Amateur radio conversations

[m0lsx]

Too often have i been on 2 mtrs all day and heard nobody, this is a bad state of affairs. In fact i am thinking of jacking it all in and selling up, and spending more time fishing. I have been a tutor for 11 yrs where are all the hams i taught? mostly on mobile phone apps or voip programmes that replicate radio, so what's the point in carrying on?

I am using voip at the moment because you get better QSO's there than on 2 meters & it is moderated, so fewer idiots too. I stopped even listening to 2 meter repeaters years ago & now I only have S20 & a few other 2 FM oddball frequencies in my scanners, as like that, I just get the interesting bits to hear on 2.
The quietness of 2 FM, is in part, because too many have found it's not worth the effort. Why should anyone make an effort to use it, when they can go else where & get what they want?

[brian-w]

.........The quietness of 2 FM, is in part, because too many have found it's not worth the effort. Why should anyone make an effort to use it, when they can go else where & get what they want?

And in reality, that just compounds the issue. People just go elsewhere, leaving the rest of the bands to become desserts where the only sounds to be heard are that of the tumble-weed just rolling along in the breeze. Instead, why not venture out into that dessert occasionally and make a noise to let others know they are not alone in the wilderness, rather than just complaining that 2m or 70cms (simplex or repeaters) are not worth the effort. That is just adding to the problem, not making it better.

Eric - G6FGY.

[m0lsx]

Instead, why not venture out into that dessert occasionally and make a noise to let others know they are not alone in the wilderness, rather than just complaining that 2m or 70cms (simplex or repeaters) are not worth the effort. That is just adding to the problem, not making it better.

Eric - G6FGY.

I am not really complaining, more observing why I no longer choose to even listen to those bands. And on odd occasions I do venture onto 2 meters. For example I very occasionally use 2 SSB & I keep seriously thinking about trying some mobile 2 SSB.
And as I said above, I do have a listen around a few 2 FM channels too via my scanners. So sometimes I do call or answer calls. especially during lift conditions. That is why I have 145.500 on my scanner, so I can be aware of what is happening, but not have to listen to QSO's, just the calls.
I have also been known to put a 2 FM radio into my car when going over to my mothers in Hunstanton. It is on the coast of the Wash & especially on a weekend during the summer, you do get some good QSO's, even, or especially, on the Lincolnshire repeaters. GB3LM for example covers a vast area & can get you some decent QSO's as a result.
GB3LM covers the A1 between Peterborough & Doncaster & from the North West Norfolk Coast up to Hull.
The other point is. There are lots of different bands to choose from, so why choose to use one that simply annoys you, when you could use another band that you enjoy far more?