Another multi-faceted vintage radio website has just opened, directed to people discovering or returning to the specialty of AM as well as longtime fans. Please check the range of offerings at www.amfone.net It's where the newcomer running a contemporary transceiver can feel just as welcome as the collector and user of "classic" vacuum tube rigs from the past. <center></center> As someone who has spent most of the past 30 years by choice on HF-AM, I never realized that the mainstream ham community may not be aware of the rising popularity of this heritage mode. A couple of weeks ago I joined a QSO that illustrates my point, and underscores our cordial invitation to others to visit the website. I heard some nice-sounding SSB stations down low on 75 meters, and decided to call in and pass along a report. Each of the stations was running modified, modern gear (TS 870 and TS 850), and the operators had selected external audio equipment intended to transmit a more natural quality to the human voice. That meant getting away from the restricted audio of most "communications" microphones, and it meant spending some time opening up the receiver's bandwidth so more of the voice range could be heard. People have told me that quite a few SSB stations now run enhanced audio with microphones and equalizers from the music and broadcast markets. This was the first time I had heard the results, and I am here to say Way to go! The stations I worked were in New Jersey, (Alan, K2WS) and North Carolina (Tyler, KA0KA/4). Both men had spent a considerable amount of attention to their audio on both transmit and receive, and Tyler said his rig is "flat to 6.2," a bandwidth that is impressive and open. Tyler summed up his interest this way For rag-chewing audio I just can't stand that ear bleeding narrow audio! Neither fellow had been aware of the parallel high-quality audio pursuits of those of us on AM, and it was quite novel for each of them to hear a station transmitting at a level of fidelity reminiscent of the "Golden Age" of radio. Both stations vowed to explore further the AM speciality as yet another way to achieve and enjoy a good sound. With that, we closed with best wishes all around. Then, today on 10M AM, I worked not one but two stations who were getting on AM for the first time. One fellow, Jay, KB5RPL, was previously licensed in the 1960s when most HF phone communications were AM. He recalled that when he first heard "single sideband" he wondered how anyone would be able to listen to it. And while he acknowledged equipment has come a long way since then, there he was this afternoon, on AM, remarking on just how good it still sounds by comparison. The second gentleman, Jay, WB5PGX, had never before been on AM, and just happened by the segment of 10M where a lot of vintage operation takes place. After pushing the mode button, he successfully tuned his modern rig so that it sounded good on both transmit and receive. It sounded like he had a lot of enthusiastic questions about his "discovery," and I directed him to the new website and thought perhaps I ought to pen a little notice here on QRZ.com. Thoughts? Comments? Here's hoping you'll not only sample this nostalgic mode and activity, but that you will also tell others it's out there for your enjoyment. Even if your regular thing is some other activity, I believe it will be a pleasant ride through some radio history to remember -- in real time -- the sound and the fun of old time radio. Mod-u-later Paul/WA3VJB
<center>Sat, 23Mar List of AM Stations Worked:</center> 1155 GMT 29.030 I8YGZ, Pino at Pompeii, 50km S. of Naples, running 6SN7 into a 6V6 modulating a 6L6 that he built in 1965. EI9AB, Ken, Crosshaven Ireland, trapped vertical 30W G3WCQ, Rich, Coventry (2nd QSO, much stronger this time) has added SB200 to his TS570D. 90mi NW London. UR5RMI (called in during chat with Rich but was gone by later callback) 1630 GMT 29.050V IK7JWY, Arf, SE Italy, 5 ele Yagi, 40W FT1000MP LA0EM John 15mi S. of Oslo, Norway, "on the Oslo Fjord" TS440S says see QRZ.com LA2JKA Ken, 3ele tribander, Sandefjord is 100km SW of Oslo. Kenwood at 100W G4ERU Jim, audio trouble with his T4XC, audio craps out after 20-25 secs. Fordham on the south coast. began co-working intl stations with John, K6AM in San Diego 1712GMT 29.050 RA6CTNick near the Black Sea "this is a Russian station" Kubana? GJ0USY, Isle of Man, and G4USK, Barry, who was running QRP 10W and a dipole from Winsor, near London. THE MORAL OF THIS LATTER CONTACT: It takes very little to cross the pond and have an excellent chat with folks beyond N.America. For example, I'm using less than 16 feet of wire, 50 feet of coax, and a little bit of rope to suspend the dipole at 60 feet between two trees in the yard! What an excellent time. --Paul/VJB
