z using JT65A on 28.076. I was using 15 watts into my vertical and they were around 15W~25W depending on antenna, dipole, 2-el, etc. Also worked a station in British Columbia on 28.076.

 

[xodeuce]

Cool, Dave. I need to check out some of the 10m repeaters when the conditions are good. I was on 10m sideband. Just got the radio in the truck this past weekend, and I was so pumped to actually be talking to someone that far away that I didn't note the frequency. RST was probably 3x4 or 3x5, and was a little tough to copy, but we did exchange and acknowledge call signs correctly with phonetics. I also talked to a guy in Belgium on 20m on the way to lunch and got a 5x7 received report, and he was 5x5-5x7. All in all it was pretty fun on day one