The AM Forum

I didn’t realize the level of hatred some operators have for AM until this evening.  I was tuning the band and 3885 was quiet so I kept moving up in frequency until I heard some strong stations which were on 3892 SSB.  One of the guys (W8NB) was going on and on about the lousy audio from those AM guys.  For a brief time, a carrier came on 3892 and he blamed the wide signals from 3885, when in fact, there was no signal on 3885.  I put the digital VFO, on my AM rig, on 3982 and had a cordial conversation with W8NB for at least 10 minutes while he was on SSB and I was on AM.  At the end of the QSO I asked him to put his receiver in the AM position and mentioned that if AM audio is “trash” how come he didn’t mention it during the 10 minutes we were on.  He got really ticked off and said he refuses to talk with AM’ers and signed out with me rather quickly.  Some of his friends were “jabbing” him for being “taken”. 

I went into the receive mode and for the next half hour W8NB, who just had a nice QSO with a fellow ham, went off on me as having character flaws, the worst person on the band, and one of the “AM trash”.  He and his friends were calling me a jerk, a “wet behind the ears” AM’er, and and vowed never to talk to a “2” station again.  All this garbage just because I operate on AM.

Ken, you are truly a gentleman. These guys are morons. You can't really expect much from them.

See how brilliant this type of mind is?  "wet behind the ears" ??? Doesn't that mean really young and inexperienced?  What does "2 land" hams have to do with AM?  AM operators are found in all areas.

Does anyone remember the Amateur's Code? 
http://kx5jt.net/amateurcode.html
I vote for Ken over these fellas for someone with integrity and honor.  In fact, AMers follow the amateur's code without even thinking about it in my experience.  Actions and behaviors speak volumes.

John-o-phonic John KX5JT

Sadly, nothing new Ken.  This bunch has been at it for a very long time.  Some of the guys down here operate on 90 and have had run ins with this guy before.  I don't hold any hope that will change.

Hi Ken,
Yes I heard your QSO with them as well.  Its surprising how shallow their knowledge is about the different modes.  He made the comment later, that AM sounds good when you tune them in but their audio sounds "trashy" when you tune off center frequency!  I wonder if he listens to the AM broadcast band 5 KC off center frequency?  They went on and on after you signed and I listened for maybe 30 minutes or so.  They will never change.  I wonder why such a dislike for 2 landers?

Hope to see you at the Hamfest on Saturday.
Joe, W3GMS     

I wouldn't worry myself over W8NoBalls. He's no more than a bipolar motormouth that surrounded himself with a bunch of followers to stroke him when he goes off on a tangent like what you heard. Still being stuck on slopbucket myself, I can assure you there are numerous operators that have no love for the 92 turd herders and tend to stay away.

I've heard better manners on the chicken band.

Hi Guys just coming back from first round Chemo/Radiation.

Ken I have monitored yer sig many times and listened to many pleasant QSO's from you, and you have a FB and High Quality AM sig on the air.

You Sir have No Reason to cow tow to anyone..yer card wud figure highly on my wall....I think it's it's time for Uncle jack to start flipping the switch again..heck with my neighbors till we get some of these thing settled out.

Hmmm...Seems like we have been here before.


http://amfone.net/Amforum/index.php?topic=12863.0

Ken,
      Welcome to the wonderful world of "the AM Ghetto"!! Luckily, you dont usually get on till late night, well after "radio prime time". By that time most of the knuckle dragging inbreds have gotten drunk enough that they have passed out and things have quieted down!! It's usually like this most evenings unless there is a bevy of "tall ships" on to keep them at bay.

Why in the hell should anyone hate someone just because of the mode they use on the air when there are by far better reasons to ??

It is by far better down band!! You still have a few jammers and qwermers, but they are a better class of jammers and qwermers. It is also not unusual to have some mixed mode QSOs there as well.

The only way to ever quell this problem up in the "window" is to have the old long running break-in groups of tall ships that we used to have a few years ago run on all evening. (fight fire with fire) As these morons are surely not gentlemen!!