hello, i've been on fm mostly and using the repeaters snd didn't know if there was any activity on the am band or not, because, when tuning across the band i've not heard anyone on the 29 mc and really didn' stop to long.. thanks for the information, on the am (ancient modulation ) as they are called, although there isn't much substitution for this mode. i came up with the am public broadcast bands, that was all there was in the '40-50s', don't know about the ham bands. didnt have any. have a good weekend, 73 willie ag4hy
A novice question... why is the audio of am so much better? It seems to me that both sidebands of an am signal would carry the same audio waveform, right? I never really understood why it does sound so different freq response wise. Something to do with techniques to eliminate the carrier and other sideband? rick
Of course if your transmit audio is "flat to 6.2" KHz, that means your spectrum footprint (transmit signal bandwidth) is more than twice as wide as normal, too, since your bandwidth is a function of carrier frequency plus/minus modulating frequencies (as well as any distortion). Mark
Hi Rick, KA1EZE, I think your question is one of the most common among people who are initially exploring the reception of enhanced bandwidth signals, don't feel self-conscious. Tradtionally, and by that I mean in the 35 years that single sideband has been the mainstream voice mode on HF, most folks had forgotten that high quality audio requires more than the pinched and narrow bandwidth on which SSB staked its marketing claim. When AM was the mainstream phone mode years earlier, the HF bands were a mess. Heterodynes, splatter and lack of room to communicate really degraded the communications "experience." But, with AM now as a specialty, numerically less common, it has regained a respected place in the hobby and no longer draws criticism for the consumption of bandwidth it needs for quality signals. It must be noted (with appreciation) that it is because most folks are on narrow SSB that we now have room to enjoy in moderation our vintage pursuit. That said, you may have noticed stations on SSB such as the two gentlemen I encountered the other week who are running enhanced bandwidth, high quality audio. They are somewhat at odds with conventional thinking regarding SSB, which generally holds that the mode is intended to be communications-quality which compares poorly to AM not because of the mode itself, but because of the way the radios are configured. There is a direct trade off between extended range communications quality, and high fidelity transmit and receive. Most of the difference lies in bandwidth, although advanced techniques of synchronous detection and assymetrical audio are also factors. So, while the typical "AM" station sounds better, it is because the equipment placed an emphasis on audio quality. And, as you will hear when you come across one of the hi-fi SSB guys, it is NOT the mode of single sideband constraining the quality of audio -- it is the typical "SSB" station equipment which did not emphasize the human, warm-sounding qualities of audio now being discovered and implemented by folks like the two fellows I've cited. I hope this clarifies to some extent. Please email me directly if you have questions or want an extended dialogue to learn more. Paul/WA3VJB
You are correct. The audio in some of these stations is outstanding. I was very impressed. I am in the process of getting an AM station together (Elmac A-54 and Hammarlund HQ-129X with a Heath 201). Hope to see you guys on 3885. Any audio suggestions from the AM'ers would be appreciated. 73's Jim
The AM mode is a great alternative to SSB. It is my opinion that many more hams would like to use AM on the low-freq HF bands such as 75-meters but are reluctant to do so because of "space limitations" for the AM signal in the much overcrowded phone subband. The 75M phone subband could easily be expanded another 100KHz down in frequency into the empty CW-area. There are many nights that I hear one or two CW signals 3600-3700 while at the same time the AM'ers are squeezing three or four QSO's 3880 to 3890. When will the ARRL wake up and find that the mode (AM) they declared dead decades ago is alive and well.....while their sacred CW mode is the one that is really on its deathbed!
