The AM Forum

Hello All,
            We're going to proceed again tonight (same time and frequencies as last week, midnight EST) on 1930 TX and listen on 1880 RX for our trans-atlantic tests on 160M AM. Hopefully, the QRM won't be as severe since there is no corntest going on.

Henk, PE1MPH will be recording any activity. Last week a "numbers station" was most prominent on 1930KC. Go figger?

Chuck, K1KW was heard loud and clear in Scotland! Perhaps conditions will be better and another "Gangsta" type will be heard across the pond!

Hope you can join in on the fun.

Maybe it was Glen Baxter practicing his Jethro Bodine-style cipherin'.

73 John

Someone made him an offer of some good "eatin vittles" to do it!

I will be listening here.....with the Gates tuned up just in case transmission is needed......  I'm gonna go out and terminate the Euro Beverage this afternoon....

Ola Joe,

Sorry I missed you guys for last week's test.  I saw the post title but didn't take the time to read it. With all the postings these days, I don't have the time to read them all anymore.

I just tuned up the big amp for 160M AM. I'll be using a dipole at 190' for TX  and a beverage for RX to the NE or west.  My 160M vertical array is optimized down in the CW DX portion, so the swr is too high to use up on 1930.

Hopefully there will be some guys in Europe on tonight who will transmit. They shud be able to make the trip if cornditions are good.

This is a good idea, OM.  Maybe we can try some 40M coast to coast next time when the 160M tests are completed to get that band hopping again too.

Seez ya later tonight on 160M.

T

Sounds very cool OM.

I may just make a pilgrimage out to Wiscasset to get on the air.

Either way, know that I am listening on the outside speaker!

73 Bruce

Bru,
      It would be great to hear you. Make that FB pilgrimage OM!

Tom Vu,
           That sounds like a hi hi FBOM proposition! Henk, PE1MPH mentioned something about trying 80 metros sometime in the not too distant future. We'd have to work split friggency, but it's do-able. I'll mention 40 Metros as well. After the Euro-Peein broadcashers go off the air we may have a shot at that band as well.

Maybe it's just that I have a giant Boner for 160M, and would love to work "across the Pond" on AM, with selective fading and all that marvelous natural phenomona that occurs there. If we could get something going on the higher bands as well, it would be splendid.

Definitely hope to hear you and Euro-Peeins transmit on 160M AM tonight.

Hi Joe,
I'll do my best, but a trip up to Wiscasset is commitment to stay overnight.
My office and hamshack about 45 minutes up the coast from my home in Portland.
We'll see how I feel around 10PM and if not tonight, I sure hope to be able to participate soon.
We just bought a house and land on the coast, about 5 minutes from my business.
Project #1 is to get on the air from the new QTH, should be closing next Wednesday or Thursday. A nice barn awaits conversion!

(http://brucehowes.com/photogallery/overview.jpg)

More at -->> http://brucehowes.com/qth.htm

BTW,
       Henk, PE1MPH will be taping us on 1930KC. If we make it across the Pond we'll be able to hear what we sound like.

Nice little 'Country Estate' Bruce. Although the trees need to be donned with some antenna wire to make it a truly operational QTH :mrgreen:

Bruce,
         Your new place is Beautiful! It looks like it's real homey and secluded from any neighbors, and plenty of open spaces to erect antennas.

The very best of luck with it and I'll be looking forward to hearing you from your new "control position" in your shack.

Thanks Mike, after 5 years of living in Maine, I can now bring up the rest of the items still in storage in Buffalo!

You can be sure that the location was chosen to be radio friendly.
I first had to make certain WKBW 1520 AM came strapping in during the evening hours.
Once I saw plenty of bit tall sky hooks for the wire antennas, nice barn to turn into the hamshack and workshop, neighbors spaced well enough away for me to run high power and 3.3 acres for me to crisscross with wire it was a done deal.
Christine's requirements were simpler, she was sold when she saw the kitchen.

Getting on the air from the new QTH will happen the day we move in, just like when I bought the building for the business.
I ran right out and threw up an antenna - still up today!

Look forward to working you gangsters from home!

