2M SSB, a sad state of affairs...

I remember, in the not too distant past, when 2m SSB was a blast to operate. One could easily work 3+ states any night of the week, and very often it sounded like 75m SSB at night, what with so many stations operating up and down the band. Seriously, this was in the early-to-mid 90's. I could call CQ from my very modest station on 144.200, and have to move off of the calling frequency to work folks, to free up the calling frequency for others...

Now, in 2018, it's crickets. Static. No one EVER calls CQ in my area. I listen on my station with a 13 element antenna up at 111', nothing but static. Even when the contests are running, there's only a handful of the same players that pop on from time to time. I hear beacons 200+ miles out at night, but no live humans. Where did all the 2M SSB ops go??

I recently spent a lot of time and effort building and replacing my 2m SSB antennas that were damaged in a storm, but it seems to have been wasted time.  I recently asked a question about this on an internet forum, and other hams replied with the same experience. What a shame, 2M SSB can be such great fun, but not like this. Even the VHF contests yield such a pitiful response, it's just not worth the effort, I might as well be looking for microwave activity. Where is everyone??

Dave WB4IUY
http://www.WB4IUY.net

Completing a 13B2 2M SSB Yagi (re)build...

The 2nd evening of work on this antenna went pretty quickly...mostly just assembly of the parts that had been straightened, cut to length, salvaged, etc. This antenna went together well, and I got it bolted up to the test tower section for tuneup. The SWR match was great, and adjustment went right by the Cushcraft instructions. Here's a few pics and info...

 All parts and hardware, ready to go together...

 Bolting the elements to the boom....

 Assembly almost completed...

 Checking for element alignment...

 Bolted to a piece of tower, set up to test the antennas I'm rebuilding...

 

Ready to install on the primary tower!  This was totally built without sending a penny, just by salvaging all needed and materials and hardware from the wreckage. Time to start the next antenna (re)build from the scrap pile :-)

Dave WB4IUY
http://www.WB4IUY.net

Building a 13B2 from 2ea 13B3 Yagi's...

Wow, the storm of April 2016 that wrecked my tower, converted 17 antennas into scrap metal. I kept what I could in a big pile, with plans to eventually rebuild as much as possible from the wreckage. I had a 13B2 on 2m FM, and a 13B3 on 2M SSB. I was able to salvage enough elements and boom tubing to build a 13B2 for 2M SSB :-) Let's get started...

I can't find the photo of the original pile, but it makes this pic look like new antennas :-) I picked and saved as much as I could, some of the parts were so smashed up that there was no way to use it for anything.

Here, I began to lay out what I had from this and another antenna that could possibly be straightened, repaired, and reused. It became obvious that there was probably only enough good or repairable parts to build a 13 element 2 meter yagi. At 112' with good feed line, that'll still do a good job for me. Being a tightwad, I try to build or restore as much as possible.

This is a section of boom stock that I think I can repair in my redneck tubing straightener. Read my previous blog on the 6m antenna rebuild for more info on that hi-tech device.

Boom stock after being reworked in my redneck tubing straightener.

Here's a pile of parts I have salvaged from the two antennas. Elements of various lengths, element mounting hardware, driven elements, etc.

Boom straightening and assembly almost finished here, just a little tweak here or there neeed for a perfectly straight boom, now...

  Back in the shop, I sorted the elements, cut them to the required lengths where needed, and labeled them for re-installation on the boom. Enough for today...time to call it quits on the project and return later to finish it...

Dave WB4IUY

http://www.WB4IUY.net

Repairing the Icom IC-211

This was another late sleepless night project... Back during this past winter, I accidentally blew the receiver sensitivity out of my old Icom IC-211 2 meter SSB rig while operating on 160 meters at full power. I never turn the IC-211 "off"...maybe a mistake. The 160m antenna is up on the tower at about 100', the 2m SSB antenna is about 15' above that. I've left the 211 on 144.200 for years, no matter what other band or power I was running...but that roll of the dice finally caught up with me. 

I broke the rig open and started poking around. It had slowly developed a short list of problems, but nothing that stopped it in it's tracks like this blown front end. Using my signal generator, I capacitively coupled a signal on 144.200 mhz into the 1st RF amp stage. I found I had plenty of system gain when the signal was injected at the drain, but almost no gain when injected at the gate. A quick voltage check proved there was almost no current flowing in the device when signal was applied. It seems that the  old 3SK40 dual gate N-channel FET in the 1st RF amp stage that was toasted.