Hi! Glad to see a topic on AM! I've been operating on AM for 30 years, and it's a real treat to hear some of the great sounding signals on the band. Some call AM 'Ancient Modulation' - nothing could be further from the truth! Check out: 21st Century AM for some real advancements in AM technology. Also look at The Official Class E Transmitter Web Site for information on inexpensive class E MOSFET transmitters, and Pulse Width Modulators. Take Care and talk later Regards, Steve WA1QIX
A number of us on AM have been conducting coast-to-coast signal tests on 75m this month, drawing quite a few participants. Little did we know, we also are being heard in the Land of Elian.... <center>TESTIMONIAL FROM SATISFIED LISTENER</center> (courtesy: www.amwindow.org.wwwboard.wwwboard.html ) Heard the following stations in Havana, Cuba Sat nite on the R-8 with a wire thrown into the mango tree. Had a S5-S8 noise level. BTW you guys with "hifi" audio punched thru the noise much better than those with "ARRL" audio with the R-8 in synch detector mode. : Station Listing: : VE7KHZ - S9 : KC3OL - Kans (not heard) : WB3HUZ - S9+10 : K1KHP - (not heard) : KO6NM - S9+10 : W2INR - S9+20 : W7QHO - S9 : K1KBW - S9+10 : KA1ZEQ - S9+15 : KB3AHE - S9+10 : WA3VJB - S9+15 : WA1KNX/7 - S8 : W3DUQ - (not heard) : KF6YKZ - S8 : KD2XA - S9+15 : W0FD - S9+10 : WD8BIL - (not heard) : W2ZE - (not heard) : W2ZM - S9+25 : KL7OF - S9+10 and NICE audio : JA1JS - (not heard) ALso heard K9EID but nobody acknowledged him, and K1JJ you were PW, Tom. You Nordeast boys were whining pretty loud about the aurora - but there was no flutter down here and condx were by far the best I've seen since I've been down here. 73 - John W3JN/CO2 Actually, I did acknowledge Bob Heil, but he was gone by the time another callup happened. He was monitored with strong signals here at Annapolis -- Paul/VJB Heil, of course, known for products that encourage people toward improved transmit audio. He, along with Julius, W2IHY, are among the leaders raising the awareness of quality sound among mainstream hams. --VJB--
Being 30 years a ham I've done much of what it has to offer. SSB,CW,RTTY,DX,Contest,Satallite,MARS and now ,finally, AM. In all aspects of the hobby I've found interesting and fun people who are as diverse as they are dedicated. (OF course I've had run-ins with some not so nice people but you get that with any social group!! However...... getting into the Heritage Mode has really shown me a fine core of people willing to share their time,knowledge and resources. It has also given me the means to go back and enjoy the starts of my hobby while moving ahead with new ideas and interesting technologies.(see WA1QIX's post) If you're looking to put a new SPARK into your experience of amateur radio consider AM, the Heritage Mode !!! 73's Bud WD8BIL WD8BIL Radio - Lorain, Ohio
AM has revitalized my interest in Ham radio after being inactive for 10 years. I have always been interested in homebrewing my own equipment. Many of the AMers are also homebrewers. Although most of my AM operation has been on 10 meters to date, I am in the process of building a class E transmitter for 40 and 75. 73, Phil N8VB (formerly KA8FJA)
The following was written for another AM -related webpage we should again mention -- it's a well-done, multi-faceted page called The AM Window <a>www.amwindow.org</a> <center> The VK6 AM Net</center> by Wayne Tangey, VK6FT vk6ft@inf.net.au The VK6 AM Net (3580 kHz, Saturdays, 7:30PM local) is still going along OK. We get mixed results - some weeks two of us and other weeks six to eight. Hey,this is West Australia you know!! (1) The VK3, Victorian Net (3580 kHz, Fridays, 10:30 PM local) struggles along about the same with a few more participants than here in VK6. We have great delight in contacting each other from the West Coast to the East and I have produced a 'special' QSL card to acknowledge the contacts. Stations contacted from VK6 to VK3 include: