The AM Forum

10m is open Now, ( 2:10 P, east coast) from central NY to Fla and points west.... noo one on 29.0.....
last night open from here to there....  no one on 29.0, so i went to the slop side and werked......  12m also open, but my mobile ant dont' work on that band......   klc

Gimme time.  I'm just finishing up at work, and I have to drop off a cat (for an animal adoption) at its new home.  Then I have to pick up my Epiphone Wildkat guitar I bought.  Hopefully 10 will still be happening by the time I get home.

73,
Ellen - AF9J

Sounded dead 5 min ago.... there wer a hole buncha bacons a while ago, but, propigation  happin when they happin........   klc

Nothing's doing today, and 10 was dead by the time I got home.  I did briefly hear somebody on 6m yesterday.

73,
Ellen - AF9J

Today, Now, 12P, Eastern  the W5's and 8's are rolling into central NY on my cellar antenna. along with a w8 mobilee....  klc

<sigh!>  Why does it always happen when I'm at work?

Ellen - AF9J
Frustrated 6 & 10m AMer

Don't worry Ellen..... I was working W5s and W0s last nite on 10 slopbucket till 9:30 P.M. edst .  Called CQ YeAAMMM for 20 minutes on 29.010 with no response !

Sounds like sporadic E.  Totally unpredictable.  Most likely to happen during the warm summer months.  We are at the bottom of the sunspot cycle, so we shouldn't expect much out of that band.

When the band does open, why fool around with slopbucket?  Just run AM.  If all you hear is slopbucket activity, zero-beat the SSB station and give him a call.  I always get a kick out of carrying on with a slopbucket for several minutes before telling him I am running AM; usually they don't know it if you carefully zero-beat and your frequency is stable.  Sometimes the SSB station will try switching to AM, often for the first time since they acquired the rig.

And I get a chuckle out of the inevitable slopbucket that tries to inform me that AM is illegal in the 28300-28500 kHz segment.  ;D

We're you blue in the face?

I listened yeaterday numerous times on both 10 & 6m - Nada.  I love Sporadic E, and have experienced some real doozies for Es openings.  But so far, other than a pipeline to 10m this weekend on 10m to Texas on CW, there've been only a few very spotty openings on 10m, and nothing on 6m.  I want to try out the rig I got a few weeks ago (I hinted I might get one a few months ago, when Derb put his FT-101 on the air) - a Yaesu FT-301.  I got it working decently on AM, and I want to try it out on 10 & 12m AM.  I also want to try out the other non-traditional AM rig I have on 6m, my Yaesu FT-620B.

73,
 

Open now 4:30PM EDST to Central PA.   Many beacons, few slopbuckets.

The assumption that when 6 is open, that 10 is open, and/or vice versa, is not always valid. Sporadic E can also happen almost any time of the year.

Looking at DX Summit spots for 50 MHz over the last several minutes shows that 6 is open in the U.S.
http://www.dxsummit.fi/CustomFilter.aspx?count=50&range=50 (http://www.dxsummit.fi/CustomFilter.aspx?count=50&range=50)

Similar time frame on 10 meters shows very little with U. S. signals.

There have already been several openings into Europe on 6 meters. 6 meter openings wait for no one.

Start a thread.

We used to have the shoutbox on here for just that purpose. It was used very little.

Yeah, that's what I used to do last summer, when 6 & 10 were open and conducive to AM.  SOme of you may remember some of those threads.

73,
Ellen - AF9J

Listening on 29.010 Mhz right now.  8:54 P.M. edst
Hearing Missouri on ssb .....

6 is open now, 9:05 PM
VE2 to 4, 5, 0 land
4 land to 6 land
2 land 0 and 5 land
3 land to 0 land
etc. etc.
http://www.dxsummit.fi/CustomFilter.aspx?count=50&range=50

I briefly (for all of about a minute) worked a 2-lander & 4-lander on 10m SSB.  I went to 6, and heard nothing.  10 seems to open in a spotty way to the east and west.  If somebody'd like to try some 10m AM, I'm game for 29.010.  Otherwise I'll keep on checking 6.

