AM Phone-- The Slight Return

QSL !!!

I heard you via a node in SPAIN.

You were quite strapping.

Crappy recording -- laptop speaker to cameraphone, but check the audible signal to noise ratio.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73rXSPuts0A&feature=youtu.be


Good luck in the contest.

QSL via the buro, no IRCs

 

I was using a plastic radio, didn't transmit for more than 1 minute and was not ignored by snobs.

Funny how much real radio varies from what gets posted every time an AM topic is brought up here

The band has changed as of 17:15z with only some spotty Euro AM stations making it across now. Western US should pop up here soon.

CT1EHI still charging up the AGC capacitors here 29080. I even hear K2WS on backscatter. He's 100 miles away.

 

Thanks Paul.

 

Hi John / ZL1LPI - you've got it right. What fun it was to build a little 6V6 CW rig and later my WRL Globe Chief. That screen modulator for it was not too expensive but then I really saved my paper route money to get the UM-1 plate modulator for it. My Icom SSB gear works just fine but I still like to use my Apache that I made in high school - it works like a champ. I even use my Elmer's SX-28A.

 

That's too bad. Ham radio ops are usually a real friendly, welcoming bunch, so I don't understand this. Sure, they might have been yakking about their boat anchors, but without inviting the breaker in, they wouldn't know if he had something to contribute to the QSO.
You're right about SSB. Quite a few times an old buddy and I were talking about our USAF days together and the bases where we were stationed. Soon another station would break in and we'd all be sharing our experiences, even when the band started going and one station had to QSP my remarks.
BTW, love the "soy milk" remark!!
Very 73...Joe

 

Am has the best quality audio. It out does anything including FM. I work all modes of transmission, but like AM the best. I have 16 Am transmitters and 4 SSb stations. I strive to have the best sounding audio on the air. My equipment and audio is broadcast quality. There is nothing worse than an over driven ssb station. Talk about bandwith ssb splatter,splatter.K8OF

 

I agree its not to expencive to make am am rig. They can be made out of parts from old am valve radioes. My first was made from 2 ECH81 triode heptode valves. the triode was the xtal oscillator and the heptode as the final, used old tuning caps in pie coupler output. the other valve ,the triode was a preamp for xtal mic and heptod a modulator using hizing or choke modulation. fed it to a windom ant and worked Fiji. So get into second hand stores and get an old radio

Cheers 73 John

 

How often do you get a chance to go back to a different era?

Sounds like 1957 sunspot peak;-)

73
Chip W1YW

 

I still use AM and find it just as enjoyable now as I did those many years ago. In the last 35+ years I've had the pleasure to restore & use many, many vintage rigs. I wouldn't trade that experience for anything!

Has anybody noticed that most modern amateur radios still have AM capability, both receive AND transmit?

Like many others, I have both vintage & modern rigs in my station these days. For vintage AM I usually use a Heath DX-40 along with a Hammerlund HQ-140X. I have a few other BA rigs in various stages of restoration.

But for regular AM operation these days my goto rig is a little Yaesu FT-817nd 5-watt rig followed by a homebrew 100w amplifier employing a pair of Motorola MRF-450 transistors and a built-in single-band (75m) low-pass filter at the output. The little FT-817 drives the amp to about 30 watts on AM which is perfect.

People who do not know better will say that this combo is not good for AM. Quite the contrary actually and I get consistent reports of good, full audio and strong carrier. I've had two stations say that it is clean on their scopes and modulating to 75-90%.

So take your vintage and/or modern rigs, adjust them so that they sound good and clean, and go for it! AM is still rewarding and fun .

 

Tryin' to keep up. Today in the AM log here; DD2VO, IW5EKR/mobile (!), and F6DMD, all on 10m. Heard others, and the fine audio of VE6CQ in there again too. And there was quite a roundtable of the usual suspect AM ragchewers going on 21430 kHz too.

Although I have not heard him this year, my all time favorite 10m AM DX QSO's are with Franco I5KAP on his minimal "BOX", check it out ,

http://www.qrz.com/db/i5kap

I wonder if VK9DLX would consider filling some AM band-mode slots. ;-)

 

I'm all for it... Lets play old days radio... AM... What frequencies are in use 10m and other bands ??? I would love to join in on AM...great memories of child hood...
cheers de Brad VK2QO

 

7280 and above is generally where I tune in on the US East Coast. Almost always a small group on there on Friday night. Very enjoyable to listen to. My current location is a ground floor apartment which makes getting on the air difficult. You bet though that I have both my National NC-183d and my Collins R-390A tuned up and ready to go.

 

Brad, lotsa 10m activity on 29000 to 29050 but nothing in stone.

73
Chip W1YW

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAQqH2DUzy8

Franco has been on again this season. Friendly competition above from last season : )

You're keeping up just fine.

 

Brad,

In addition to 10 meter AM which is usually found from 29.0 MHz and up, keep an eye on 15 meter AM which is often found from 21.420 MHz and up. I had some fun working Franco - I5KAP as he was running his 10 meter Benton Harbor lunchbox rig last fall. His signal was easy copy into Connecticut: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgOdEJyTAL8

Last week I ran into Aldo IW5EKR on 15 meter AM as he was running 60 watts from his mobile station: http://www.w1aex.com/archive/iw5ekr_mobile.mp3

I usually tune around the top section of 15 meters and call CQ during the morning between 10AM and noon east coast time. It's very unusual to not receive a reply.

73,

Rob W1AEX