VK3JIA - Anthony, VK3CTD - John, VK3GLX - Allan, VK3NBI - Peter, VK3XL (mobile) - Mike. Regulars on the Net are Clive - VK6CSW, Martin - VK6BER, Percy - VK6LH (one of the original AMer's of days long gone) and Bob - VK6BA, from the country. As you would be aware, we are only legal to run 120 watts on AM, so DX is a bit rare. If it wasn't for the noise level (I live in the 'berbs' ) I'm sure we'd do better. My current rig is a home brew job with a pair of 807's modulating an 811a, so can run on the limit but mostly keep it about 80 watts rather than stretch things. We have had a couple of higher powered jobs come up from time to time, I've been collecting the heavy metal bits for a higher power project but have been stalled by a recent back operation which hasn't gone too well. I am awaiting another operation on it to try and sort the problem out. We then hope to move out of town a bit and make some real noise! The 'new' younger hams that get a chance to pop in really enjoy the experience. They often end up brewing their own gear up, so it's a real boon to the hobby and home brew in general, which is a bonus. The hardest part is once they're 'bitten' - keeping them interested! I come into a lot of ex-fishing boat type AM Rx/Tx's and put them on 3.580 Mhz. Then I give them away to the 'newies' so that they can come up on air using 'real' AM rather than the psuado AM of the new black box rigs. High powered mod trannies are pretty hard to come by over here, but have a few in stock for my own use at some stage. We have also had some excellent home brewed Solid State (am I allowed to say that) rigs come in, one of which was built by Clive and runs at around 50 watts but with excellent audio quality. It was built from scratch with just a few different ideas thrown together. Possibly the most rewarding aspect of the Net is when an old timer pops up and you can 'feel' the excitement in his voice! It puts a shiver down your spine, or in my case what's left of my spine! In summary the AM Activity in Australia is alive and well. We're always looking for new blood and New contacts. If you haven't got an AM rig let one of us know - we're only too pleased to help you catch the 'bug' and help you to either build one or loan/give you a rig.
<center> The Collins Collectors Association Announces </center> 10 Meter CCA AM net Sunday on 29.050 at 12 Noon central (1800Z). The popularity of this event has really been building the past couple months, and it provides a great chance to try out both new and old rigs on AM, receive and hopefully also transmit !! Just before 1800 GMT you will start to hear callups and hellos from across the country and internationally. The format has been for an anchor station in a given region to "take" the frequency for 5 check-ins, move them through, then hand off to another regional anchor. In this way, stations from a huge chunk of land can be facilitated so everyone gets a turn. We have been "rolling tape" on the festivities to preserve as sound file recordings, since the calendar tells us the band has but so long before the solar cycle and seasonal shifts take the best paths away for a while. Hope to hear you! Paul/WA3VJB Annapolis
First Wednesday AM Night TONIGHT !!! The Collins Collectors Association tonight sponsors a gathering of Collins and other brands/homebrew AM gear on 3880 kc, 8pm local time, for a coast to coast event. This is a chance for people who have not gotten on regularly to put this wonderful "classic radio" equipment through its paces to a very appreciative audience. East Coast anchor stations are myself, WA3VJB, and Joe, N3IBX, starting 0200 GMT. We take it for the first hour, calling up probably two or three rounds of check ins. Then, the midwest anchor, Jim, W0NKL, takes it at 0300GMT (which is 8P local time again) for an hour, and so on, right out to the West Coast. Have a listen, and/or check in if you can. All are welcome Paul/VJB Collins Collectors Association