Junk box time!! I dug around in my workshop a bit, to try and locate something suitable from 35+ years ago.. That's an old part from the 70's, but I had 1 piece of ELM222 (similar device) in my parts bin (much to my surprise!).  I removed the old dual gate n-channel FET and soldered it in. I set up the signal generator, opened the service manual PDF, and gave it a full alignment. Wow!! Sensitivity was a little better than before, and I was very surprised as how hot the receiver in this 40 year-old radio is. I have a bunch of service manuals and such online for my own use, to minimize paper, and in case someone else needs them. You can find them at http://207.126.49.184/wb4iuy/radio/wb4iuy6e.htm .

While it was open I replaced the dial lamps, cleaned the optical chopper in the VFO (the VFO operation was a little erratic), and sprayed out the controls.

She's back in the shack and VHF contacts like nothing ever happened. It's definitely receiving better than before, and working pretty darn good for a 40 year old radio!

Dave WB4IUY
http://www.WB4IUY.net

Need 2m ops for the ARRL VHF Contest!

Propogation is good on 2 meters for the ARRL VHF Contest, but we need more stations on the air! I just worked a guy who was in the parking lot at Ft. Fisher, NC. I've made contacts on 2 meters with 50 watts to: SC, all over NC, Va, Pa, & De. Most all had good signals, and everyone reported "slim pickins" on 2m SSB and CW due to the lack of participation. Lots of folks are on 6m SSB for the contest. C'mon hams, if you have a 2m SSB station, get it on the air for a while. The ops on that band need your contacts.

Dave WB4IUY
www.WB4IUY.net

ARRL VHF Contest Needs Ops!!

The ARRL VHF Contest runs from June 8th @ 18:00z (2pm est) until June 10th @ 2:59z (11pm est) on all bands, 6m and up. I plan to be on 6m ssb, 2m ssb, 146.52 fm simplex, 223.5 fm simplex, and 446.0 fm simplex. The last few VHF contests I've worked have been pretty sad, between poor propagation and not nearly as many folks working the event as in previous years.



If you don't have SSB or a home station, get on from your mobile or HT on fm simplex and call CQ. Even if you're not really working the contest, others who are can surely use your contacts! If you have a home FM station, do the same, you'll be surprised what you might hear or work. The ham radio club I'm in, TEARA, did this back in 1994 and took first place in the Roanoke division working mostly FM simplex!! I'll be scanning 146.52 as primary, and then 146.43, 146.46, 146.49, 146.55, and 146.58 on 2m fm. I'll be listening to 223.50 simplex on 1.25m, and 446.0 on 70cm.

If you're able to work mobile, contesters love picking up those ROVER stations. You can do this easily from your mobile, and if you're going to be covering a large area, you'll be able to work people from multiple grid squares.

All of the info can be found on the ARRL website at this link: http://www.arrl.org/june-vhf

73 & I hope to hear you on the bands!
Dave WB4IUY FM05
www.WB4IUY.net

ARRL September VHF QSO Party, 9/10/11-9/12/11

Playing around on the ARRL VHF QSO Party this weekend, primarily on 2m & 6m SSB. It runs from 1800 UTC Saturday and ends 0300 UTC Monday (September 10-12, 2011). Not really making a serious effort, but it's neat to pick up a few new grids and help out with those that are making an effort to pack in a good score. Nice to see activity on 2m SSB! You can see more about it at: http://www.arrl.org/september-vhf-qso-party

It's about 11:30pm local time, Saturday night, and I'm still hearing a few signals on the band.

Updates:

- I just worked W8ZN on 144.195 & 50.220 at abt 11:02pm EST FM05 FM19
- Worked KO4YC on 50.220 & 144.230 , FM05 FM17
- Worked K3TUF on 50.150 & 144.210 FN10 <-> FM05 NC to PA on 2m at 11:50pm EST. Not bad for a dead band!
- Worked K4LY on 50.190 & 144.187 FM05 <-> EM85
- Worked KN4SM on 50.190 & 144.187 FM05 <-> FM16
- Worked W3SO on 144.2128 & 50.163 FM05 NC <-> FN00 PA, not bad!
- Worked W4IY on 50140.0 & 144.950 FM05 <-> FM08


Dave WB4IUY
www.WB4IUY.net

CQ WW VHF Contest - 7/16-17!

