Notice: 145 MHz activity event in the UK & Ireland - Sat 27th Jan 2024

On Saturday 27th January 2024, there will be a 145 Alive Event with an activity period on the 145 MHz band in the UK & Ireland. It will run from 13:00 to 15:00 UTC which is 1pm to 3pm local time.

This isn't a contest, it's just an activity period where people will be just testing out what kind of range they can get on 2m FM. There should be a mix of stations on the air, some operating from home and some from high ground.

Some of the locations of the control stations are shown on the map above. Activity will be on the FM channels from 145.225 MHz to 145.575 MHz. The key thing is just to tune around, see who you can hear and give others a signal report.

From the IRTS News... "The UK organisers have arranged for a 145 Alive event to be held on Saturday 27th January between 13:00 and 15:00 local time on 2 metre FM. While there is limited EI participation this time, the IRTS plan to arrange a large 145 Alive event later in the year when weather conditions should be more favourable for outdoor operating. On January 27th, thirty control stations will be on the air in the UK and Ireland, including three in Ireland at Ballybay, Co. Monaghan, Clermont Cairn, Co. Louth, and Watergrasshill, Co. Cork. A further four GI stations will be in action in also. You are invited to please support this event."

Upcoming 145 MHz Activity Period in the UK & Ireland - Sat 30th Sept 2023

145 Alive Event... On Saturday 30th Sept 2023, there will be an activity period on the 145 MHz band in the UK & Ireland and it will run from 3pm to 5pm local time.

This isn't a contest, it's just an activity period where people will be just testing out what kind of range they can get on 2m FM. There should be a mix of stations on the air, some operating from home and some from high ground.

David, EI3IXB sends on the following... 145 Alive - The 145 Alive event is coming to Ireland for the first time on Saturday 30th September from 13:00-15:00 local me on 2m FM.

The idea is to promote the use of VHF in a short friendly event, it is also being run in the UK at the same time which should add to the fun! We plan to set up a network of Control staions on high ground around the country & callers to the staions will then be passed on to the next control staion, if there is one within range. We now need clubs & volunteers to help set up a chain of staions around the country.

Please contact David  EI3IXB,email ei3ixb AT gmail DOT com if you can help.

Mount Snowdon worked on 145 MHz...

I made an interesting contact this morning when I worked Dave, GW8NZN/P on the summit of Mt.Snowdon on 145.400 MHz FM. The distance was 200 miles / 323 kms and it turned out that the mid point for the path was over the east coast of Ireland.

On my end, I was using 5w & 50w into a home made vertical antenna in the attic of my house. Dave was using 5w from a Yaesu FT60 handheld and a Moonraker MRW222 telescopic whip. Obviously being on the summit of the highest mountain of Wales at 1085m helps a lot but I thought it was an interesting contact on FM all the same.

After the contact, I came across the SOTAWATCH website which has lots of information about current and upcoming summit activations. It's worth keeping a watch on it if you want to try to make some distant contacts. The website is http://www.sotawatch.org/

Good tropo conditions on 2m & 70cms...Wed 28th Dec 2016

The current high pressure system over the country resulted in some fine conditions on the VHF bands on Wed 28th December 2016. The local Cork repeater on 145.750 MHz seemed to be active with stations for most of the day while a few more distant repeaters were heard as well.

The opening seemed to favour the sea paths and the most consistent repeater all day was GB3WR at about 400kms. I heard this back in November but it was probably stronger this time around with a max signal of about 5/2 on my attic antenna.

A new one for me was hearing the F1ZEE repeater in Brittany also on 145.600 MHz. This has a very distinctive 'di dah dit' sound between overs with the 'dah' at a higher audio frequency compared to the two 'dits'.

The distance was 518kms which is the furthest 2m signal that I have heard so far in 2016. I was suprised to have heard it at all considering the antenna is in my attic.

According to QRZ, the repeater is at 300m ASL with a very good view towards EI.

Relais R0 de l'ARACA22  145,600Mhz en emission shift -600Khz , déclenchement 1750Hz
316m ASL installé depuis 1978 sur le site de Menez Kerespez , 22810 Plougonver, c'est le premier relais installé en bretagne. Antenne 6db COMET à 8m du sol. TX et RX Motorola MC Micro , 40w à l'emission. Responsable du site : F1LHC

It is also part of a larger repeater network in Brittany covering 10m, 6m, 2m and 70cms. Info here... https://f5nlg.wordpress.com/2015/12/28/nouveau-reseau-french-repeater-network/

70cms.......There were two repeaters heard...GB3CH on 433.050MHz and GB3CM on 433.200MHz.

