GBARC Forum

Simplex Saturday
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Sat., Apr. 30, 2022

GBARC will be holding its first Simplex Saturday this Saturday, April 30th 2022.
Purpose:
1. To test VHF communications readiness in an emergency if our repeaters become unavailable
2. Well, alright, to have a bit of radio fun

Frequency: 146.520 MHz, no tone. Yes, this is the simplex calling frequency. Hopefully other hams monitoring the frequency will check-in. We will QSY if asked to do so.

This will be an informal directed net. NCS will be John VA3KOT who will be operating portable using 50 watts into a 2m omnidirectional collinear antenna.

Short notice? Yes, emergencies tend to happen that way!
Please join us.

[quote pid="1352" dateline="1651090889"]
Tested the setup for Simplex Saturday, this afternoon. Radio will be an Icom 2620 dualband; antenna will be a Maxrad MBX-150. The antenna is a collinear 2m vertical (essentially 2 three-quarter waves stacked vertically with a matching hairpin in the middle). The combined height is approximately 9 feet. It will be mounted on a 3ft pole on my truck hitch. I will set both sides of the radio to VHF. If I can't hear you on simplex, try the repeater. My output power from the radio will start at 50 watts. I haven't been able to find a gain figure for the MBX-150 but my effective radiated power is expected to be around 100 watts. I will reduce power if I can to maintain battery charge.
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