The AM Forum

Just worked Dave - W2ORL and Warren - W1GUD in the Tampa Bay, FL.

FB conditions on 160.

It was indeed FB condition until they were spoiled by the American Qrm King! Good talking with you tonight too Steve. Sounds as though Frost Fest is going to be an excellent one at the new venue. Too bad Timonium couldn't follow suit.

I was listening to your QSO Steve and was surprised at how nice the band was behaving. It was easy listening up here in CT. I had a few contacts about 2 hours later and enjoyed watching the s-meter drop down to S-2 or S-3 as people unkeyed. Signals were running at the 20dB - 40dB level so the random static crashes weren't a factor.

Very nice conditions indeed.

Rob AEX

Great stuff guys... keep us in mind, we're listening every night on 1885...
also, big florida group on 80, 3675 sunday mornings 630am east for 730am net
and Wednesday nights 3675 band usually goes long around 7-730p east

Keep those boat anchors making angel music!

73, Warren W1GUD

I was listening. Both Florida stations were marginal copy here in Beatwood.

AHK finally figured out his receiver was dead. I'm sure all the qwerm was because of that. You have to hand it to him for pulling off that remote thing he uses. S happens.

I wondered if his receiver was broke. How could he NOT hear me!  ;)

There is also a big AM group in 8-land, mostly MI, that inhabits 1885.  At times, I have noticed that one of the AM groups moves down to 1880.

A good thing to have more than one group near this frequency, and I have noticed the same thing occurring on 1980/1985.

Just wish the adjacent AM groups would space out a little more than 5 kHz, to maybe 7.  It's beginning to sound a little like 3880/3885 in the evening.

I was on 1885 later in the evening yesterday, and worked several stations, culminating in a nice long chat with the other Tim Smith, VE6PG, and Dave (can't remember the rest of his KI4 call), a near-local station located in Lynchburg, TN the home of Jack Daniels.

Absolutely! Where does this 5 kHz spacing mentality come from? I purposely moved to 3883 last night to get away from another AM station who decided to fire up on 3890. And then some other AMer tried to fire up on 3880 while I'm talking to the Tampa stations on 3883. WTF?

It's amazing the grief that we cause to ourselves.
Sometimes SSB thinking still takes place. Or folks operate their receivers in the 4kc position.

Fred

I suspect guys who operate crystal controlled set the spacing for channelization, since they don't buy rocks for every kc.

I suppose but there can't be that many people running crystal control. Even if there were, it's not a good excuse. VFOs are cheap and easy. Causing uneccessary QRM is stupid.

Many 75m and 160m slopbucketeers use a very expensive digitally controlled transceiver with hundreds of memories and multiple receivers in the same box, but run them on a fixed-frequency VFO.

yeah, but apparently it is a lot of fun...

I'm in the Tampa area for another week..(Riverview)  are there any AMer get togethers coffee/beer groups???  Always up for an eyeball QSO....

John said:
Hey! I use crystals.....every now and then ;)