Any 4 Metre activity in North Staffordshire?

[G1DRP]

4 Metres is a band that I have no experience of apart from on a regenerative receiver I built in 1980.
The band is of great interest to me as it should be free of those CB operators that have popped up on 2 metres in recent years.
I don't want to buy a rig and then end up not being able to enjoy it becauae nobody is on in my area. I've just made that mistake by buying an Icom IC-E92D,only to find out that DV mode is all but dead around here.
I'm thinking about a PFX as I have quite a few accessories.
73,
Ian
G1DRP

[G3TCU]

Hi Ian,

There's clearly a good deal of activity in your area. If you look at the list of claimed scores for the 30/3/2010 UKAC for example, 13 of the 35 stations listed are in IO83. But you may also notice that the majority of people are using significant power and horizontally polarised beams. I've probably had about 500 QSOs on 4m in the past year and less than a dozen of them have been on FM (and I have a dedicated FM rig and a separate vertically polarised beam at home). I fear you would be disappointed with the apparent activity if you get equipped for FM only.

Best 73, Phil G3TCU

[G1DRP]

Hi Phil,
Thanks for your reply.
I'm not really keen on ssb or DXing, so I'll probably stick with what I've already got.
I have a 2 metre halo in my loft and I do surprisingly well with it.
I'm just trying to rekindle my interest in amateur radio before the hobby dies completely.

Cheers,
Ian

[G8NYZ]

A fair bit of FM activity on 4m round N. Staffs.
You won't hear too much on 70.45 though, most activity is on 70.40.

[GW8ASD]

I'm just up the road from you in Wrexham.
About 60km away.
As Phil says, there is a fair bit of activity in this square, but, like Phil, I rarely use FM having only had around 80 FM QSOs out of a total of about 2,000.
Even those were, horizontal polarisation and around half in excess of 200km with some over 1,500km.

I'm not much of a local chatter, as you can see.

Cheers

Tony

[G1DRP]

Hi Tony,
we have worked on 2M SSB. I use an FT290 and a loft mounted halo.
It works remarkably well for such a modest setup.

[GW8ASD]

Hi Tony,
we have worked on 2M SSB. I use an FT290 and a loft mounted halo.
It works remarkably well for such a modest setup.

It was reasonable copy on 2M.
Perhaps a halo on 4M, I use one for portable when I can't be bothered with the beam, and a transverter?
That, and a vertical for local FM would be fine.

Cheers

Tony

[G0UWK]

4 Metres is a band that I have no experience of apart from on a regenerative receiver I built in 1980.
The band is of great interest to me as it should be free of those CB operators that have popped up on 2 metres in recent years.
I don't want to buy a rig and then end up not being able to enjoy it becauae nobody is on in my area. I've just made that mistake by buying an Icom IC-E92D,only to find out that DV mode is all but dead around here.
I'm thinking about a PFX as I have quite a few accessories.
73,
Ian
G1DRP

I was qrv on 4m for the last 3 years, there is now one less in IO83 I just decided to go QRT off the band and removed my 7ele yagi on Sunday Can't be far from you, QRA here IO83VC- Kidsgrove.