VHF simplex QSOs

When I’m out and about mobile, I generally have at least one VFO scanning about 40 channels on 2m and 70cm. The 2m FM calling frequency (145.500) is one. But generally, I seem to end up making QSOs via the repeaters. This works well and I have lots of fun and interesting contacts.

This weekend I decided to leave one of the VFOs on 145.500 and make lots of CQ calls! It yielded a couple of decent contacts. Yesterday, from one of the lanes around the village, I worked a SOTA station M0TUB/P on the summit of Cleeve Hill near Cheltenham. And today, when I was driving back from Mum’s near Cheltenham, I had an excellent QSO with Giles G0NXA across the town and up and over the Cotswold escarpment. I wonder if a few CQs on 145.500 on the daily commute will bear any fruit?

Tim Kirby, G4VXE, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Oxfordshire, England. Contact him at [email protected].

One Response to “VHF simplex QSOs”

  • Stephen Slater G0PQB:

    I regularly work the local and not so local repeaters from my QTH on the north west side of London and can work through twelve repeaters on 2 metres and 70cms and 70cms seems more active than 2 metres these days. Some good contacts and friendships made as well. But simplex is so quiet and also I am just venturing on to 6 metres with a repeater about fifteen miles away but it is so so quiet. Nevertheless I enjoy it and am always learning from it.

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