Getting on Ten Meters
You have your Technician Class License. Congratulation!. Most amateur will start out in the hobby by purchasing a VHF/UHF portable handheld radio, commonly known as a “handy talkie” or “HT”. The newer models are programmable and you can use them throughout the country. With a technician class license, you have full access to any band above 30 MHZ.
Recently I hosted the ARRL Field Day. We had several people discover the magic of high frequency or HF radio (1.8 to 30 MHz). General and extra class licensees have access to all the HF bands. It was exciting watching new hams discover working people who were several states away. There was a general or extra class licensee there as a control operator, so their HF operations were legal. You might be aware that you have access to a portion of the HF spectrum that you can talk on without a control operator. I am talking about the 200 kHz from 28.3 to 28.5 MHz This is in the ten meter band.
Some people say that ten meters is a dead band because of the declining solar cycle. They claim that ten meters does not propagate at all because the sun does not generate enough sunspots. Well, ‘taint so! For the past several weeks, ten meters has been up and running in spurts. It’s just a matter of being there at the right time. The sun itself is not the only cause of ten meter propagation. Two layers of the atmosphere also influence the band. The first is the E layer of the ionosphere. At certain times, electrons separate from atoms in this regen causing what is known as “sporadic e skip”. The other layer of the atmosphere we look at is the troposphere. A temperature inversion occurs when warmer air is trapped below colder air. If you have ever lived in Los Angeles, you are aware with this phenomenon.
Combine these two, and there could be an opening on the band at any time. Ten meters is primarily a daytime band, but one never knows with HF. Sometimes the impossible is possible! During the last Field Day, the author had several contacts (QSOs) on this band.
What kind of radio do I need? As a technician class, you are authorized to purchase one of the “HF +6” radios on the market. This means the radio will cover all HF bands plus six meters. (We’ll discuss six meters in a future column.) You can buy new or used. We have discussed the advantages and disadvantages in an earlier column, but whatever you buy, take a more experienced ham with you. He or she can be your guide as to which one to buy.
There may be one or two handheld radios that offer ten meters. Remember that you are only authorized upper sideband (USB) on this portion of the band. Also consider that by purchasing one of these units, your power out will be limited, even if you can find a rig that has USB. Better stick with a base station.
With your new ten meter radio, you will need a suitable antenna. The simplest antenna is the trusty dipole. Ask an experienced ham to help you build one. Get it up in the air and run coax between it and your radio and you are on the air! There are other antennas that will work for ten meters, as well. Prices range from a few dollars to several hundred dollars.
But before you rush out and build your dipole, consider this. If you have an “HF +6” radio, why not go for your general class license and utilize the other bands available on the radio?
Ten meters is a great band when propagation on it works, and the magic of this band makes it fun to work. Why not consider operating it?
David Harden
KJ4CMY