Of course… most people who know me won’t be surprised that I have decided that one handheld wasn’t quite enough. I suppose it could have been. But I realized I really do want to stay engaged with the local ham community, such as it is. And for keeping tabs with the local community of course I need a 2m/70cm mobile rig to hook to my dual band antenna that is still in the attic.
So, tomorrow I go pick up my new ICOM ID-5100. And yes… I’m having to buy a new power supply to replace the three that I gave away.
Now, with the ability to scan all the local repeater frequencies… I’m more likely to catch the little bit of activity that does take place.
I will add… just before I sold most of my gear, I had been participating in a couple of local nets that I really enjoyed. One was a 2m SSB net. The other was a 6m net on a local repeater system. This stuff was kind of fun. But it sure doesn’t justify having a rig that does 2m SSB or one that does 6m considering that both of these modes are dead as a doornail when those nets aren’t happening.
To be honest… I was right on the edge of deciding whether or not a regular FM 2m/70cm radio was worth it. Normally, ten times out of ten when I call out on a repeater, I get nothing. But having the radio will at least allow me to contribute to the activity level. And I like that.