Ellen - AF9J

Hmmmm,

Maybe we should try today Mark.  I need to check out the FT-301SD on AM.  And of course, it's a given, that if 6 is open, we will try up there, like we did last year.

73,
Ellen - AF9J

Getting real short skip now.    Hearing beacons along the NJ coast from central PA.   About 250 miles.

6 is also open here.  But oth it and 10 are looking like they;re going to be oof andd on tonight.  I spent 10 or 15 minutes on 50.400 calling CQ.  I think I caught the tail end of the opening.  I checked down on 50.070-50.200 and heard nothing, whereas before I had heard several stations.  10 was also dead.  But, as of 5 minutes ago, 10 was opeing up again.  I'm debating skipping 6m, and concentrating on 10m, so I can get my first AM QSO with the FT-301SD.

73,
Ellen - AF9J

I just put the FT-301SD on 29.0. I heard either you or WB5JCT saying 73.  I don't have the external booster/amp in-line on the '301 SD, so I'm only doing 2 1/2W of carrier, and 10W on peaks (I'd have to crawl under the table, and unbolt the 35 amp power supply's lugs to connect up the FT-301SD, to run the '301SD with the booster/amp).  So, I'm going at it QRP. I'll call some more on 29.0.  6 sounds dead at the moment.

73,
Ellen - AF9J

 

W4's and W5's were pounding in here near Sorrycuse at 1230 AM, local time. multi beacons also.... noo one on 29.000.00 (or 50.4)

klc

10's happening tonight.  6 was spotty for me again, so I went to 10 and called CQ with the FT-301SD (this time, with the piggyback amp hooked up for more power). Aa a result, I had a nice 30-45 minute QSO with Jim, W5JO.  There was some QSB, but he was Q5 copy most of the time. The high bands are happening tonight.  Well, back to the radio for me.

73,
Ellen - AF9J

10m is open now Sorrycuse to ...





28.466  "ten - ten " net opps

klc

Hi all..been reading all this encouraging stuff..tommorow promises rain here in the Great Northeast,,will crank the array around to the South..If i hear anyone it may be Ellen AF9J ..considering the distance and what little i've heard so far..unfortunate that this
part of the East opens up very lite in regards to sig. strength..been getting daily reports via the web from W0TDH..but have not
heard him as yet..in case anyone is wondering..no..nuttin from Europe..at least not AM..yes SSB..but very lite..so far only west
coast Europa..mainly gearing towards the Netherlands most heard..evidently all this E activity seems to favor the southern climes
more than up here..kinda like a bit of trans E thrown in to the mix..
                       Anyhoo..will be around 29.000 from approx. 1300 to 1700 utc..beam looking South..log shows last AM contact on
June 27 '07 with Jim W8AW 4 pages back..it's time..SSB has been filling in for now but..it's time!!  73 de DAVE

Good Morning..well well finally 10 AM comes alive for me or maybe it was time to turn the beam..worked W0TDH KG4ODX KA3TGV and heard about 4 or 5 more between 29.000 and 29.105..all between 1300 & 1655utc..nice!!             
              Back to the workbench to survey the Halli twins..an ear on the rig set to 29.000..73 de DAVE

6 is open here as well @ 13:10 EDST. I'm also hearing shifts in the FM broadcast band (91 MHz). Neat stuff.

Mike

Not sure who I heard on 29m just before noon eastern...

Was on the 75 meter dipole , so I wasn't able to hear real well....

Just enough so I could tell someone was there.....

It's open now, 12:50 eastern to the south and the west of here... noone on 29.000 though....... klc

June 4: 6 meters was open coast to coast, and lots in-between, all day long and into the evening. At 2 AM,  June 5th, it was still open between NJ and TX.

Man, I must be right over the E clouds.  I've been checking the spots for the past few days, and they're all to the east and west of me, and they're working 'em like crazy on 6 & 10, when I'm hearing nothing, or just onesy twosies on 10m SSB.  I've been calling on 29.0 AM, and no joy.  Nobody in my neck of the woods is working anything.  I've been in this situation before with regards to Sporadic E.  Well, we're having heavy & severe thunderstorms at the present time.  Hopefully the storm activity will give you guys some Sporadic E.