-Bruce

Forgive me if I'm wrong here Bruce, but last I knew you were one of the few bachelors left on the east coast! Congratulations! You, MOPman Fred, and Dave, K2DK, got hit by Cupid's wrist rocket :mrgreen:

Wow, what a pad,  Bruce!  You got it all there.  Yaz sure would like a pond like that to swim in....  :grin:


Yes, Joe, 75M AM across the big pond is very do-able and should maybe be our next project.  You probably remember about 5 years ago when we had a group of guys here that worked AM Eruos cross-band from 3890 to 3775.  Many were successful even working as far away as Bulgaria.

Let me know when ya wanna give it a try and I will set up some high powered Euro AMers to participate that I know in the DX window...  Looks like PE1MPH in the Netherlands is loaded for bear there, looking at his QRZ listing.

T

So, how did the Trans-Atlantic testing go?

I did not make the trip u to Wiscasset so wonder what I missed out on.
I will be around next weekend, so if conditions and sked permit, I'd love to get the T-3 on the air.

Thanks for the kind comments Tom, really looking forward to the space and escaping Portland.

And Mike, fear not, you are still right, I am still single, not married yet.
And the 75A4 which I picked up from you still plays great!

-Bruce

Enclosed is a repost about the tests last night, that were in another "topic". I thought it would be a good idea to post it here as well - Joe N3IBX

Steve,
It was FANTASTIC hearing you last night. Due to your appearance on the band, we had "Trans-Continental" and "Trans-Atlantic" QSO's on 160 Metros. I was hoping that the Urine-Peeins would have heard you. That really would have been hi hi FBOM! You would have grown a "Third BA"!

Not only was it the first time I was heard "Across the Pond" on 160M AM, but the first "Trans-Continental" 160M AM QSO I had. You were also my first 75M AM West Coast QSO! The TX/RX here was a T-368-E/R-390A into a 260' flat-top at 55'.

Terry, W2PFY, Chuck, K1KW, Tom, K1JJ, and others were heard by Colin GD0VDL in Scotland.

All stations that were in attendance are as follows:

KB3JJW - Jim in Maryland
K2ORC - Paul in New York
K2WI/K2TOP - Rob in New Jersey
W3SLK - Mike(y) in Central Pa.
KD2XA - Chris in New York
K1JJ - Tom in Ct.
W1GHW - Gary in Ct.
K2PG - Phil in New Jersey
W2DTC - Ken in New Jersey
K1KW - Chuck in Mass.
KL7OF - Steve in Washington
W2PFY - Terry in New York
W7XS - Bob in Washington
K4KYV - Don in Tennessee
W9AD - Dave in Illinois
N3IBX - Joe in Pa.

I came on frequency (1930KC) at 9PM after a slopbucket QSO ended in order to establish a "Garrison" of AM'erz to keep the frequency open. I was joined by Paul, K2ORC and Mike(y), W3SLK to "hold the fort" so it wouldn't be occupied by anyone else. Rob, K2WI/K2TOP came on at a few minutes after 11PM and Jim, KB3JJW shortly thereafter as well as everyone else.

Interesting point about Jim, KB3JJW:
I was taking rollcall a few minutes before midnight EST, and he gave his call on ssb. I came back to him explaining we were on AM, and he changed modus operandii with his Icom 746 and amp, coming back to us on AM. He mentioned he NEVER used AM before, and inquired as to what we were doing on frequency using AM. We all told Jim what we were up to, and he hung in there with us for the entire duration. Needless to say, he sounded elated and had a great time, and had many questions! He originally intended to call a few friends on sideband. I think he was impressed to say the least with his first AM experience, and think he'll be using the AM mode in his IC-746 more often since his experience last night. What a trip for a JN AM'er!

I copied you S7/8 at first and then over 10 over 9 about an hour later as the band stretched out. Bob, W7XS was about S5 and unfortunately was obliterated by the prominent cratic stashes that were S15-20 at times. In spite of the QRN, I had a solid copy on you the whole time, only missing a word or two when the QRN was at it's pinnacle.