                                                         The Slab Bacon

Wow, a new nicname for Ken, "WET EARS"...

See you at Franks place Saturday, Ken...
 

I thought W8NB was given some silent time by the FCC!

Didn't know he was back on the air...

Or even better yet!! SIMPLY JUST STRAP AND IGNORE!!

                                                           The Slab Bacon

"They hated me just because I was an AM'er"

Sounds like the title to a late Saturday nite B movie from the 50's.

Seriously, I think I heard you in that QSO Ken, but since I couldn't copy the other station on AM, I only listened to you. I think you were telling a story about renting a car without any ID at an airport in MI when I tuned by. Neat story by the way.

You sounded your usual FB self with a clean big signal and good audio.

Morn Ken..read ur post and..shook my head and wondered if this "Hatfield vs McCoys" thing will ever pass..being as i mostly hang on 10mtrs AM..i've encountered similar stuff along with a slightly different twist sometimes..this morning was tuning thru 75 and decided to go LSB and look around..found a group on 3.813 at 1320UTC..was gonna move on but then the "Q" turned to AM in general so i hung around..talk was about different rigs etc until one in the group mentioned someone joined them a month or two ago..nice guy nice chat until someone realized he was on AM..they weren't malicious about that but felt they had the wool pulled over their eyes so to speak..wonder if that was you Ken?..if so they had high praise for ur station/audio..nice fellas no nasty comments
           Well thought i would say something Ken as it fit what you were talking about in a way            73 de DAVE

Despite W8NB's (don't know him and am not related  ;D) sad knowledge of AM, sideband generation and his crowd, you did set him up.

I was listening to the  3892 crew the other nite and found it interesting that they
spend a lot of time listening to Am  in the "ghetto".. They seemed to know all the
regulars on Am.  They also frequent this very website.. So to Kenny(W8NB) et al  , Join in ,
put that slopbucket rig on Am and join the fun..Bye the way   we may dislike you, but we don't hate you...

Well, you're in good company Ken. Pretty sure this is the same group that expresses their displeasure for Don K4KYV by name and call. I used to think 'Wow, Don must've really done something to piss these guys off', but came to realize rather quickly that this wasn't the case. They're just stupid, plain and simple. True, stupidity isn't mode-specific, but they do seem to have a higher percentage per capita over AM, CW, even the SSTV doods.

After the bandwarming party and all the talk about AM European DX, these were some of the same troublemakers who moved down to 80 in attempt to jam our contacts (and harass Don). On numerous occasions they were heard referring to something 'back up on 92' and such. I firmly believe some of them read this board (the ones that can read), because as soon as we stopped referring to specific frequencies and times, they mysteriously disappeared. Maybe they just got lonely for 'their' old frequency?

Listening to them one night talk about the 'AM maggots' (pronounced 'maggits!'), one of them mentioned his living conditions: a thin mattress on the floor with the radio nearby and a view out the window of the Taco Bell up the street. Made me wonder if perhaps these guys were the origins of such classic stereotypes as 'Trailer Trash' and others. Gotta give 'em some credit though, at least they proved they can turn the big knob on the radio.  ;)

I think a lot of the trash talk is more of a social thing than lack of technical knowledge or ability, at least in some of the cases and some of the QSO's.

3892 has a mix of 'true' hams and former CB'ers (the ol' adversity to AM vs. really kuhl SSB and lack of knowlege of ham history types.)

As an aside,  I'm so damn sensitive to CB lingo infecting the ham bands that "I hear you on that" sounds like fingers on blackboards to me.....  But I try to be inclusive; sometimes it's pretty hard.  After all we've all parroted stuff like "FB OM" left over from novice days and all kinds of other lingo, you name it, which probably grates on others.

We get just as much enjoyment 'trashing' the 3892 bunch as they do AM'ers.

Most ham roundtables sooner or later turn into a lowest common denominator type of thing.  ;D  Don't we know.  Who can belch the loudest.  Hey, it's fun, but has to give ammunition to the non-annointed.

