The AM Forum

The t-storm map showed a solid line of storms from SC all the way to MD right along the coast, so the QRN started out pretty bad when I first listened.  But later in the evening (about 1 AM local time) the static had diminished, but there was NO AM activity to be heard anywhere on the band, in the Ghetto (window) or otherwise. A few slopbuckets scattered up and down the band, but not a lot of them, either.

I ran a CQ, and had a station in Oregon come back, using an Apache.  He was about 50% readable through the noise.  As we signed out, several other stations called in. I talked to one for about 20 minutes, then decided to hit the sack.  I had a hard time getting away, as each time I signed out someone else called me, and the signals were too good to ignore.

So condx had to be good last night despite lingering QRN. I don't understand why the band could have been so deserted on a Friday night, and it wasn't all that late.

Sounds like all those ops were listening, just waiting to hear an AM signal, but no-one was transmitting, so the band sounded dead.

I heard HLR and others in there around PM.

I was on 1945 until about 9      PM local and then listened to 3885    for about an hour.....The band seemed devoid of signals...I was working on a project and didn't transmit on 75 M...Maybe I should have...seems like ther might have been more listeners than transmitters....

Does Friday night football sound familar?  :D

I'll light up LaBamba this evening around the Big '85. But I've been at work since 6 AM and won't be up late.

Here's the latest national radar map as of about 5 PM Eastern today.. Just some PW rain and no QRN in the west, dunno about the mid-Atlantic.

Friday night I finished work on rebuilding my L network tuner, the one I use for the 160 inverted L and the 75 m. vertical.  I got it in the feedline at 10:30 and fired everything up and called CQ on 1880.  No takers but the band sounded good.  I called CQ a few times dragging them out to check out the tuner but called it a night because I wanted to be rested for the K9ACT annual Oktoberfest/Junk Exchange the next day (I came home with a Heathkit Q meter!  Never even knew such a thing existed.)  The following night I worked the regulars on 1880 in 8 land but the band was strange and everyone gradually became poor copy as the night progressed instead of the other way around, however there was zero thunderstorm QRN.  I realize this is supposed to be about 75 but this is why I was not on 75 hi hi. 

Unrelated note:  the tuner was my trial experiment with those Russian ceramic RF doorknobs that are available on eBay.  I decided this was a good way to try them out.  Sat. I night made a couple of 15 minute transmissions with one parallel in the L network with an air variable to ground, inductor in series, and measured a 15 degree temperature rise on the doorknob after running 300 watts for 15 minutes or so.  That seemed like a lot but I put my fingers on it right after I went to rx and it didn't feel warm at all.  Much less heat than the old CRL doorknobs they replaced.  If I ever build a serious tuner I'll use these sangamo big 1 MHz micas I got from FRS (and forgot I had).

I was busy Friday night getting ready for a weekend yard sale the good wife sprung on me at 7:30 or so, then went to bed in anticipation of rising early. Saturday night we had a dinner party to attend, last night I was just plain beat from roof and yard work.

Did check the radar this morning and it appears most of the storm activity is moving out through the northeast, so perhaps tonight will be a good night?

I just finished a conversation with a friend up in OKC (4PM our time) who was using a DX 100 and didn't have any trouble copying.  But the ambient noise is high for this time of day.  Last night it was quite and Don, you had a very good signal into Central OK.  I started to call but decided against it because you kept trying to sign and I knew you wanted to quit.

I hope 160 is quiter tonight than it was today.