The AM Forum

So how did everyone do? Not many reports on here yet. Band conditions were excellent on 75 meters early on. I worked about 20 stations in the first hour or so from the east coast to as far west as Wisconsin and Illinois. Things slowed down a bit after that but the band continued to provide both short and long skip coverage.

I checked out 160 at around 8PM and made a few contacts. The band was in poor shape. There was a big group on 1890 but most of the signals were very weak or unreadable. So, it was back to 75 meters until about 11:30 PM when I tried 160 again. Now the band was in great shape and everybody I worked had a big signal. Finally the group petered out, so it was back to 75 meters again. Snagged a few more contacts before crapping out a 3AM.

I worked about 55 different stations (actually over 60 contacts but some were duplicates). Worked at least one station in all the call districts except for 6 and 7, and 20 or 21 states. Bob W2ZM and Gary - W2INR took the prize for the heaviest metal radio at over 3000 pounds. Best DX was Bill - KD0HG. Lots of other interesting people and radios heards - many T-368s, several broadcast transmitters, numerous big homebrew rigs, a couple of ART-13s, some Class E rigs, and probably the most unique, a Mark 214D made in England and operated by Mike - W3SLK.

All in all, it was a great night and lots of fun. Thanks to everyone for participating and thanks to the sponsors and promoters. Can't wait till next year.

  I started in right after 5:00 PM and was out here until about 12:30 AM. Mostly working 75 meters. A total on 75 of 38 contacts in 19 different states. 160 meters netted 11 contacts in 4 different states.
  Dissapointing was the fact that I could hear KD0HG and others out that far just fine, but just could not seem to break into the group to get acknowledged. I really need to work on some kind of directional array for getting out to the west. :-\
  Very pleasing was talking to folks I had not talked to before and talking to others that I had not talked with in too long a time. Convinced me I need to spend more time on the air, not just working on stuff or on the computer! ;)
  All in all, a good evening of fun, suds and fire in the wire. We need to cover 75 with AM more often. ;D

While there were many big signals on,
W2ZM and W2INR were consistently the Channel Masters from out east.
Gary must have had the control rods in his 21E pulled all the way out.. ;D

Towards 11 PM, the temp in my shack had hit near 90 degrees- LOL
The mod iron in La Bamba was HOT
I was getting a sun tan from the bottles behind the glass.

What happened to JJ and the Tron? Did I miss them?

Sorry I missed you, Bill/wtk. Some of the groups were so huge that I couldn't hear anyone.

This year's event was the best ever.

Thanks to everyone.

I talked to Timtron on 3835 at around 11PM ET. He was in there for a short while but was headed for bed. Didn't hear JJ at all.

Amen, Bill.
I didn't spend the 8 hours that I spent the first year, but the hours were high quality and very satisfying.
As far as I am concerned I have already won, just by being there and enjoying the contacts.

Paul/VJB


Here's a sampler among  contacts with Annapolis.

30 contacts... 2 in NY 1 in NH 12 in the midwest and the rest out west..75 meters 25 contacts and 5 on 160 meters.  The tesla 360 carried the load on 75 and the Bc1G pulled duty on 160...Band condx were as HUZ describes with good and bad periods..  I heard the 75 M band filled with AM signals at one point ...I enjoyed the experience ...

Not too bad, considering I was only 'officlaly' on for a couple of hours.  I *>JUST<* missed Dennis/K0EOO and Bob/W2ZN, but still managed to work some piss-weak, light-weight station over in Williamsburg, VA (grinz - You had a GREAT Signal, Steve)) and ol' No Money Mike (KO6NM) out in the LA area of California.

Coast to Coast was good enough for me. ;-)


I don't think I have quite -that- much, but certainly the 140Hy worth of reactor, in 6 seriesed chokes makes up for 250lbs all by them self.  Add a couple of 1500v power supplies, the modulator, final and the rack it all sits in, I imagine it's up around a half-a-ton.



Why do we have to wait a whole year to do this, again?  How about some Holiday weekneds, where there's either the Friday or the Monday off?  We could have heavy-metal transmitters on the air, four or five times a year!  It might not be cranked up all the way, but I run my 'daily driver' (hell, the -only- AM rig I've got) all the time.

Just a thought.

--
73 = Best RegardS
-Geoff/W5OMR

I had a great time despite a noisy streetlight that went into buzzing convulsions every 5-10 minutes.  ::)  Haven't totaled up my contacts yet, but I'm guessing somewhere between 20-30 not counting several duplicates. Enjoyed a long chat with W3JN in McHenry MD and worked Bob 'ZM and the G, both with HUGE signals here. Also 'VJB, the HUZ and other usual suspects as well as some new stations.

