I dropped into 11m for the first time in ages with a general coverage receiver. I'm no stranger to VFO but ...
Okay we start at 26.965 Channel one , right ? I actually heard more between 26.500 and channel one than I did in the whole band. More on that later.
That's right the missing channels, frequencies, the "alphas"
the one after channel 3 , 26.995
the one after channel 7 , 27.045
the one after channel 11, 27.095
the one after channel 15, 27.145
the one after channel 19, 27.195
20, 21, 22, are easy , 27.205, .215, .225 respectively
then this mess
channel 23 is 27.255
channel 24 is 27.235
channel 25 is 27.245
So in channel order by frequency 22, 24, 25, 23 Huh ? More on that later.
channel 26 and up are again easy .
channel 26 is 27.265
~//~
channel 40 is 27.405
I'd been away long enough that searching through the band took some seldom used brain cells.
There were more Mexi Fries, towel heads and Commies between 26.500 and 26.965 than all the traffic I heard in 40 channels. It used to be that the reason for freebanding was someplace to talk . Now I suppose it's to not be heard.
The missing frequencies were originally allocated for remote control. That's where that annoying digital interference comes from on Christmas morning.
In the 23 channel allocation there was a two channel space between channel 22 and 23. When the band expander to 40 channels, waste not want not , the FCC decided to fill in the blanks with channel's 24, and 25 before going on to 26.
so
in at 26.965
alpha after 3,7,11,15,19
out at 27.405
22,24,25,23,
or
in at .965
95's and 45's to 195 are alphas
.205, .215, .225,
.255, .235, .245
.265 and up
After all this comes back to me and I'm swinging across the band I noticed several things.
What little AM traffic I heard was no where near center slot. The few conversations I heard I could tune to one and barely hear the other without re-tuning. This was with a 3KHZ filter.
I heard none of the usual 27.025, 27.165, 27.185 trash. I wouldn't have known I was on any of those frequencies if I hadn't looked. It used to be you could always find "the bowl" and count clicks either way n the dark or find 17 by the red neck echo mike and count clicks either side. Times change.
The little SSB traffic I heard was on 38 USB? That conversation was split nearly 2KHz and was about who was on frequency.
I was looking for a memory long gone. I tuned to 7255 just to hear the familiar hate and discontent I couldn't find on 11m and went back to work.