In the hills you want to get along, especially on radio-quiet, low sunspot days when you have only your 75 "up" ;your limited to local contacts (fade in to dueling banjo's here) hence you join in.  But... there's the faint hope that your transmission might just be 'whirwide,' hence 2 meters is sooo dead.

I've lost friends over emission "sub-type," VJB in particular first lost one of our common friends over, of all things, east coast vs. 'regular' AM sound.  I must have been guilty by association, hence don't get 'spoken' to much either anymore.

So see ya' on 3733..  urrrrppp... (good one.)

..just heard on 3878... " I can't even spell CW anymore..."  &
 "going through all that booklet stuff.."
 
 

hope your feeling at least ok. wanna rap lemme know.

You'd better define "'true' ham", then. The only times I've listened in on the 3892 Gay Sex Group, it's been W8NoBalls indoctrinating everyone else on the frequency on how much they're supposed to hate us all for enjoying AM operation in order to maintain his approval.

Nothing there that makes a "'true' ham", or ham of any kind, amongst a single one of them.

Sounds like it was an interesting encounter up on 3892 Ken. All you can do is let stuff like that amuse you as it doesn't mean anything in the real world. Sounds like you set him up nicely!

Speaking of amusement, has anyone else run into the SSB net that has staked out 7290 as their operating frequency around noon? They are piss weak here in the northeast, but I can hear them informing anyone on AM calling CQ that the frequency is in use. Unfortunately for them, they usually inform the station while the station is transmitting. It actually sounds like a legitimate traffic net, but I can't believe they are stupid enough to think it won't get stomped on. It just seems like a strange place for a SSB traffic net to set up shop, especially when the 20 kc below 7290 is empty...

What you hear is the 7290 traffic net that centers in the SW portion of the US.  Texas, NM, OK, KS, LA and AR.  It has been around for quite a few years and one time did serve a very useful purpose.  But like all old time things, they decided they owned the frequency and even reported W8VYZ a while back.  That caused some brohaw and Bill had to communicate with Riley.

Following all communications with the FCC, the net will move if someone is on 7290 when net time comes up.  However I am not sure how many people involved in that net got the message.  Here is their web site.  http://www.7290trafficnet.org/
   

Hi TIM.. ;D yea pretty rough going bro...But I'm glad yer home too....it seems the time has come to make an appearance on 40 Derb.. all I need to get on there is a little werk...won't be hi fi but i'll capable of battle mode...and i have monitored those characters on that net, they Don't own that frequency..Sorry

Ken:

I hate you because of your beautiful audio (to pun an old TV commercial).

73,
Dan
W1DAN

Same sentiments and good wishes for you both.  Derb, still thinking of trying to make Frank's pharty?  Hope ya can man.

Say, I stand corrected or should I say converted...

   They're still at it on 3892, 'NB presiding.
    -now they're including windbander SSB'ers in the vitriol lineup.
    and mentioned the amfone net as the nest of vipers. they do read it.
Oh, almost forgot; they're going to make up a "do not call" or "respond to"list; going to listen on 3885 and write down all the calls, that is if they get of '92 long enough.  I'm sure glad I operate on secret freq. of 80.31415926 meters/2.71828,  ooops, almost gave it away.

Oh, goodie... they are reading this thread!

Well, 3892 boys, I'll tell y'all again: W8NB is a false prophet. His religion is one of hate. His only purpose is spread misery and hope he can render someone else even more miserable and godforsaken than he is. I defy you to even use one complete hand to count the number of times he's even said anything nice about any of you, let alone anyone else.

Do you really need someone to tell you who to hate? Do any of you guys think for yourselves, seriously? If us talking to one another is so evil, how is Kenny-poo's constant, unadulterated hatred for all humanity somehow good?

Have those of you he's sent to jam (I'm thinking of you with the N3 call, and you with the 8 call) ever stopped to think that if he's so right about sending you to jam, he should have the courage of his convicitions and do it himself, rather than putting your license on the line? Or would you rather go through life being Kenny's lap-dog?