It seemed like things were going to be stuck on 3885 early on with a large group there, but folks began to branch out and occupied a number of frequencies on 75 and 160 (didn't check 40). I had planned to give 160 a shot wih the compromise ant, but was having too much fun on 75/80.

Ended up down around 3823-3830 around midnight with Bruce W2XR and Joe WA2PJP where we held down the frequency with Bruce's 1200 lb HB pair of fo-fo hunnerts modulated by a pair of 833As, and a pair of KW-1s. W1UJR joined in later after returning from a night out with his YL and added his 30K-1 to the mix. We had a few slopbucket stations attempt to be nuisances, to no avail. We spent a lot of time talking about the good old days of WSL, WCC, the real radiomen of yesteryear and so on. Definitely not what you'd call 'contest mode'.

I have to say that 2-3 years ago was the best event I'd heard with crystal clear band conditions and stations coming in from everywhere. But this year's Rally is the best for me because I finally got to operate instead of listening only! It was a blast!



I agree completely, Geoff. In fact, I was discussing this with either Paul VJB or someone else that evening. A weekend or several weekends dedicated to the big tube rigs with hopes of drawing out more BC transmitters (didn't hear many this year) along with the HB and commercial gear. I like Paul's "Tall Ships" comparison of the big AM signals we enjoy to big schooners and ships of the past that really stood out.

The current schedule/time doesn't allow for much use of 40M to those of us here on the east coast as the foreign BC starts flogging us by mid afternoon. So it would be great to have several opportunities to focus attention on AM, excellent audio, and the wonderful old gear that makes it so - on several bands.

BTW, I think I heard you talking with Brian 'AMI later in the night. I got to work him earlier just as he was taking a break, but conditions weren't favorable later on. One of these night, Geoff...

Todd I use the phrase a lot, but I think it's an INR production from years ago. He coined that and "widebodies," and I found the latter a bit unsavory.

So whenever I use the "tall ship" reference I usually include the words "sailing" and "airwaves" to complete the imagery.

Or there's this.

(http://www.amwindow.org/pix/jpg/300gmmobile.jpg)

No scale weight on the tonnage here but I estimate the heavy metal weight at KL7OF at 5800 lbs.... receivers and audio rack not included..

I enjoyed my 1st heavy metal rally operating K8H.  Started out with the DX-100 but shifted over to the MT-1, 30S-1 so I at least made the power spec. with my lightweight 208# exciter/ps/amp. combo.  Was a lot of fun and tried to send out cards to all the contacts I had logged.

73 de John

Ray, from Electric Radio, received a grand total of six logs for the Heavy Metal Rally contest. With all the hype posted on the board, one would think there would have been more entries. Winner, and results, are in the February 2008 issue (Issue 225).

Actually Pete,

There was very little hype for last years event. It was not posted on the ER website and only after many asked where the info was on this site did something show up. From what I heard the only place the official announcement was listed was in the ER mag which many do not receive.

I was puzzled on this as in previous years Ray posted the event here on AMfone and it was visible of the ER Site.

There were many stations operating that night, I had a ball and so did many more from what I heard.

True, but there was dialog and interest on this board:
http://amfone.net/Amforum/index.php?topic=12894.0 (http://amfone.net/Amforum/index.php?topic=12894.0)
And 3 pages here:
http://amfone.net/Amforum/index.php?topic=13024.0 (http://amfone.net/Amforum/index.php?topic=13024.0)

Activity yes, but not many took the time to even submit a log, which to me, would indicate a real interest. My point is, "what's his incentive to continue sponsoring the activity?"

Yeah, It is an operating event and the AM community is not much on the contesting stuff.

I look at the log submission and/or feedback to the editor as a sign of support for the activity, especially if you participated,  rather then as "not much on the contesting stuff". Everyone needs a little "thanks", or at least an acknowledgment, once in a while.

Since 1963 I have participated in thousands of Amateur Radio Contests.

I have yet to send a log in on these contests to anyone.

Evidently there exist people who like doing "paper work", I'm not one of them. Those people would probably be well off starting a business selling manuals to other like minded people.

Myself, I don't need a manual to fix anything, and I don't need a record of who I talked to for any reason, or to waste my time accounting for it and sending it in to anyone..

