‰  NOW 35 WPM  ‰  TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2015 QST  PAGE 95‰

THE MISSING 222 MHZ BAND FM IS A LOW COST WAY TO GET STARTED ON 222 MHZ.
MANY POPULAR RADIOS INCLUDE 50, 144, AND EVEN 432 MHZ ALONG WITH THE HF
BANDS, BUT NOT THE 222 MHZ BAND.  ONE REASON IS THE 222 MHZ BAND IS NOT
AVAILABLE IN EUROPE OR ASIA.  THIS IS UNFORTUNATE, AS IT IS A GREAT UHF
BAND.  TROPOSPHERIC CONDITIONS ARE OFTEN BETTER ON 222 MHZ THAN 144 OR 432
MHZ.  METEOR SCATTER, AURORA, AND EVEN ES CONTACTS ARE POSSIBLE ON 222.
HOW CAN YOU GET STARTED?  WHAT RADIOS AND ANTENNAS ARE AVAILABLE?  WAYNE
OVERBECK, N6NB, HAS THESE SUGGESTIONS IN CALIFORNIA, MOST 222 MHZ
CONTESTING, AND EVEN A FAIR AMOUNT OF DXING, IS ON FM PRECISELY BECAUSE LOW
COST, HIGH PERFORMANCE FM TRANSCEIVERS ARE READILY AVAILABLE.  THERE ARE
COMBINATION 144 / 222 MHZ FM TRANSCEIVERS AVAILABLE NEW FROM US DEALERS FOR
ABOUT 100.  IVE SEEN IMPORTERS SELLING THEM FOR AS LITTLE AS 30 ON EBAY.
RECENTLY, QST CARRIED AN AD FOR A 50 W 222 MHZ TRANSCEIVER FOR UNDER 200.
ON AMAZON THE 55 W TYT TH 9000D 222 MHZ TRANSCEIVER HAS BEEN OFFERED AS LOW
AS 145.  ED.  ALINCO WWW. ALINCO. COM MAKES A COMBINATION 222 AND 902
TRANSCEIVER THAT PUTS YOU ON BOTH OF THOSE BANDS FOR BETWEEN 200 AND 300.
DURING THE JULY 2014 TROPOSPHERIC OPENING TO HAWAII, I WORKED KH6HME FRED,
KH7Y, OPERATOR OVER THAT 2500 MILE PATH ON 223R5 MHZ FM AND DID IT EASILY
WITH LOUD SIGNALS.  NOBODY HAS SPANNED THE PACIFIC ON 222 MHZ SSB OR CW IN
‰  END OF 35 WPM TEXT  ‰  QST DE W1AW  ƒ