While GB3CH was just above the noise, GB3CM was pretty good at times and got up as high as 5/4. It was also the most consistent signal and was there for a lot of the day.

Other than listening, I had just one contact with GW0PLP in South-West Wales on 145 MHz FM. While Don had 90w into a 5/8 GP on his house, I had 50w into a Slim-Jim vertical in the attic. While we made a contact, the signals were at best 5/2 so it might be time to think about an outdoor antenna for 2017.

Bandscan on 145MHz during Nov 2016

I have been scanning and listening on 145MHz for most of November 2016 so I now have a reasonable idea as to what the level of activity on the band is like. As expected, the level of local activity is very low and is mainly confined to mobile stations calling through the various repeaters.

The only real activity period is after the IRTS news broadcasts on Monday and Tuesday evenings.

This is a map of the repeaters that I have heard on 145 MHz under flat conditions...

These are the frequencies I have heard most activity on  while listening to 145 MHz FM. The set up was pretty modest with just a home made half wave vertical antenna. The signals in Purple are those heard under lift conditions.

Freq. Station
145.400 ... Used as a net frequency near Waterford city
145.450 ... Used as a net frequency in South Tipperary
145.475 ... Packet type signals from the Chinese Satellite Kaituo 1B. Norad ID 40912.
145.525 ... Used as a net frequency in Wexford
145.600 ... FM repeater. GB3WR nr Bristol. IO81PH. CTCSS F 94.8Hz.
145.6325 ... FM repeater. GB3DN. North Devon repeater. IO70UW. CTCSS 77Hz.
145.650 ... FM repeater. EI2DBR. Devil's Bit Repeater, Tipperary. IO62BU. Southern Ireland Repeater Network.
145.675 ... FM repeater. EI2HHR. Helvick Head Repeater. IO62EC. Southern Ireland Repeater Network.
145.675 ... FM repeater. EI2CCR. Clermont Carn Repeater, Co.Louth. IO64UB.
145.675 ... SSB on downlink from transponder on Chinese satellite XW-2A. Norad ID 40903.
145.6875 ... Digital repeater. No positive ID. Might be GB3WE? Weston Super Mare. IO81MH.
145.700 ... FM repeater. EI2TKR. Truskmore Repeater. Sligo. IO54TI. CTCSS 77 Hz.
145.700 ... FM repeater. GB3AR. Carmarthen Repeater. IO73VC. 110.9Hz.
145.725 ... FM repeater. EI2TAG. Tountinna, Tipperary. Limerick repeater. IO52TU.
145.725 ... Beacon on Chinese satellite XW-2B. Norad ID 40911.
145.725 ... FM repeater. GB3NC. North Cornwall repeater nr St.Austell. IO70OJ. CTCSS 77Hz.
145.750 ... FM repeater. EI2MGR. Mullaghanish, Co.Cork. IO51KX.
145.7625 ... FM repeater. GB3PL. East Cornwall. IO70VM. CTCSS 77Hz. ID is 'GB3PL Amateur Radio Repeater'.
145.775 ... FM repeater. GB3WW. West Wales repeater. IO81CP. CTCSS F 94.8 Hz. 
145.775 ... FM repeater. GB3WT. West Tyrone. IO64JQ. Nr Omagh. CTCSS 110.9Hz.

While this list is unique to my location, it should give a general guide as to what can be heard if you are living near Cork. You may well hear other repeaters but this is a good list to start with and it's a guide on where to listen.

GB3WR repeater heard on 145.600 MHz

This morning, I heard the GB3WR repeater on 145.600 MHz. It was pretty weak and was 4/1 at best but the CW id was clearly audible.

At just under 400kms, it is the furthest signal that I have heard this month. Considering I was using a home made vertical half-wave in the attic, I presume it would have been much stronger with say a beam outside.

Still though, it was interesting to hear a signal from that distance. The map above shows the locations and the key is of course the sea path.

Listening to the conversation this morning, the repeater antenna seems to be on a 200ft mast and the repeater site is at 1000ft above sea level on the Mendip Hills to the South-West of Bristol.

The repeater site is http://www.gb3wr.com/

Update 12:45pm: The repeater is still there in the noise. ID on CW is "GB3WR" and sometimes "GB3WR F". The repeater uses a CTCSS access tone of 94.8Hz which is tone 10 or 'F'. I presume the F in the ID is to tell people what the access tone is.

Update 2:45pm: GB3NC in Cornwall (298kms) was there as well at S'3'. CTCSS code 'C' which is 77Hz. GB3CM on 433.200MHz is in there as well. 
Update 9:30pm: Heard GB3WW near Swansea on 145.775MHz. Distance is 316kms. It gave out 'F' after the callsign ID which again ties in with the CTCSS code.