The AM Forum

I received my Globe VF-10 VFO yesterday and got it hooked up to the Globe Scout 65A last night. It will be driving my homebrew 4-1000 amp. Receiver is a HQ-170.

Ready to go for this weekend!

Dan
WD4LUR

Ready for the Rally here, too, though every Rally seems to highlight the things I didn't get done this past year. Wanted to build a bigger amp; get my HB transmitter ready for prime-time; put up a higher antenna, but none of this got done. Well, I'll be retired before the next Rally, so I'll get more done. I'll be running my DX-60, as usual, and the Zeus on six.
I hope the turnout is great. Sad that there won't be any League participation this year, though.

" Sad that there won't be any League participation this year, "

Odd. 'They' seemed to  support AM, and now, it looks like we're the unwashed again.  May be  AM was not double vaxed.

klc

Don’t they have a new president?

I will be busy on Saturday daytime at the VRCMCT radio swapmeet, but should be on tonight on 6M 50.4 with the SR-46/amp and the little 3.5 watt tube am qrp piss weaker on 75 and or 160, or even 40. The museum may be on 20-10 during the day on Saturday with the RangerII and HRO. W1VCM Im sure I will work you on 6 Bill as well as all the other locals at least on the weekend.
LB

It's not that the ARRL's support of AM has changed. What has changed is the ability for us to operate the Gates BC1T at League HQ, and that's primarily due to the current covid restrictions.

We had previously been set up in the ARRL Laboratory where the massive AM transmitter is located, not across the property in the W1AW building. This was only possible by invite from Bob Allison WB1GCM who has since retired as Assistant Lab Manager.

The AM Rally organizers are grateful to Bob and the ARRL for the invaluable support and promotion of the event.

Yes. Talked to Bob the other night on our regular 6 meter AM net and - as I'd hoped - the consensus is that it's all because of covid rather than some more ominous shift in the League's attitude toward AM. Still sad, though: that year when Kerri and Stephanie and Cathy were all there operating the station was just awesome. Hopefully we'll see those days again.

Larry, I will see you Saturday morning at the VRCMCT swap-meet, assuming the world's not a sheet of ice in the morning, and hopefully I'll catch the museum station on the air sometime during the Rally. Probably work you on 6 some time - the Zeus will be warming the shack pretty much the entire weekend.

Last year, (or the year before??) the YL Trioka caused massive pileups on 75.

klc

They did indeed...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdpyIw0pStY (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdpyIw0pStY)

I don't think I am going to participate this year. Something happened last year with very late result tally and no one got a certificate. Kind of took the wind out of my sails for putting in an effort to participate.  Oh I might get on but and work a few friends across the country if I am not doing anything but I wont log anything.  If you put on a event you need to support it or why bother? I can get on and "rally" anytime I decide to throw the switch. I do operate AM most everyday of the week also. Anyhow hope you have a successful event.

N9AMI, I agree with your assessment. I plan to be on AM this weekend in between making some SSB QSO’s. I don’t plan on giving out accurate signal reports, nor do I plan to mention what I will be operating for a receiver and transmitter, nor do I plan to listen thoughtfully to long winded transmissions that say absolutely nothing and especially if the transmitting person starts every sentence with “So”.
Unless there are some significant rewards (trophy’s, colorful certificates, or large wall plaques) to winners in the various categories, it is not important enough to propagate my energy and time to take this activity seriously. Goals are important. Rewards for completing goals make people happy.

C,

Shudda hooked the Gates for remote operation....... Too much work or no Bca$h enjiners around ?

Maybe next year.

klc

I'll be listening.

The certificates ARE BACK for the 2022 AM Rally !

We found out well after the fact that the person responsible for creating the certificates was unable to relicense the software package used for the certificate generation.

This problem has been corrected, and the certificates will definitely be created for the 2022 AM Rally.

The plan is to also issue the 2021 certificates (albeit, after the fact, but they will nevertheless be available) using the same software we will be using to create the 2022 certificates.

No doubt about it, everyone loves wall decorations !!  :D

This is strictly due to Covid fears at the ARRL.  Outside operators are not allowed at this time.  The League's support of AM is not at issue.  This is, unfortunately, out of our control (as organizers of the event).

Feel free to use my SDRs for the rally:

http://sigmasdr.ddns.net:8073/

Excellent SDR - thanks for maintaining it.

great audio on the zeus.. heard you on larry's sdr
73
Kevin kd1nw

Hi, Kevin. Yes, Larry has a very nice SDR there. It's only about five miles from my QTH but there's a hill in between, otherwise I'd probably be full scale there. Too bad we couldn't work during the Rally. My antenna was probably faced west or north most of the time, but I probably still would have heard you off the back.
Hopefully you can get in on our 6 meter AM net on Wednesday evenings sometime. Informal net, pretty much starts whenever people show up - typically around 7:00 to 8:00 - on 50.400.

WOW!! Nothing in this hobby should warrant such tight panties!!!!

I had a swell time. No Bit%hing here. Y'all done real gooder.

Had a great time in the Rally. My score, I suspect, will be a bit lower than last year's, but the "fun score" was high, especially since I operated 40 meter AM for the first time. Total turnout seemed a bit lower than last year's. Really missed the League presence, especially the ladies. Thanks once again to Steve and Clark and all the others who helped make it happen.

I wanted to get on but 'due to technical difficulties', I was unable. But I started up the QSO machine last night on 160M and plan to get back on 75M tonight.

I only worked 22 stations, but had fun. I wish the band conditions would have been better though.