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Could I just point out that Wikipedia is an international project, and amateur radio an international hobby? This article is terribly America-focussed. --kingboyk 22:07, 25 January 2006 (UTC) (formerly g0lri)

The article isn't America focused, it was written by an American. I wouldn't call mentioning the "novice" sub bands a singularly American point of view. I have heard stations throughout the world refer to those parts of the band as the Novice Sub Bands. The information is valid and it comes from the US. Do not confuse only having an American's point of view with a POV issue. If you would like to see information from the rest of the world in the article, I suggest you add it. Anonym1ty 16:27, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

I'm too out of touch with the hobby to tell you the truth. Been ex for quite a few years now. 10 was my favourite band, though. --kingboyk 18:32, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

What about History? Any 10 meter historical events happen during your time on 10 meters you can add? Anonym1ty 18:53, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

What about the fact that Novice and Advanced don't even exist as classes in the US anymore!?! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.42.4.138 (talk) 03:58, 2 December 2007 (UTC)

What about it? Just because you can't get a Novice or Advanced class license in the US doesn't mean you can't hold them. They haven't been eliminated. Persons who hold a novice or advanced class license can still hold it. As for the "novice sub bands" They are still called that. They are called that outside the US. They will probably be called that for the next 100 years. Funny thing about names is they stick, even when the original reason they were named something has long disappeared. IU can't think about how many place names around me come from French, Spanish, Native American and even German names... No one here speaks any of those languages anymore... Should we change Baton Rouge, Louisiana to Red-Stick Lewisland? Anonym1ty (talk) 15:54, 16 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Intermediate Frequency (IF) Rig

10 meter radios ("rigs") are often used with transverters - devices designed to shift a radio's operating frequency range - in order to provide inexpensive access to AM/SSB/CW modes on VHF and higher frequencies. 10 meter rigs can be bought for less than $100 during periods of low sunspot activity. Pair one up with a 2 meter transverter for $300, you now have an SSB 10 meter and 2 meter dual band rig for $400, often with better performance characteristics (but far less features) than a $1,000 off-the-shelf HF/6/2/440 rig may exhibit. This also comes in handy when assembling an amateur satellite ground station, as the High Earth Orbit satellites tend to support 2m and 70cm (435MHz) SSB, whereas many Low Earth Orbit (LEO) sats use FM and can be accessed with a standard "handie talkie" ("HT"). The communications always flow in one direction, so instead of spending $2,000 on a radio custom-made for satellite work capable of two-way SSB communications in both 144 and 435 MHz, a ham can connect a 28 MHz - 435 MHz transverter to the 10 meter rig, and a 28 MHz - 144 MHz transverter (or even just a downconverter) to a desktop digital shortwave receiver.

Yes, the operator will have to continuously adjust two radios and rotate the antenna assembly in 3D space (azimuth and elevation to remain pointed at the moving satellite), but the cost will be significantly less, and the operator could choose to take the core 28 MHz radio on the road with them.

Finally, transverters for 10 meter rigs only exist for the bands between 50 MHz (6 meters) and 440 MHz (70 cm). Historically, radios operating at higher frequencies were either too expensive or had to be built by hand. Microwave transverters filled that gap, but must use 144 MHz as the intermediate frequency. Accordingly, projects exist to convert 10 meter radios into 2 meter radios using less robust transverters solely for the purpose of shifting the actual operating frequencies again into microwave frequencies. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.42.4.138 (talk) 05:14, 2 December 2007 (UTC)