We'll never get through to Kenny. He's a lost cause. He exists purely to hate people. We've all known that for years. I hope, for your sakes, some of you someday stop and think about why you got into this hobby, what it is you're doing, and whether those two things match.

They are wanna-bees. There is/was a similar group on 3875 kHz. They would regularly jam and complain about AMers, yet they talked about AMers, AM rigs and AM technology of good bit of the time. Some would even show up on AM form time to time. Strange behavior.

Well the Hellovit always will be, if ya put the same amount of energy for the common good, instead of playen bash the cats with the tubes..you do so much more for the service...

How is the this latest Lady of the Realm doing anyone find any poop on her likes dislikes...does she even have a Call...or is she another networker.

73
Jack.

well, I got a lot to do. I was in the middle of a entire shack makeover when I had my stroke. Now I'm even less able to handle such things than was before. It's all I can do to simply pick up the FT 101. I'm still going to make the bench against the outside wall the operating position (and only that!) where only finished radios and what not go to be used on the air.

hope I can figger out a way to get the antenna back up ( n keep it up ) soon.  the bad thing is, if I fall I cant get back up anymore by myself. So walking on uneven ground is trouble.

There is a tv/satellite place that also does towers not too far away. First we have to get a hole in the wall cut and a winder installed and the AC power redone to carry her kiln, a goodly sized winder AC unit, my radio junk, amps, etc. hen maybe a tower.

Didn't know your antenner was down, Drb, we'll muster a party to put 'er back up.

What happened this time?  I can't believe that aircraft cable snapped  >:(

Canada Geese, John. No reflection on you.  ;)

nope it broke in the back like it always does. the front part is still good to go and still up in the tree.

I thinks maybe pulley and weight system might have  to be employed this time. The back trees are just too flexible to be good supports after the wind gets going. There's got to be some give and take. It's broken 4 times now.

I wont be able to make it to the ham fest. maybe you could do some kick ass proxy buying on my behalf at the show and I can pick up and I'll pay ya at phranks which I am planning on still. a huge marine grade pulley, big 2 or 3 lb wieght, that sort of thing. I dont need gear, but hat sort of thing would be very useful.

didnt matter since I was in the  the hospital anyways.  :-\

If your antenna breaks a lot it means you are pulling it up too tight so leave a little slack in it. A couple feet of droop won't matter if it stays in the air.

Derb, Jack, hang in there.

"the amfone net as the nest of vipers"

I like it, can I have a T-shirt, pleez?

After reading this thread I want to finish my 4 x 4-125A amp and do some AMing with a couple hundred watts of carrier ;D
I can belch and fart with the best of them!  8)

That would be a great T-shirt for Dayton (wish I could make it this year) ...
"Nest of Vipers"!

 I have been a ham for almost 50 years and I know who knows about radios and how they work. And is generaly more considerate about things when on the air (IT IS THE AM er) not the ssb er. So hold your head high you are one in the (KNOW).

John

Yeah.  Seriously, W8 No-Balls actually claims to be a preacher at a church.

Pulling the wool over his eyes (something not too difficult to do with a knuckle-dragger like that) with the AM signal must have been hilarious.  I wish I could have heard it.  ;D ;D

The real stereotype "Extra-Lite" with his 1X2 callsign.

I had a run-in with a similar bunch like that who thought they owned a frequency on 160, about the time the vanity callsign program was put into effect.  Their conversation dripped with CB lingo, and about the most hilarious comment I have ever heard was when one of them proclaimed that I was "running AM and sideband at the same time".  He went on to say he didn't know how I did it, but he was pretty sure that was illegal. 

Within days of the vanity callsign rule going into effect, the whole damn bunch showed up with W4 two-letter callsigns.  That made me realise that the Extra class licence had lost nearly all its significance, and the 1X2 callsign had completely lost all its significance. That was the straw that broke the camel's back and made me decide not to trade my long-held callsign unique to me, for some dead man's call.

yeah Don. You've always been the perfect gentleman. Seriously.