73,
Ellen - AF9J

I listened to a few w6's around 1:30A this morning......

Moving up the spectrum...six has been wide open the last couple of days, with east coasters working double-hop to the west coast and easily working both coasts from here in the midwest.   On sideband, of course - why "of course" ?  Because despite checking 50.4 and up and down from there, I yet to hear even one AM carrier, or get a reply to my CQs...

C'mon guys, why let the slopbuckets have all the fun?  Get those Gooney Boxes, Cleggs, and Polycoms on the air!

73 Bob W9RAN

Mark,

Are you on 29.020 right now?  I've been calling off and on on 29.0 for the past 20 minutes or so, while folding laundry.  I went up to 29.020, and I occasionally hear a station jum in and out of the noise.

Ellen - AF9J

Wow..someone threw a blanket over it all..not one peep from anywheres today..yesterday was not any better..could be the sticky wx coming at us soon..2 or 3 itty-bitty beacons right now..
            Only thing for 6 now is the G50..and i'm not about to resurrect that from the bottom of the workbench..anyway just so you all know..daily monitor on 29.000 AM..from about 1300 to 1700 utc..Ellen how come i haven't heard you??
                                                    73 de DAVE
                                                                                                                                                   

I don't know Dave, 

With the exception of a smattering of W4s, and briefly hearing a W3, all of my Sporadic E propogation on 6 & 10m this season has been to 5-land.  I haven't had any gangbuster Es yet.  I have been checking everyday.  Other that briefly working a W5 on 6m CW, there wasn't much last night after work.  And on 10m I really don't bother much with doing Es on SSB, CW, or PSK31.  My 10m Es is all on AM lately.  All I heard yesterday on 10m AM, were a few bits and pieces on 29.020 MHz.  Oh well.

73,
Ellen - AF9J 

I worked a W4 on ssb a few weeks ago, I need to fix up a better anteena for 10, right now I either use a2 wires that are to long ,or the 75 m dipole. I think I'll figure out a way of putting a jumper on the one  wire to disconnect the rest of the wire when I want to use 10.
SHelby KB3OUK

10m is open now 

I'm listening on 29.000.00⁰

klc

I worked a station in NC on 29.0 about 2 hours ago.  I'm on the phone (long distance call from friend out of state).  When I'm done, I'll get on.

73,
Ellen - AF9J

Ellen -

Let me know how you like the Wildcat. I had a Casino a few years back and it rocked. Lots of feedback at arena volume, but nice and crisp. Great for playing Beatles tunes.

I just picked up a used Epi Dot (who can afford an ES335 with a kid in Vassar?). Nice stuff, those Epiphones - unless you get one mailorder - they seem to send all the pretty ones to the retail stores and the uglies go to the Musicians Friend.

- Paul, W2JTD

some WA4 testing, but nobodelse

Well, I just finished having more fun on 29.0 AM.  I sent out a call, and Bert, WA3JYU near Philadelphia came back. He was iffy for a little while (propogation was a bit one-way for us, with me about S9 plus while Bert was near my noise level), but with time, Bert's TS-440, running 20W of carrier, came up to a solid Q5 copy, and we had a nice 20 minute QSO.

Part way through the QSO, I took a pause, and asked if anybody else wished to join in.  Tom, WA3KLR joined in!  Way Cool!  Tom's Viking II was sounding good.  Tom stayed for a few go-arounds, and bid his 73.  All-in-all, a nice day of 10m AM.  I hope to work a few more before I call it a night.

73,
Ellen - AF9J

Disapointing..that would describe the conditions today for us in the Northeast..Hot describes the wx..listened for quite a while this
morning..NADA..as always i will be there again each morning for Mon thru Wed..Thursday big day in our family..new grandchild on the way..#3 for us..Friday take care of #1..what a hoot!!
                    AGAIN ON EVERY MON THRU WED 29.000 AM ONLY PLEASE..ABLE TO QSY AND..if neccesary split mode too..
                                            73 de DAVE

In the morning, I have the beam facing towards Europe. Most of the 10M openings lately seem to happen late afternoon and into the evening. As the spots go up (several years), 10 M in the mornings should provide great AM and SSB contacts.