10M FM repeater activity

[Matt285]

I was curious. Does anyone hear any 10M repeater activity where they live? Thanks

[ThaDood]

Not in SW WV anymore. The repeater owners don't believe that it's worth keeping them up today. This is ironic, since most HF rigs sold today now include 10M FM with splits and CTCSS, so 10M FM repeater capable rigs today are more plentiful than ever. I went with building a 6M FM over a decade ago, since there seemed to be more of a desire for it. Unfortunately, 10M FM duplexers are huge, very expensive, and those rack mountable Fiplex Helical Duplexers are riddled with losses and other problems. Not many people want the sophistication of split RX / TX separation sites either. So, we still have activity on 29.6000MHz FM National Simplex. But, when Sporadic "E" happens, I keep my scanner on the 10M FM FREQ's to let me know of band openings. At least there are some 10M FM DX repeaters to still work. That one in Dallas / Ft Worth, TX on 29.660- comes in often. So, use those repeaters when you hear them. Now, if we can get the FCC to fully allow Tech Class HAM's to have full privilege to 10M FM. That could be a game changer.   

[R4002]

The 10 meter FM frequencies are good indicators of a band opening on 10 meters/11 meters as well as a potential VHF low band (30-50 MHz) band opening. 

29.600 MHz is a good place to start for FM activity, then the repeater pairs

29.620 MHz
29.640 MHz
29.660 MHz
29.680 MHz

are good for scanning during a band opening.  I often include down to 29.5 MHz when I do a VHF low band scan for VHF low DX skip in FM mode. 

A few years ago there was actually a local logging company that used 29.625 MHz (also logged as 29.620 MHz) for truck-to-truck comms (they were using what they thought was a clear frequency on their export 11 meter CB rigs).  Whoops. 

I will also say, however, that I hear FM activity on 11 meters when the band is rolling too - and not just the UK FM CB frequencies with the 1.25 kHz offset (27.60125 MHz - 27.99125 MHz in 10 kHz steps).  I've heard FM freebander traffic on 27.505 MHz, 27.600 MHz and a couple other frequencies and the stations were US based.  27.600 MHz translates well from 29.600 MHz as a FM calling frequency. 

Speaking of FM repeaters - there used to be a linked FM repeater network of four 11m 27 MHz FM repeaters in the Caribbean on 27.620 MHz, 27.640 MHz, 27.660 MHz and 27.680 MHz.  They used a +200 kHz offset and even included a 88.5 Hz CTCSS or PL tone.  They were linked together (so keying up one would key up the other three and give you simulcast capability)...not sure how they were linked but I imagine it was VHF/UHF. 

Here's a video of the network being keyed up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pWB17LzsHk

Unfortunately it appears that all of these repeaters are now off the air. 

There are others, however.  Apparently there is a German 11m FM repeater system - input frequency is 26.565 MHz FM and output is 27.405 MHz FM (26.565 MHz is German CB channel 41).  In other words, a -840 kHz offset  -  -    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpfFs4M_U1c

I'm sure there are plenty of other 11m repeaters out there.  I've seen evidence of cross-band setups in the USA using MURS or FRS / 11m crossband systems.  Here's one example of FRS channel 3 - 462.6125 MHz - patched to 11m frequency 26.935 MHz as a repeater system (at least as a proof of concept)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNMiiyI7WQw

That being said, simplex repeater seems to be more popular, especially in Europe and Russia. They are easy to put together. There are dozens of 11m FM simplex repeaters operating in Russia and elsewhere in Europe.  There's apparently one on 27.205 MHz FM in Sweden that features DTMF-controlled playback and other options.  The 27.205 FM repeater has apparently been heard/hit in dozens of different countries...

Other known 11m FM simplex repeaters include:

26.965 MHz FM - Channel 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDI5T-_z7qQ

26.985 MHz FM - Channel 3 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOWxgc9lRrk - this one has been noted by several other operators too

27.275 MHz FM - Channel 27 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgYlzLPH5Jk

27.305 MHz FM - Channel 30 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1QQlvwFAD0 - possibly more than one on this frequency?

27.415 MHz FM - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r82nX0QuIcw and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcW1IFBGnsw - assuming this is the same repeater it was heard in Poland and Australia!

27.675 MHz FM - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6__XiVyTvk

[Stretchyman]

W1OJ.

