The AM Forum

If any of you are up late, tune to 3870.  The West Coast AMI is going and getting checkins from all over the West.  Signals are fantastic.  I wouldn't be surprised if some of the big guns from East could break in.

But that's only half of it.  Net control is being done in rotation by Joe, WB6ACU, Brian, NI6Q, Dave WJ6W,  and <senior moment on name> KF6RIY, with Bob Heil, K9EID, and "No Money" Mike, KO6NM,  drinking champagne and kibitzing in the background, all from Mike's QTH.  

It's a party.

Jon

What time do they get into it out there?

>What time do they get into it out there?

They get into it Wednesday nights at 8PM Pacific Time. The band has been screwy out here for weeks and weeks, totally unpredictable, apt to fold suddenly. But last night was exceptional. From Burbank, CA, I was hearing midwest stations like they were local. I was hearing local stations like they were next door. I was hearing Washington State and Idaho, full quieting. The band held steady, hour after hour.

And yes, there was some kind of drunken, rock-star bash going on over in Woodland Hills that involved unspeakable acts performed with broadcast transmitters and Heil microphones.... :grin:

After I wrote the post, someone from Connecticut checked in to the West Coast AMI net.  I didn't get the name or call.  Is Connecticut on the West Coast?  It's been a long time since US Geography class.

Joe, you were booming in up here on the Central Coast with your usual big round sound.

Ha ha, well I am an admirer of the JEK Ranger sound as well. The few times I've heard you running stock narrow-bandwith stuff, I felt cheated. Yet I must admit I was somewhat miffed when you (I think it was you) were singled out by Bob Heil for superior audio quality last night. "K6JEK, yours is the best sounding Ranger I've EVER heard", he gushed (well, it sounded to me like gushing). What about MY Ranger, Bob? I aspire to JEK-ness too! Big, round, sound notwithstanding, I got no such attaboys and so, slunk away into the shadows, cursing. The thing I find ironic is that audio-savvy Tall Ships like KO6NM listen on Kenwood SW receivers at 6 kc. IF and a Radio Shack Mini Bookshelf speaker. :grin:

As far a Connecticut stations go, the only one I can think of with enough cajones to bust into the West Coast AMI net is KA1ZEQ in Lebanon CT, but then again, if it was Craig, you'd know it by his distinctive Tarzan-yell, "Thi-ssssssss issssss LEEEBAAAAANONNNNN!"

And me with no tape recorder.  I did mention that I use a Heil microphone on the class E at the main QTH. That and the champagne may have tilted Bob in my favor, literally perhaps.

I've noticed more and more broadcast transmitter/rice box receiver pairings.  If there were a rice box reciever that sounded really good but could narrow down nicely when needed to dodge the QRM, I might get one myself as a back up to the boat anchors.  But 6 KHz max bandwidth is a non-starter.

Jon, I heard you SUCKING UP TO BOB HEIL on the AMI net tonite! Shame!!!!! :lol:

I'm hoping he'll give me one of those new fancy microphones of his.

http://www.heilsound.com/amateur/pr-30.htm

Do you think it will work?

Nothing against Bob, but why he is trying to reinvent the wheel (in this case, the RE20)?

BTW, Nice to QSO this afternoon (2/17) w/very healthy sigs from your low-flying antenna, Jon. Re: your new receiver project, given the choice of glamorous SX-28 and plain jane BC-779, I would go with the underdog. AF response curves designed for 1940's broadcast relay work tells you a lot. The 779 has been much overlooked and is waiting for someone to discover its AM magic.