I’m sure I’m not the only one who has heard other amateur radio operators say the art of simplex communication with other hams is dead. While it is true that there is a lot of traffic on the repeaters, at least in my area, there are those of us that use 2m/70cm simplex almost exclusively.
What you see in the picture above is my Kenwood TM-V71A tuned to the national simplex calling frequencies for the 2m and 70cm bands. I often monitor the national simplex calling frequencies while I’m doing other chores around the house or while sitting and reading a good book. In fact, right now while I’m typing this blog post I’m monitoring these two frequencies.
My favorite part about simplex is that I don’t have to use a repeater. I prefer talking one on one with someone and over time have developed what I call “radio friends”. These are the people that live within a 25 or 30 mile radius of my house. I’ve been a ham since 2018 and have about 10 people that I talk to on a somewhat regular basis using simplex. Sometimes we might talk for 2 minutes and other times we might talk for two hours or more. There are really no set rules.
Speaking of rules, the lack thereof is another reason I’d rather talk to someone on simplex. I find that most people only get on the air during a net. Nets are great if they’re something you’re into. I’m a member of the Vagabond Ragchew Net out of Winston Salem, North Carolina. It’s a net that takes place five days a week. I rarely miss a day of listening, but I very rarely check in. I just don’t feel the need.
Simplex also allows me to use more of the features offered on my Kenwood TM-V71A. I like turning the knobs and pushing the buttons. I like going thru the menus and setting up the radio for different uses. It might sound ridiculous to a lot of people, but one of the most exciting things I’ve done regarding ham radio is driving around my area trying to see how far I can go from the house and still be able to talk with someone at home.
So far, I know that I have a very reliable radio signal within a 6 mile radius. After those 6 miles I know where just about all the dead spots are within a 15 mile radius. It took me at lease a year of driving around the area whenever I could to figure out where those spots are and I enjoyed every minute.
It’s my hope that more and more people will start using their dual band radios in simplex mode. I figure we all might as well get some simplex practice in because at some point the repeaters may not be there.
See you on the radio,
K4HBW