This weekend is the CQ WorldWide VHF contest. It runs from 18:00Z Saturday 7/16 through 21:00Z Sunday 7/17. The full rules for it can be found HERE . Dust off your 2m & 6m rigs and get on the air. You can work all modes, and even FM... The only prohibited FM frequency is 146.52, the USA National Simplex Frequency, but all other standard simplex frequencies are acceptable like 146.49, 146.55, and 146.58. The contest exchange is [Callsign & Grid Square], signal reports are not necessary. Hope to see you on the air!!

Dave Wb4IUY
www.WB4IUY.net

Reactivate Your 2m SSB Station!

I got my first taste of 2m SSB back in 1991 when Dave Wood W4EJ (then WB4KPD) demonstrated his 2m SSB station to me and I saw all the contacts he made on that band/mode. I looked around for something to fit my tight budget and get me on the air, and finally did so on June 14, 1992. My wife and I lived in an apartment in Wilson NC, and we were allowed to install a small tower there. I was using an old Heathkit SB-500 2m Transverter with my Heathkit SB-301 rx & SB-401 tx. It cranked out about 100 watts, and the receiver was fair to "so-so". The antenna I used was a Cushcraft 17B3 up about 50 feet, fed with a chunk of 9913 coax. It worked well, and I was very surprised at how many people were on that band/mode combo. I made contacts all up and down the east coast, and half-way out across the midwest. I had a blast, and was fairly active on 2m SSB until around June of 1993, when we bought a new home and moved.



Time marched on...I put up a somewhat larger tower at my new QTH, but didn't get around to putting up my 2m SSB antenna and getting back on 2m SSB until January 19th, 2008. WOW... I didn't realize how long I had been off the air, until I thought about it a bit. Once back on, I heard almost no one. I thought perhaps I had a feedline or antenna problem, or some issue with my transverter due to having been off the air so long. I did feedline loss tests, checked my gear our for rx sensitivity in the workshop, etc..but all seem OK. My antenna was now at about 117', about 67 feet higher than before. My QTH was in a much better location...now at 375' above sea level, whereas the old QTH was only about 100' asl.



I continued to listen constantly, call CQ on a regular basis, work the contests, etc. I worked stations from time to time, and worked some good ones many states away. I finally came to realize that there simply aren't as many people on the air on 2m SSB as there were in the early 90's. I've worked many people on 6m and HF, and have asked about their 2m SSB capability. Many reported things like "I took down the antennas because there weren't enough people on to talk to", "I haven't turned the rig on in years", "I never hear anyone on", etc. I've established that there are many, many hams out there with the equipment and antennas that simply don't switch them on.

What prompted me to write this? It came to me this morning, after working the only person I've heard on today, and listening to him call CQW for the last hour with no other responses. 2 points I felt were important to remember were:

1- If no one turns on their rigs, there will be no one to make contact with.

2- The band is quiet in most cases...turn your rig on, set the squelch lightly (if your rig has an all-mode squelch, mine doesn't), or turn the volume down low. You'll be able to hear when those lonesome ops are calling, and start making contacts again on 2m SSB!

Lastly, try to get on a make a few contacts in the sprints and contests. It's a great time to find activity at it's highest, and the activity is much appreciated by all ops. Get back on 2m SSB and let's QSO!!

One note... It's not expensive. I "upgraded" from my 60's vintage Heathkit transverter to a late 70's vintage Icom IC-211 & Vocom amp that gives me about 50 watts output from an all solid-state station with a good receiver. I know, it's still old stuff, but I got the entire station for $100 and I work everything I hear anyone else work...maybe not as good, maybe I have to call a few more times due to my weaker signal, but it still gets the job done (on the cheap!)

73 es cu on 2m SSB!
Dave WB4IUY
www.WB4IUY.net

2M SSB wide open this morning!

Just a 'heads up'... With hurricane Earl coming up the coast, along with it comes serious VHF/UHF tropo propogation. I just worked EL98 (Apopka, FL) from FM 05 (Youngsville NC) with 50w on 2m SSB. 59 sigs, easy contact. I don't have 432 SSB, but N4TUT in EL98 reports 432 sigs from Charlotte NC booming into his area as well. Get on the air!!

VHF Hot on East Coast!

I don't know what's going on with these strong openings, but I'm glad to see them! 2m SSB is running strong again this morning from Va to Fla on the east coast. Get'm while you can!

2M WIDE Open on east coast!

Holy smokes...look at the VHF propogation map at http://www.mountainlake.k12.mn.us/ham/aprs/path.cgi?map=na ...the whole east coast of the US is red hot for 2m ssb action!