LowNSlow wrote [snip] "Somebody posted the frequency that gliders use as a "chat" channel. Can anybody here refresh my memory? "
There are 5 channels used by gliders, but they have specific purposes, not general chat, and all except 129.9 are very crowded most of the time, certainly on the good gliding days. Bear in mind that nearly 100 gliding sites have to use just these, as well as gliders talking to car mobile bases - we don't get allocated different channels for each aerodrome. (The channels are allocated by CAA/RA; the uses are as recommended by the BGA.)
130.4 - cloud flying and cross-country location messages only
130.125 (i) Training (lead and follow) other cross-country; (ii) local and other flying,
130.1 (i) competition start and finishes, local and other flying; (ii) training (lead and follow)
129.975 as a control frequency within 10 nautical miles of certain approved sites and up to 3000 feet only - glider site frequency
129.9 ground/ground only.
- - - - - - -
129.9, and perhaps 129.975 also, is shared with other users.
(i) is the primary use, (ii) is the secondary for use when the primary frequency is very busy, where there are alternatives shown above.
These channels are not supposed to be used for some of the things that "chat" might include, but there are people who are not as disciplined as one would like (a trait not exclusive to gliding).
Chris N.