"Eric Greenwell" wrote in message
...
Tim Ward wrote:

As to why you'd carry one, it's not that unusual in the western U.S. to
be
able to hit a repeater but not a cell phone site, at least on the
ground. A
dual band (2m/70cm) HT with a collapsible gain antenna and the ARRL
repeater
guide can be useful.

If you want to chit-chat, it leaves the crowded air-band frequencies a
little less congested.

Well, I'd certainly vote for less chit-chat on 123.3/.5, but are people
getting these in addition to or instead of an aircraft radio?

Hmm. I was using them XC in hang gliders, so it was typically instead of.
Hang gliders may be a special case, because we usually had more than one
pilot to a retrieve vehicle. So small groups of pilots find it useful to
have their "own frequency".

When I used 70 cm in my glider, it was in addition to.

Since there's now an HT that is both airband and 2m, there's no reason it
couldn't be in addition to, even if the HT is the only radio in the glider.

And how
much chit-chat is on the 2 meter bands they'd be using from 10,000',
where they'd get much more range than the hams on the ground? Does that
bother the hams?

Well, done correctly, the pilots ARE hams. Notice I'm not saying everyone
should just go out and buy a radio. Getting a Technician ticket is not
hard, and will (probably) teach you how to operate without irritating other
hams..
Hams use 2m when driving and hiking and biking and all sorts of things. I
don't see why hams shouldn't use 2m flying gliders (though in some countries
it is not legal to operate aeronautical mobile). But there are lots of
simplex channels, and if you stay off of the simplex calling frequency, it's
unlikely to be a problem, especially in remote areas.

OTOH, calling up as aeronautical mobile is enough of a novelty to get some
attention. Some of my ham friends have wondered about the weird "alternator
whine" of the vario in the background.

Tim Ward