Many, many thanks again for taking to time to re-orient your beverage receiving antenna and joining in our tests. You made my night as well as many others that heard and were able to talk back to you!
Henk, PE1MPH expressed a desire to try a "Trans-Atlantic" test on 75 and 40 metros in the not too distant future, as well as 160M tests again. I'll post the proposed time, freqs and dates here on the AMBBS when they become available.

What I'd like to try next is to TX and RX on the same frequency. According to PE1MPH, 1880KC is very active in Europe with sideband activity. If we were all "on the same page" I think it would increase everyones chances of having a real QSO, rather than just being heard, and possibly get more stations over the other side of the Atlantic involved.

Very Best Regards,
Joe Cro N3IBX

Friday night I joined the AM group on 1930 rather late, and very soon everyone else had signed out.  I was given a call by WA9GAR and we started up sometime after 10 PM and continued one-on-one until about 2 AM, discussing mostly radio-related topics (broadcast and amateur).  First hours-long radio session for me in a long time.

Last night I joined the trans-atlantic group and stayed in a little while.

Minimal SSB QRM either night.  Wonder if we might establish that frequency as another habitual AM hangout.  Lately, 1885 and 1890 have been busy with AM activity throughout the evening, usually developing into large roundtables.

It makes for more AM presence on the band, to start a new QSO rather than to join a roundtable that already has 5-8 members or more.  With the Gates now tuned to 1930, I'll listen evenings and if the frequency isn't busy, call a few CQ's from time to time.

Last night there was some atmospheric QRN, even though the Lightning Storm map showed no thunderstorm activity in N. America.  The map doesn't disply very far offshore, so maybe the storm actiity was out at sea.  As usual most evenings here, 1880 was busy with SSB activity, so I wouldn't have heard any Europeans even if they had made it across the Atlantic.

Don - Terry, W2PFY, Bill, KC2IFR, Dirk, WA2CYT, and many others have been frequenting on 1930KC. Timmy, WA1HLR has a rock for that freq and has also been showing up there. It sounds like a good place to establish a stronghold for AM activity. There's only been minimal dissention from the slopbucketeers as far as I know.

When I get on 160M, I go to 1885KC first, then tune up to 1930KC. The CQ's I call there are usually answered by another AM station.

1925 is well used by AMers here in the west........A group was on last nite making reception on 1930 difficult at times...

There is a sideband group in and around the NYC area that congregates on 1928KC. If you have an West Coast AM Group on 1925, and we don't catch any flak from the ssb group here on 1928, perhaps 1925 would be a good choice and give us all an opportunity to work each other when conditions permit.

I'll "test the waters" on 1925KC and see if any slopbucketeers "fire a warning shot across the bow", so to speak.

I like the way u put that Joe........ :lol:

Bill - If they do I'll just have to make the BC1-T frequency agile!

So, may I go to garage to record yout conversations on 160 guys?

Tolly, I would be interested to know if you can hear our group on 1945 khz....... We get on (almost) every evening around 7:30-8 PM till 9 or 10 PM...Stations in WA OR and ID...Some homebrew stuff and some BC gear as well as boatanchors...  Please give us a listen........What do you use for a 160 meter antenna?....Steve

Hello All,
           I just wanted to let everyone know that we're resuming our Trans-Atlantic 160M tests tonight at midnight, EST. Last Saturday, Steve, KL7OF was in there and a many of us were able to have a QSO with him. I heard from Steve and he informed me that he'll be in there again tonight. Not only will we be doing the "Trans-Atlantic tests again, but also "Trans-Continental" tests as well.

There is some sort of corntest going on in the Netherlands this weekend so there may be a change in the rx frequency. More about this later.

Since we had a fairly large amount of people on last weekend, we'll be transmitting for fifteen minutes and listening for 15 minutes.

Same frequencies as last time unless the European receive frequency changes due to corntest QRM:

US TX: 1930KC Minnight EST to 12:15
US RX on 1880KC from 12:15AM to 12:30AM
US TX on 1930KC from 12:30AM to 12:45AM
US RX on 1880KC from 12:45AM to 1:00AM

Henk, PE1MPH will be using a new receive antenna (vertical with a helical resonator) that may increase his chances of hearing us.

Hope to hear you in there tonight!