Speaking of dead guys.  I've logged 'em and got just a little shamed for it.  Ask the ER Heavy Metal guys  ;D

Anyone have an old call book? I wonder who or how many had W3RSW before.

Probably should have kept WA3YPI; it not only guaranteed recognition of an era, but speaks code to y'all.  The call before that was WB8FRZ.  IF I'd've moved to Pa. earlier I'd've probably gotten a 1x3. The Advanced class was something of which to be proud.

Check out this thread on QRZ.com.

http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?t=197550

Hi Frank,
Not Jackin the pst, but had to say a quick hello. I am stressing out about my CCO crane exams tomorrow morning. Depending on the weather. I might do the practicals on Fri. and be able to make the Pharty with Keith WA1HZK. We will leave Saturday early unless I have to do my practicals that day.

As far as the nit wits...just another day in the Ghetto. As soon as I can get the array fixed I will pack my bags and move out of the Ghetto HA! I have been too bz with this crane stuff. I still have to take the Mass. hydraulic and crane tests on top of finishing the lattice endorsements.

See ya Soon OM
p.s. say hi to Carol

Brent W1IA

Nice plug for Class E there Don. :)

Holy CRAP!

Geez Terry...I will think of this next time I think I had a bad Day!
Brent

There is no finer nest of vipers than here. This makes me really proud to prefer AM. Finally the AM hobby is getting the recognition it deserves. I hope someday, we can advance to the next level, "the pit of vipers", and from there, "the pit of pit vipers".

Too funny.

Terry's post was almost word-for-word what I was going to post as my status on facebook.

Go figure.

Well, not ot brag but......

All my dogs are still alive, my wife still loves me, my truck started this morning and my Mom got outta prison yesterday..... AND I wasn't even drunk!!!

..and there ain't no good chain gangs... ;D


it's an old Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings song from a long time ago...

I think that was David Allen Coe?

Anyway-- I was listening to the inbreeds on 3892 briefly on Sun or Mon nite....
They were making fun of W8VYZ and his profile on qrz. 
What kind of pitiful souls make fun of a Senior Ham in declinging health in the twilight of his years...?
Ashtubula Bill's words will live on AM forever-
 
"Ain't a slopbucket in North America can bother me"
                                       ;D

W3RSW is skipped in the Fall 1959 Callbook.    He must have been a SK before then.    Nobody dead or alive has had my 1X2 call before.    I got it before they were all used up by the "Extra lites" and it is one "dit" shorter than my original call.

Thanks for checking. 

Were they still issuing 1x3's or had they gone to 2x3's at that time in 3 land?


"Wanted: Dead or Alive"  A Ganster Wanted poster flashed in my mind as I read your post.

Maybe the "T" shirts ought to have something like;

       Wanted
   Dead or Alive

   AM Gangsters
          from
The Nest of Vipers

 I'm proud to be an AM Viper! I'm gonna get a T-shirt made for Berryville.

I was issued KN3KJX (K3KJX a year later) in Dec of 1959. A friend of mine had a K3Oxx call in '61.

Your original call was K37S? Cool!

(Yes, of course I'm kidding)

i wuz toyin with the idea of getting  a xtra for a call I wanted, but I'd have to give up my advanced to do it. I like my advanced.  8)

Short, shameful confession:

I'm the same way, but I gotta confess I have actually considered it once or twice in the recent past.

Never feel Slighted in any way when something takes you from one point and raises your Level higher, your thinking comes on a better order, you operate from a better perspective, Your level of engineering is polished to a higher source.

Automatic....




 

Yeah, they're giving them away but in return you get some extra "kc's."  Hard to pass up.
... so I didn't even advertise last yr. at Timmonium, just did it.
Those that even care to remember or know me will know I really was and now am still a closet 'advanced.'  ..urk.  :P.   ... rope's a little tight.

