For many hams, the VHF (Very High Frequency) and UHF (Ultra High Frequency) bands serve as their initial entry point into the world of ham radio. However, after tuning in, many beginners quickly notice that these bands are dead and may wonder, “Why is this happening?” In this article, we’ll explore the reasons behind the apparent silence and dive into what you can do to make the most of your VHF/UHF experience.
Because of their low price, most new hams end up buying a Baofeng UV-5R or similar. The function, and use case of of these radios are far different from those of HF radios that most people think of when they hear “ham radio” It is important to keep in mind that when using a radio like this, you only have a range of 3-10 miles typically. You are operating in a very local area. One quick solution to this problem is repeaters!
Repeaters
Repeaters are a great way to increase your range. However most new hams will already know this and will tune into their local repeater, just to find out. It’s just as dead as simplex! There are several ways we can help to change this. Such as searching other repeaters in the area, If you aren’t sure where to find out about repeaters, I recommend repeater book . Listening to everything you can is a great way to find out what is active around you, and learn how people in your area use the repeaters. If you still aren’t hearing anything on the repeaters, there is a good chance that there are many people out there doing the same thing as you! the simple fix to this is putting your callsign out there! A simple “KJ5APW Listening” has gotten me talking to someone many times. The only way to make a repeater active, is to actually talk on it!
Some bands may be more, or less popular in certain areas, if you can’t find anyone on 2 m, try 70 cm. and if your radio is capable, give 1.25 m a shot, you never know who you may find!
The hidden world of UHF
You may be surprised to find out that there are many people that operate in bands well above 440 MHz! if you have the money for it, there are many things you can do in the UHF field.
Pictured are two microwave antennas with transmitters and receivers.
To recap, the best thing to do is to simply get out there and start operating! Whether that be on your Baofeng, or on an expensive piece of microwave equipment. So get out there, have fun, try out different repeaters, different frequencies, and keep on learning! The more you’re on VHF and UHF, the less dead it will be!
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