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Call Sign : 26-CT-4221 Posts : 14 Times Thanked : 0 Join date : 2021-08-07 QTH or Location : Wirksworth Equipment Used : President McKinley on base station. Thunderpole 5.
Subject: SSB in Derbyshire Mon Aug 09, 2021 2:08 pm
Hi all, this is my first post here and the first time in many years since I used CB. There are a few of us in and around where I live who would like to contact each other and we're setting up with SSB capability. Using a McKinley and a 1/2 wavelength antenna, and being as how I'm the first one to have set up a rig, I realise how few there are out there nowadays. I mostly get foreign users on upper or lower skipping through chiefly on LSB 30 to 40 channels. Could anyone suggest the easiest way in which to talk to more local users? I might add that we have a lot of hills here in the Dales and although my antenna is mounted on a 6 metre pole, line of sight is very limited.
Alan Pilot Major contributor
Call Sign : 163-CT-220...MW7TTA Posts : 2510 Times Thanked : 69 Join date : 2019-11-19 QTH or Location : Anglesey North Wales Equipment Used : Yaesu FT-991A,,Yaesu FTDX-10,,Icom ic-7300,,Anytone AT-D878UV PLUS",,LINCOLN II+. Age : 150
Subject: Re: SSB in Derbyshire Mon Aug 09, 2021 2:44 pm
Hi Peter That is how it is now on cb. Many are returning to the hobby but it is slow. Conditions are getting better for the long distance dx contacts as the cycle goes. I am on my own around here but the odd one does pop up now and again and hope more return soon. Regards Alan.
awake1 New Member
Call Sign : 26-CT-4221 Posts : 14 Times Thanked : 0 Join date : 2021-08-07 QTH or Location : Wirksworth Equipment Used : President McKinley on base station. Thunderpole 5.
Subject: Re: SSB in Derbyshire Mon Aug 09, 2021 2:56 pm
Hey great, thanks Alan for the reply, I guess I'm just going to have to be patient! It's my first experience of side band, just a little frustrating listening to continental broadcasts with nothing from the UK. What do you reckon would be the chances of local comms with intervening hills. Anglesey's not so bad for that I guess, although Snowdonia's nearby.
Guest Guest
Subject: Re: SSB in Derbyshire Mon Aug 09, 2021 5:53 pm
Hi awake1,Sideband can be like that at times with nothing but hiss on all bands then alive with activity the next.First you could start with UKFM but that beats the point of SSB.Try high band 27.555 USB as this may be the international calling channel but everyone from the UK is doing the same but calling the other way.Especially if there’s a lift on and short skip is on the cards,speaking to Scotland,Wales and Ireland is fantastic.I also do this on Mid block Am.Then there’s repeaters as an example 26.955 low band FM which is in Ottenstrein Niedersachsen Germany,One minute it’s Germans talking the next it could be someone in Devon,Just call out your know when the repeater is open because your head your own voice back. (slightly confusing at first but also a good indication the band are opening.Mid Block Fm 27.285 is another but in Spain.Then are there any Radio nets in your part of England and they don’t even have to be close because all we’re trying to do is see how far across the uk and beyond we can reach.Don’t get disheartened because it’s just being on the right frequency at the right time and ignore the echo mics and hello hello hello.. Hope that was of some help Cheers Tom. 26 CT 4029
Alan Pilot Major contributor
Call Sign : 163-CT-220...MW7TTA Posts : 2510 Times Thanked : 69 Join date : 2019-11-19 QTH or Location : Anglesey North Wales Equipment Used : Yaesu FT-991A,,Yaesu FTDX-10,,Icom ic-7300,,Anytone AT-D878UV PLUS",,LINCOLN II+. Age : 150
Subject: Re: SSB in Derbyshire Mon Aug 09, 2021 6:32 pm
Peter Request a call sign and shout back to the "continental broadcasts" that's the fun side of ssb. As Tom say's try the FM and see where you get.
awake1 New Member
Call Sign : 26-CT-4221 Posts : 14 Times Thanked : 0 Join date : 2021-08-07 QTH or Location : Wirksworth Equipment Used : President McKinley on base station. Thunderpole 5.
Subject: Re: SSB in Derbyshire Mon Aug 09, 2021 7:29 pm
That sounds like great info Tom, just what I was looking for, thank you, I'll give those things a go tomorrow. Once more into the breach Alan, I got a really clear bit of skip from France yesterday on FM, I was surprised at the clarity!
John123 CT Directors
Call Sign : 26CT763 Posts : 4077 Times Thanked : 145 Join date : 2019-06-27 QTH or Location : Manchester Equipment Used : Optima, Superstar 360fm, Stalker 9fdx, President Jack Age : 50
Subject: Re: SSB in Derbyshire Tue Aug 10, 2021 12:06 am
Hello Peter,
It is the main problem with living in an area like the Peak District. I live in the North of Derbyshire in Buxton and it is a real dead zone for radio. Even without the high noise level, groundwave on cb is less than 10 miles for me, from home. To that end, I have been a mobile only station for the last decade.
The upside is I can be 1800 feet asl with zero noise after a five minute drive from home.
Good luck.
awake1 New Member
Call Sign : 26-CT-4221 Posts : 14 Times Thanked : 0 Join date : 2021-08-07 QTH or Location : Wirksworth Equipment Used : President McKinley on base station. Thunderpole 5.
Subject: Re: SSB in Derbyshire Tue Aug 10, 2021 7:23 am
Just up the road from here then John, I'm hoping that I can reach a little further with side band than I would be doing on straight CB. I have friends in Bakewell and even nearer to me but don't yet know how much difference 12 watts makes because they're not set up yet.
Ciao John
John123 likes this post
Alan Pilot Major contributor
Call Sign : 163-CT-220...MW7TTA Posts : 2510 Times Thanked : 69 Join date : 2019-11-19 QTH or Location : Anglesey North Wales Equipment Used : Yaesu FT-991A,,Yaesu FTDX-10,,Icom ic-7300,,Anytone AT-D878UV PLUS",,LINCOLN II+. Age : 150
Subject: Re: SSB in Derbyshire Tue Aug 10, 2021 7:29 am
Morning Peter Radio is a strange beast in many way's. An old m8 of mine has recently got his Ham licence. He lives 20 miles away from me and on 20m ssb we can't hear each other but on FM we can. Strang things radio waves lol.
awake1 New Member
Call Sign : 26-CT-4221 Posts : 14 Times Thanked : 0 Join date : 2021-08-07 QTH or Location : Wirksworth Equipment Used : President McKinley on base station. Thunderpole 5.
Subject: Re: SSB in Derbyshire Tue Aug 10, 2021 8:16 am
Morning Alan, yes I guess they are, I'm just hoping that they can do quite a lot of bendy things.