AMEN.  The new band plan has actually given me a reason to upgrade. :)

Novice: 1 year
General: 6 months
Advanced: 33 years
Extra:  TBD  ;D

I don't know, Jack. I know plenty of Extras who are idiot a-holes. I don't think there's much in the way of clout to be gained from the upgrade anymore. The only reason is spectrum,  at least now that's more than some 25kc snippets scattered here and there.

I'll never be driven of the Getto.
Just STRAP!
 :) :)

3.885  there is no greater Hive of Scum and villany...

...yo ho ho, and a bottle of strap!

WOW I thought this was the book of Job from the Bible.

Life will continue

Fred

Just goes to show how brainless Kenneth NO BALLS is... An astute amateur radio operator of supposed many years, not only didn't pick up on Ken's carrier, but had a civil conversation until AM was brought into the picture... I cannot understand how someone can have their life consumed with countless hours, everyday, scorning AM'rs or anyone that talks to them... Perhaps this poor wretch of a human being needs to take up some other hobby that would seem to me would give more pleasure and a more positive outlook on things... If you cannot enjoy a hobby where interaction among the public is inevitable amongst different races, religions, beliefs, and different modes of operation, than maybe, just maybe.....  KENNY... KENNY.... Good... Just wanted to make sure I had your attention.... CRAWL back down into the bowels of the earth where you come from you poor lost soul because your using up good air that was intended for more  intelligent people that still walk the face of this earth!! Your pathetic, worthless, sorry, cry baby act has gone on long enough... Your way past the point of Puberty Kenny... Get a life man!

I guess that's the Christian attitude.  The NO BALLS concept of Christianity, that is.  The congregation at his church has to be a bunch of in-breeds to sit for an hour every week and listen to the moronic ramblings of a loser-creep like that. I'd bet it smells bad in there, too.

They killed Kenny.

That's right.... He's supposed to be some kind of a minister or something isn't he? Yes sir, a hypocrite in every sense of the word... 

We seem to be as fixated on Kenny as he is on AM. 

I'll set up a Kenny Korner in Frank's yard.

  Commiseration and Scorn
    For ol' No Balls forlorn.
  Don 'YV, ya gotta come
    to AM's Dayton QRM.

Worth a trip from Tennessee,
         Don'cha know
A lot of guys wanna meecha,
   And roast ol' Kenny slow.

(-apologies to just about every scribe ever born.)

BTW I've got a whole gallon of choc. chip Susan specals for y'all.

Bastards !

I had a few free moments last evening so I thought I would take a listen on 3892 - just out of curiosity, so I powered up the Drake R8B and monitored for a few minutes. The first station I head was this W8NB and he was in the middle of a diatribe about Ken, AM'ers in general, and 2 AND 1 land trash. (a new call district has been added to his "list".
Even when the other stations in this group tried to change the subject, he came right back to Ken and the "AM'ers", making very derogatory (libelous??) comments about Ken, his website and the travel photos on it (I won't repeat what he said about the photos here). He couldn't understand why anyone would need to run 8000 watts (??) on AM or even SSB. I can't remember his exact words verbatim but he had a comment that went something like this: "he (ken) must have practiced for hours in order to make his AM signal sound like a SB signal in order to pull off this deception". Said that if he had known Ken was on AM he wouldn't never have talked to him.
There was more (much more) but thats all I can remember. He (w8nb) must be really eat up over being so easily fooled that he can't let it go.
I was finally enlightened to the low order of life that spews forth on that "channel" I can surely understand the term "knuckel dragger" being used to described their ilk. Amazing!!

I haven't heard it yet, but I gotta listen for the 3892 kHz NO-BALLS AM show.  ;D ;D

Sounds like NoBalls is suffering from a severe case of the AM Derangement Syndrome.

With apologies to political columnist and psychiatrist Charles Krauthammer, the AM Derangement Syndrome is defined as follows: "the acute onset of paranoia in otherwise normal people in reaction to the sound, the operation — nay — the very existence of AM". While somewhat tongue-in-cheek, the term indicates the long-standing observation that most criticisms of Amplitude Modulation are of emotional origins rather than based on facts or logic.