Worked Mehico from the UK via this repeater years back. Last seen in 2010. A sad loss.

Str.

[Rob.]

Yes, W1OJ is long gone... It was a good one in its day. Here are a couple in the NE US:

Marlborough, MA    29.680    131.8    W1MRA    22.4W    Minuteman Repeater Association    O 131.8x
North Providence, RI    29.640    67.0    N1BS    37.1SW    Narragansett Bay Amateur Radio Club    O 67.0e L(RCI Network)rsx
Dover, NH    29.660    131.8    WM1P    61.7NE    Marden L. Pride    O 131.8

[ThaDood]

Oh yeah!!!! Over 20 years ago Hamburg, Germany had a 10M FM repeater on 29.690-MHz that boomed in with F2 PROP. Je ne c'est pas on the PL tone. Is that still active. About that time, I remember reading about 27MHz Russian repeaters. As big as that country is, I could see why they'd need them. Anyone ever heard them? I may have read about that here,   http://www.alfalima.net/ 

[R4002]

I also remember listening to a 10m repeater out of NYC on 29.620 (I believe...) I don’t remember the PL tone though.  I do remember hearing stations from all over the East Coast working each other on it and via simplex on 29.600 MHz.  The 29.71 MHz - 29.79 MHz, 30 MHz, 31 MHz, 33 MHz, 35 MHz and 43-45 MHz land mobile bands were also lit up with activity from New York that day.   I was hearing all of this on a RadioShack scanner with the stock rubber duck too!  That must have been in 2002? Something like that.

Apparently 11 meters is extremely popular in Russia and is used by all sorts of business and industrial users in addition to hobbyists.  From what I’ve read there are dozens upon dozens of simplex repeaters in Russia alone.  Also the 27.205 MHz FM repeater out of Sweden must have some insane coverage (just going by the number of videos on YouTube!).

Russia’s CB band is 26.510 to 27.860 with two sets of channels, the E channels aka the fives (27.185 MHz, for example, is channel 19) and the P channels aka the zeros (27.180 MHz is channel 19).  Cities did, or do, maintain traffic information broadcasts or services on specific CB frequencies.  I’ve read 27.135 MHz AM is popular as well as 27.635 MHz FM for traffic info service in St. Petersburg.  Wouldn’t surprise me if there were some 11m repeaters there too!


Found another video on how to build an 11 meter FM CB simplex repeater using the SureCom repeater controller.  Looks like this guy is using 27.295 MHz FM.

https://youtu.be/Z5qZCDjMZGA

[Rob.]

I also remember listening to a 10m repeater out of NYC on 29.620 (I believe...)

W1OJ was on 29.620 up here in MA... that might be what you heard. It had a huge footprint.

[R4002]

I also remember listening to a 10m repeater out of NYC on 29.620 (I believe...)

W1OJ was on 29.620 up here in MA... that might be what you heard. It had a huge footprint.

I'm 99% sure W1OJ was the repeater I heard during those band openings.  It was loud for sure, just like the land mobile stuff in the 29.71-50 MHz range. 

[chanito]

Is the Catskills KQ2H 10m repeater still operational? That used to be a beast. Worked a ton of contacts on it, but haven;t heard it now for a couple years.

[Matt285]

That's the one on 29.620?  I'll try to remember to monitor that frequency when the band is open. I actually heard a station out of New York earlier on 27.385 LSB, so there's a chance!

[chanito]

1312 UTC

Listening to some repeater on 29.620 FM S5 signal. Hope it's KQ2H. Spanish conversation, sounds Puerto Rican.


Also some traffic on 29.600 FM S3-6

[ThaDood]

Before I headed out to work, Dallas / Ft. Worth 10M repeater coming on 29.660MHz FM Monday evening, around 23:00UTC. As far as I know, no PL on this machine, and it get a hell of a lot of traffic, as well as various local 440MHz links. Yeah, figures... Always the propagation starts up when you don't have the time to work it. Right???

[n6spp]

Hi group-

I heard and opened the KQ2H/R a few times during the Spring (2020) Es Season.
73, N6SPP-CM98, nr SFO

[Matt285]

Wow, that's quite a trip for FM. With the band opening here and there I'll try to take some time to listen in the upper part of the band for FM activity.