How well a contest went is determined by the people on the air and what they heard. Paper work is BS.

Just my opinion.

Marty WB2RJR

huh-HA !

I mean, amen, Marty !

This reminds me to burn a CD of the best of what I heard at my location. I rolled about two hours o' tape, and I'll just fast forward past the pissweakers and savour the Tall Ships as a sampler to send to Ray as a token of appreciation.

I think that would be a nice gesture especially to hear the signals from the East Coast.

Not sure what the new discussion is here but it brings up a sort of bug in the program.

All the messages after January 2 or something like that are dated "today" so one hasn't a clue what the new message is about without re-reading dozens of today's.

js

No mention in E radio last issue of any logs sent in.
Perhaps there'll be something in the upcoming issue due any day now. 

But anyway it was sure a lot of fun as W8R.  I sent in some sort of cannibalized log but the times were approximate since we had so many round tables.  I can't say the log was any great paper burden since it was so general. Ray probably threw out half my contacts, ho, ho.

I kept a log too Rick as K3V.

Never sent it in, that paperwork thing.

Back when Barry and Bill first developed the Heavy Metal Rally, I cautioned Barry that there would be people who consider the contest mentality the antithesis of enjoyable operating.

In my case, the high turnout and the excellent operating conditions on 75m were all the affirmation I needed to feel like a "winner" in the event.

I don't see any bug. AF1SH made a post today, 2/16, and then there were a series of threads that followed it in response or in further comment.

February Issue, received mine today, 2/16.

Peat,

You take an active roll in Christmas each year I assume. Do you write to Santa?

Not a criticism Peat but I think most here don't look for the lime light, but rather a warm glow on a special night. Keep it up Ray!

Mike

Participant "limelight" wasn't my point, if you read my other posts.

I was a participant in the event as an operating event, but did not send in a log.  I worked LOTS of stations, and was on for many, many hours.

I like the event, and support Ray etal, but quite honestly, if one expects an event to be taken seriously as a (even in fun) competitive event (as I say, even if it's just for "fun"), the rules have to be reasonable, CLEAR and FAIR.  This is, unfortunatly (sorry to be critical, but my goal is to provide honest feedback) not the case with the current heavy metal rally rules.

The lack of logs speaks for itself - people like fair, clear, even and honest rules for contests, even "fun" ones.  Imagine a Cub Scout "Pinewood Derby" (those who have boys in scouts or were scouts themselves know about this event) if the rules said something like

"All cars must weight 5 ounces or less.  The car that wins the most races is the fastest car except if the car used square headed nails instead of round headed nails to hold in the wheels, in which case the next fastest car with round headed wheel nails will be declared the winner except that extra points will be given to the car that the crowd cheers on the loudest except of course cars that made from expensive and very hard to carve Southern Yellow Pine will be awarded one extra point for every race as opposed to cars made from soft Pine (what does the type of pine have to do with the speed of the car?).... "

You get the idea  ;)

Sure, they should perhaps have a category for the fastest car made from Southern Yellow Pine, and maybe the fastest car with square nails and the fastest with round nails, and a special award for the most loudly cheered, and the best looking, and fun "awards" for the worst carving job, etc. etc. etc, but the point is, with standard, even rules there *WOULD* be a FASTEST car, and then there would be winners in sub-categories.  No "but if's" or "except for" or stuff like that.

I have proposed a set of rules in another post for the HMR as a point of discussion (I could find the post if interested).   But, the point of this is:  The current rules do not encourage participation.  The participation is in spite of the rules  :o

Just my .02

Regards,

Steve

I must have missed something "Peat"  How's ur BTU content?  ;)  They say the best is from the highlands.

Oh gads, now I have to wait 'till after Prez. day to get my issue.  Didn't pay for first class I guess.

I agree that the "rules" were really unclear.  Right down to the actual operating starting and finish times (GMT or local time or ??).  If it is going to be a competition, then there needs to be a clear understanding of the rules so that everyone has a clear shot at "winning".

Shame on me!!...I didn't send in my log either.  I really had a great time participating as W9T and it was sure nice to hear all of the great AM activity. 

One reflection that I had, that was also mentioned by others, is that much of the activity was round table QSOs and it was difficult to properly record exchanges to apply to any sort of point totals for actual QSOs.  Again... I agree, if it is going to be considered a competition, we need some meaningful rules for everyone to follow.

Anyway, it was great fun and I certainly enjoyed talking with everyone and enjoying great AM operation.

73,  Jack, W9GT