But this definition is submitted with one reservation: I would hardly class NoBalls and his ilk as "normal people".

How about we all move the "Viper Net" to 3892 tonight?  I am in '3' land, so I guess I am not trash......btw what time do you guys meet around?  I heard some people on 3885 last night around 9PM

Tom - AB3FL

As long as no-one else is already using the frequency, it is fair game.

Amateur radio operates on an interference-expected basis. No-one has the "right" to a clear channel or prior claim to any frequency; every frequency is open, first-come first-served.

AGAIN:...Amateur radio operates on an interference-expected basis.

Again,
Again,
Again,

Well Don as Always.. and we have to remind those that forget the little things...

Now if they can Read there's a Plus.....


73
Jack.

Of course!    There is no need to QRM anyone. 

Nah. He gets discussed here when he makes a complete and total ass of himself with (or in front of) one of us. That's three or four times a year, roughly.

On the other hand, you could tune from 3500 to 4000 and hear nothing but silence, save for Kenny-poo on 3892 complaining about all the ungodly AM QRM on the frequency, even blaming specific people who haven't been on the air for months.

The difference is that we all coalesce into one huge gut-laugh at his expense, and then get on with other topics and our own lives. For Kenny, this is every single day of his life.

This thread will die a natural death over the weekend. They always do.

Somehow, this seems appropriate:

http://www.theonion.com/content/opinion/come_on_lighten_up_im_just?utm_source=b-section (http://www.theonion.com/content/opinion/come_on_lighten_up_im_just?utm_source=b-section)

This is a late reply to W3RSW.   In the Fall 1959 Call book there are mainly 1X3 calls and a few original 1X2 calls, no regular 2X3, although there might have been some special calls for RACES.     Most are W, the K's were up to about K3GXX.   I found this callbook and a local flea market (not hamfest) and it is the first one I was in after upgrading from Novice.    My call was K3EZS, later dropped the E dit.

I had replied to Rick earlier in this (now very long) thread that I got my original KN3KJX call in early December of 1959. A friend got K3Oxx in '61. I don't think the 2x3 calls started until the mid 60's but I was in the military then and lost track.

The possible silver lining of all of this ongoing antagonism of AM is that AM signals can be received easily on even a budget SW portable, or an antique radio. For many folks, this will be their first exposure to ham radio. The conversations on AM are polite and intelligent, and often extremely interesting from a technical point of view. It makes our hobby look good, and makes the AM mode look enticing. Compare that to the low-level mud slinging that has infected 75m SSB, and the AMers win every time. As a newcomer, which crowd would you want to be associated with?

About vanity calls, I chose to go vanity because my original assigned call was dreadful from both a phone and CW point of view, as I spend a lot of time on CW as well. My old call was WB9PSH. Loads of dots in CW, and the "WD9PFH question-mark, come again." on phone. The call sign wasn't worth the trouble, even though it was original.

It gets even more amusing.

Good ol' Kenny-poo was ranting about, and I quote: "The Macaroni Net" last night in between complaints about imaginary AM interference.

He's not only listening to us constantly, he's talking like us now!

I thought the "Macaroni" Net was down around 3872.  Is his receiver THAT poor?  No wonder he is bothered by AM QRM on 3885.

haha. I thought about it, but only -affter- I had a bunch of real nice color QSL cards made up. At this rate I will never change the call. I don't care though, it's what I was given. KD5OEI is supposed to be a good call for CW.

I feel about the same way. I had WN2EMS as a novice in '68 and got WB2EMS as advanced in '69 or '70. Except for the "B" it's a nice CW call - dit, dah-dah, dididit. Easy to pick out. Maybe if K2 or W2 came available I might go vanity but on the other hand I've had this call for .....jeeze, 38 years. It'd just feel *wrong* to have a different call. I left it alone when I upgraded to Extra a number of years back to be able to do VE duties. Probably won't ever change.

