The AM Forum

Gather together your PWers, Cake Pan rigs, Johnson Adventurers, Home-brew 807 rigs, Retro 75s, Elecraft K3s, Icom 703s, Yaesu 817s, etc.
If its 807 power (25 watts) or under, its welcome here.

Sunday New England AM QRP Net

Kicks Off - Jan. 16, 2011

Time - Sunday at 3PM EST - we're going to try this time and see how it works, we'll settle between 1-3PM once things sort out.

Freq - 3880 Kc - want to keep on freq all license classes can use (Tnx to KB1HYS,WA2DTW and K1FZ for this)

Rig - QRP, defined as 807 power or less (Tnx to Carl, KC2TAU and others for suggestions here)

Mode - AM, hence the name AM QRP

Format - Roundtable, for order and to let the truly PW have a say

Vintage - New or old, home brew or commercial just fine, "run what you brung" (Tnx to KC2TAU for feedback here)

NCS - Bruce W1UJR to start, will need others for future nets, NCS should have QRO ready if needed to "guard" the freq

Purpose - To showcase AM QRP operation, to give folks a chance to run their AM QRP gear,
to discuss the weather, what's for dinner and radio in general. Think of it as the old "Lonely Guys"
and "What's For Dinner" nets with a QRP twist.

Notes - Here is the beginning structure, and all is subject to change on future nets at the request of those participating.
The goal is to make this as accessible as we can, so your input matters.
Time and Freq are the two big variables, need to settle on the time which works for the most folks, so let us know.
Fellows, this is your net, make it what YOU want it to be.
Once we get this up and running, I'll post a note under the Announcements section and get it off to Ray at ER.

* We do need volunteers for the alternating NCS position, please post interest here or email w1ujr@arrl.net *

Thanks - Bruce

Great net fellows! Full page of stations in my log book.

Anyone have the log to post?
I'm back in the house for dinner, will post full log later unless one of you kind gents cares to beat me to it.

Right here Bruce:
http://amfone.net/Amforum/index.php?topic=26398.msg200466#msg200466

Though there were more check-ins toward the end that I did not catch. Maybe you or someone can update.

I was able to copy everyone listed with the Retro75.  My Retro has a receive preamp as an add-on to the Retro75.  Without it I don't think I would have received 50% of the call signs that checked in.  I hope my audio was sufficient.  I had the Retro75 connected to my 813 audio chain and made settings at the last minute.   Had the scope connected to the outpoot and all looked OK but don't know.

Unofficial Log.  I'll Let Bruce verify and update.

Bruce, 300PM was better than the previous week.  Signals were more readable.

1 W1UJR  Net Control
2 W1VTP
3 KA5WHO ?
4 WA1GFZ
5 W1DAN
6 KF1Z
7 W2ILA
8 K2QFX
9 W1TAV
10 K1JJ
11 KF2SY
12 me
13 W1DAN
14 AJ1G
15 W2JBL
16 W3EMS
17 W3FJJ
18 W1CML
19 W1TS
20 N1DYT
.........? ? ? ?

Thanks for taking the lead on this. It was fun.

I listened to the net from north of Philadelphia.  I heard everyone o.k.

Tom K1JJ was strong here with his one Watt.

Chris W2JBL has very good audio on his HT37.

Frank WA1GFZ also had very good audio with his SDR rig.  I think this is the first I've heard that set-up.

Congratulations Bruce on a fine net.  I guess I'll have to check in with my TS-430, hi.

Lots of fun. HPSDR worked good on AM but later we moved down to 3870 and ran some SSB tests. I had way too much audio so need to study the set up to see why I was driving it so hard. I ran the exciter into the HP141 and saw I had way too much audio on SSB. I need to bould a control interface to get to 1 switch operation. I have opto couplers and driver chips to build up on a board to control external relays and final bias.

Nothing else matters Frank.

You sounded good into the global tuners node in NW Connecticut. Nice audio level and clean. Haven't heard you on the air in a long time so it was a real treat.

January 23, 2011 - Net Summary

Great job fellows!

For next week, let's keep the 3PM starting time, same freq, same format and let it roll

Thanks for all for taking the time to check in.
I had thought we've have two rounds, but when the numbers started creeping up over 15 check ins,
I thought we may miss that number.
A solid 1 hour+ worth of fine business AM QRP, most sigs were Q5 or very close.

Compiling Al's, Bob's and my log, here is the "offical" action report:

1 W1UJR  Net Control
2 W1VTP
3 KA5WHO
4 WA1GFZ
5 W1DAN
6 KF1Z
7 W2ILA
8 KA2QFX
9 W1TAV
10 K1JJ
11 KF2SY
12 W1RKW
13 W1DAN
14 AJ1G
15 W2JBL
16 WB2EMS
17 W3FJJ
18 WA1CML
19 W1TS
20 N1BYT
21 W1AJW
22 N1XZW
23 W1TNT
24 W2XU
25 N1EU

TNX for the HPSDR reports. I had real issues on SSB but I think I have them sorted out after a bit of testing. I had too much audio and the drive to the MRI final was too high.

Sorry I missed it.. Duty called....
I vill be bach
Carl
/KPD

Great job, Bruce!   We need to get something like that started here in the midwest.   

Any others interested?

73, Bob W9RAN

Tnx Bob, it's really to the credit of all who turned out with the low power rigs that made it a success. And what a turn out it was, chalk it up to the New England winters, fellows with new rigs, or just curiosity, it was both amazing and great to hear all the signals. Amazing in the sense of how far and how good a 2 watt signal will carry, great to hear all the activity on the bands.

Seems to a bit of a resurgence with the low power rigs over the last year, several commerical offerings, some good home brews, and some strategic choices of operating times and frequencies.

We'll see you all next Sunday, same freq and time.

Not enough carrier and only a half a loaf of sideband.

I'll give it a try Bob.  I can run about 20 w. with the Yaesu rig.  Re too much audio, I have noticed something interesting several times here---the audio chain that is FB on AM will be way too much audio overdrive on SSB.  my quick fix is to bypass the compressor by putting it in proof mode and back away from the mic.  Probably due to SSB being a different RF representation of the audio. 

Bob, what's ur QRP rig?

Rob

Rob,

I like to put lots of low-power rigs on the air - my definition being anything with a single 6146/807 or equivalent - or less - in the final.  Been using a Ranger on the DX-60 and Mighty Elmac nets lately, lots of that class of radio can be heard from all over the midwest.  Had the Harvey Wells T-90 and G-76 on a few weeks ago.  But lately I've been using the Retro 75, two watts made the trip this week up to Detroit and Pigeon MI just fine, including a 2-way Retro-Retro with KG8LB.   Might be able to get some of the "half a loaf" guys to put their vintage sideband gear on AM too.

Bob

Have moved feedback to http://amfone.net/Amforum/index.php?topic=26601.0

Thanks!