NEW 10 Meter Radio

If you 'only use 2 Meters", then how did you "encounter all those 'holier than thou' a-holes" on 10M? Ain't it kinda hard to "encounter" anybody on 10 these days since the 'MUF' has remained low for several years.?

I doubt the hams are "holier than thou" to anybody. More strict about rules? I would hope so!!!! Not like a bunch of ROWDIES? I sure HOPE so! I would hate for amateur radio to become anything like CB. I sure WOULD give up my ticket if I had to put up with THAT! Listening to CB for more than 10 minutes drives me nuts! So why am I on it at all?
I use it for traveling. When traffic halts, I turn it on and quietly listen. When I learn which lane to get into..................CLICK!!~ Off it goes, and stays off until the next back-up!

Instead of giving it up, why not go General Class? That opens up a whole new WORLD of DXing and a broader range of people to talk to. And, no, everybody on 75 Meters is not an a-hole------or on other bands, either, for that matter. Like EVERY other encounter, ham radio is made up of........PEOPLE!! It's throwing out the baby with the bath water when you generalize that ALL the people on ONE band are a-holes, an invalid generalization when you suggest by doing so that "all these people on 10 Meters are a-holes", CB doesn't HAVE any a-holes, so I'm gonna justify throwing away my ticket (something you worked for) by making an unfair comparison. You can't convince me that you've never run into 'a-holes' on CB radio! Why, CB radio is only comprised of highly intelligent, perfect little angels? Right? N O T!!!!!!!!!!!

If I run into an 'a-hole' on ham radio, ya know what I do? BE an a-hole right BACK! Just not on the air. I had a control freak, an 'old buzzard' operator and a 'grump' be an 'a-hole' to ME one time. I witnessed a hit and run accident one night at an ice cream joint. I broke the local 2M net to bring up the autopatch (this was before I had a cellphone). As I received permission from the NCS to do so, this old buzzard "pounded" the 'patch right back down saying, "This ain't no 'emergency' and therefore I was not to do that"! WHAT???? a hit and run with property damage ain't no emergency????? It CERTAINLY IS!!!!! He proceeded to scold me on the air and I was livid from both the scolding and the fact that the perp ran and got away before the cops could be called. I said nothing back to the grumpy old codger, but I let it be known on the phone he was not ever to so much as speak to me again or I would slap the dogcrap outta him!!!!! It wasn't the first time he had done this to me as he had taken a dislike to me JUST from hearing me on the air!

The club we were both in sided with ME in the incident and he kept from being kicked OUT of the club by ONE vote! But I NEVER heard him on the air after that, either! Everybody shunned him! Obviously, he had done this to others, too and folks were just fed up with this grumpy old buzzard! HE was a REAL 'a-hole'!!!!!

Stay with it GP.....you'll make a lot of friends, have a lot of fun by keeping your ticket. There's no more 'a-holes' on ham radio than on CB.

GF

 

GF,
I couldn't agree more that CB needs to be cleaned up its a cesspool at best most times, I encountered quite a few obnoxious operators on 10m this winter (during the openings) before I broke my station down and ebay'd all of it.....I really have no desire to upgrade to gain more HF privledges I'd much rather play on 11m SSB when its open....but hey to each his own thats just me, enjoy the hobby.. 73

 

No idea why guys aren't using the radio much anymore I'd say XM/Sirius, cell phones, and texting might be some of it.......I know when the jerks get to out of hand I'll turn mine down.....

 

I use 2 meter a lot. You can find out a lot more info from the locals than you ever will on a CB.

 

Ya know, I don't think I EVER had ANYBODY on 2 meters try to "key me out" when asking for help....EVER? Everywhere I go, I run into helpful hams eager to help a stranger in town, and welcoming me to the local repeater. And 2 Meters doesn't go "SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEE, HOOOOOWLLLLLL, ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR, either!

If you are a truck, and need directions, etc. just ask. Just don't SAY so! Tell, 'em you've got a friend that works there and you were to meet 'em for lunch, etc, etc! No one would ever know it was for business purposes! LOL!

GF

 

Is it against the regs to use 2 meter for business purposes? Would asking for directions while engaged in driving a truck for hire break these rules? Or are you saying you're just more likely to get help if they don't think you're a trucker getting directions? Getting directions from somebody (or a gps, mapquest, etc) that thinks you're driving a car is a recipe for disaster in a 70 foot long truck.

 

Not unless you SAY you are a truck and need directions to XYZ Company's loading dock. If you say you're in town and want to "have lunch" with someone that works at XYZ Company and need directions, who's to know? It all depends how you phrase it!
If you want to be an absolute stickler for rules, YES, it would be----if you SAY you 've got a pickup for, or a load for, XYZ Company, sure it is! But if you don't MAKE it a rules violation, it won't be! Just don't SAY, "I'm in a truck and going to pick up a load!" I CAN see, however, how a truck could get into a fix with such directions. But just to say, "How do I get to XYZ Company" in and of itself would not be against the rules---so long as you don't SAY, Hey, I'm in a truck and I've got a pickup at such-n-such location!"

GF

 

Renew it anyway. It doesn't cost anything to renew. One day you may be glad that you did.

 

Don't wast your money on a Galaxy,Stryker,Connex or Magnum.those things are not worth a crap on 10 meter,they work but there is a much much better choice. If you are going to get your ticket (and still want to talk on the CB ) then get a RCI 2950 DX ( $300.00/30 to 40 watts) or a RCI 2970DX ( $450.00/125+ watts) No echo or any of that crap but you would have a to buy a true ham radio to out perform it on SSB,plus it will cover from 24 to 32 MHz so you would have plenty of freq to use. The RCI radios are intended to be used for ham/SSB and are designed for that purpose unlike the rest of the other "big radios".

OR.....

Get on ebay and find a Icom 706 or a Yeasu FT-100D. These are full blown ham rigs and will cover it all,they can even be converted for use on the CB band with little trouble. At around $400.00 for a really nice one,this would be the way to go if your going ham. Then all you would need is a good screw driver antenna and you can talk all over the world when ever you feel like it!

And you would be shocked to know the number of truckers that are hams. I have talked to at least 20 in the last month.


............the good ole days are long gone my friend