Watches and Hams

Glad everyone's safe! Hopefully you'll be able to show them that old school cool ham.

Did someone say ham? Mmm ham.

Perfect watch for that activity (HAM Radio, (not bolting out of danger).

That waterfall looks full! The bands are crazy good! Looking forward to a QSO sometime.

Canned hams, glazed hams but no “Sad Hams!”

I prefer my ham in 70cm lengths but 2m will work in a pinch.

No 10, 12, 15, 17, 20, 40 or 80m hams?

I have my General but just never took to long distance. It’s funny, it should be a thing I’m into but apparently not. We use 70 and 2 for coms between trucks and when we’re out hiking and camping but that’s about it. I considered adding a 40m set in my van for emergencies but satellite beacons are so cheap there’s no point.

I also enjoy GMRS/FRS for what you’re doing. Lots of off-road folks and overlanders use it.

Might want to give 10m or lower a go. The bands are crazy good this solar cycle. Heck, even the CBers are making contacts into Europe!

This was goofing off for a few minutes today before the “evacuation.”

Glad to hear you and the kids are safe! 🤙❤️

Thanks M8. It was really no big deal. Just the school being overly cautious. I get it, Murphy’s Law and all.

More of an annoyance because no matter what we do, the students come up with crazy high end questions. 👍🏼

Kinda crazy how smart they are when they want to be!

If you have a free afternoon (morning for you?) check out the 17m "Activity Group" sometime. Details @ my QRZ or on hfqso.com . 73! de N4BRJ

Couldnt get the watch in the photo with only the 2 arms, but I'm out walking the dogs (one of whome is called Huey I kid you not) here in Manchester UK with the North West fusion group on wires X room 44222, through the west Manchester radio club repeater. Check us out. Are you with a club over there? From M7OMO

Very familiar with it! How’s Roger ZL1XR?

73 de KI5MFF

Handsome doggo! On 44222 now. G0YLM and G8NNL are having a chat.

KC5OUR is our local group and we have a YSF repeater and room as well on 40110. Tried calling you at 1250z but you were gone. Hope you and Huey had a great walk!

I like the “privacy” of 70cm over Gmrs/Frs. Nobody uses it. We can go weeks in the most popular off road areas and never cross signals. If I’m traveling with people who don’t have a license I’ll hand out Murs radios for the same reason. Very little traffic.

Maybe one of these days I’ll set up an antenna and bust out the old analog rig I inherited from my uncle.

Funny how different places are so …. Different, not a lot of GMRS simplex here at all. Mostly internet linked repeater use. But we don’t have convoys of off road clubs. Mostly singles with an occasional duo of vehicles. I took a trip to Tucson and it was completely different. GMRS simplex was off the hook but hardly any traffic on the repeaters. Night and day. Weird.

On the ham side: Now that you mention it, I’ve never heard a UHF simplex transmission. I like your concept of a lot less people listening in. Thanks for giving me several things to think about.

Back to watches: I’d have thought the older ops would be more into mechanical timepieces here but most use their phones. Any insight into that phenomenon?

G0YLM is Lynda. She is involved with the North West fusion group, very active and would always be open for a chat.

Seem that there are many here with licenses.

Maybe someone should start a weekly net on watches but not on HF. It would be easy to get going with DMR IMO (or D-Star or Fusion).

73

That’s an idea!

73!