 ;D

I went to a hamfest a while back and was having a nice conversation with another ham whom I had met there.  We chatted for several minutes with the usual "where ya from, when did you get here?, yadda yadda>" Then he asked where I usually operated, I told him I was mostly on AM.  You'd thought I had thrown hot P....ss in his face.  He immediately stopped talking and walked away! So much for being friendly. ::)

Similar odd reactions, but not as mean. Some uneducated guys though. One did not understand how a transmitter would have a pair of 3-500Z's and a 4-1000 and kept trying to correct me, then was totally put off the subject when I told him it was plate modulated.

Rude because I had already listened with great interest to him about how he restored and modded his heathkit linear amp -whichever one has the pair of 3-500's in it, SB-220? The nice model with 10M from the factory etc etc - everyone should have one.

He told me to dump the modulator and add another 4-1000 and turn it into a reel beeg leenyar. See, some of them guys have no sense, like I can wave a magic wand and make the RF deck bigger. The real problem with some people is that there is no more room in the "RF deck" on top of their shoulders!

That reminds me a few years ago, when I had a dispute with a SSB dead-air  group on 160.  They had squatted on a frequency just above 1885 where AM'ers all over the country had habitually been hanging out for several years, ever since LORAN had cleared off the band.  Even though an AM QSO might have been in progress for an hour or more before they would come on the air, they would fire up just a couple of kHz above, and then proceed to piss 'n moan because our USB and carriers were wiping them out.  The band would usually be empty for +/- at least 15 kHz on either side.

I would listen to the group sometimes after finishing our QSO.  One of their constant complaints was how "wide" our carriers were.  They thought it was because something was wrong with our signals, that they could tune their receivers over a span of 3 kHz or more and still hear the squeal of the carrier.  Their conversations always dripped heavily with CB lingo.

But the remark that takes the cake occurred one night after I had just finished talking to Tom, W4UOC in Atlanta, who was running a DX-100.  I was running my HF-300 rig at a KW.  One of the slopbucketeers remarked: "The guy in Atlanta was running regular AM.  But that guy up in Tennessee was running AM and sideband at the same time!  I don't know how he does it, but I'm pretty sure that's illegal."  ;D ;D

 ;D UNREAL

We could all send Kenny poo- an AM QSL card to his home address. He just might have heart failure if enough showed up over a period of time.

Better still, those who have not made themselves familiar to No-Balls could re-create Ken's trick.  If it was such a trauma be fooled by one AM signal that it took him two days to get over it, imagine if he became paranoid over any new breaking station to the point that he had to check to see if the station was running AM before he would dare to acknowledge.

Or if someone, or preferably several stations with SSB capability, would call him on slopbucket, and engage in a conversation.  Then after the QSO was established, later on in the conversation, quietly switch over to AM, and before he knew it, he would be talking to several AM'ers at the same time...  Then lower the boom.  ;D ;D

I would love to hear a recording of Ken's conversation with him.  Really wish I hadn't missed that, although I have better things to do with my time than to monitor ol' No-Balls.

Gentlemen,

 Please don't misunderstand me in any way, I realize I'm under a little duress here an maybe I'm over stepping...If I am Then say jack Damit back off...

 But this needs moderated Now..I like a Good shot I've taken some good shots on here and Enjoyed them because i enjoy all of you.. I think it's enough with this Guy or whatever...Why Should what we have here be Cluttered with Small potatoes.

Believe me I enjoy the Cuts I really do...But...your given him what he wants..


Believe Me with all do Respect...My concern is for the Forum and us.....


We That be
Not on our Knees


73
Jack.

I wouldn't take it too seriously, Jack.  It's kind of like the obnoxious little kid on the playground who does something to make a really big ass of himself, and for a while the other kids amuse themselves by mocking him or slapping him around.   :)

OK Don I always Take what you say, I just don't like this guy Downgrading my friends man..He shud have no Time...

Yes Sir.

73
Jack.