The AM Forum

Now that the cool wx is here, is anyone getting on 160 with a regular sked?

I'm around most evenings, usually operate from 7PM until 10PM.

Right now I have the Valiant on, but hope to get the 30K-4 fired up this week for exclusive 160 use.

So leave the QRM and slopbucket wars on 75 and let's see if we can get something going on a regular basis on the Gentleman's Band!

(http://www.w1ujr.net/images/UJR_NewCard_0j6.jpg)

-Old Buzzard Bruce 1UJR
www.w1ujr.net


 

Was on 160 several nights the past weekend. There was continuous activity on Saturday night from 6:30 PM to well past 11 PM eastern. Lots of big signal and almost no static.

Hope to hear you on top band.

Yes, 160 does seem to filter out the idiots.
Steve hope you trimmed the antenna so you can travel the band.

I notice the radiolocation beacon on 1953 has been absent the past couple of weeks.  Hopefully, it is gone for good this time.

Don,
I have not heard it all summer. I've been running 8 to 10 KHz BW on 1945 for a while now with no trouble and don't see the 1953 crud generator on the spectrum display

Frank, don't you mean "8 to 10 KW" rather than "8 to 10 KHz"?  ;D
Strap On!

Been making 1930 a new home Bruce if your guys are interested....almost always clear and nice QSO's without the Loooong Ole buzzard transmissions. Break-in RULES!

Brent W1IA

Will look for you guys tonite around 1000 p.m. EST

Ok Tina, good to chat with you this evening.
Promise tomorrow evening no roundtable, break in, ok?
Glad I headed up there, 3882 was overrun with Macaroni Nuts.

there were two big AM groups on 160 last saturday night- 1885 and 1930. i landed on 1930. slobucket stupidity is there too, just less than on 75. 1880 and 1891-2 are polluted with some of the silliest "net" activity i have ever heard.  we need to keep 1930 nailed down for AM a bit more. a bunch who frequent the "Marconi Net" seem to move down there from 3930. i'll be back again this weekend on 160 with a rebuild of an old 4-440A amp i have been working on. i dig 160 and look forward to another good season down there.

Hope to get back on 160M soon.  My antenna decided to go into the non-working mode, so gotta lower it down and fix it.  Might be joining the stampede away from some of the Scientific Set Back cretins that have decided to move in on 3880.  They were certainly in fine form last night! 

73,  Jack, W9GT

Yes.... really !!!
I hear Joe Walsh has elmered Ted Nugent and set him up with a 20V3 for 160M !!!
Rock n' Roll baby !!!

 

"...Ted Nugent and set him up..."

its started    again   

 1930 is a nice place for Am Phil. but be cautioned that it's a break-in zone, no buzzarding allowed. as to the Nuge getting on AM? EXCELLENT!!! another Great American on the mode, and fellow gunner...

Chris.... I gots a new ricebox (IC718). Will be on 160 AM from the cabin this year.
Yup... deer killin', stew eating, old buzzardin', and scratchin' from the Nuge tribute camp !!

Kill'em and Grill'em baby !

My rig sits on 1945 but I slide down once in a while. We do need to mount an assult on 75m at some point though. Hope to do more work on that hardware this winter. There was no motivation last season due to conditions.

anybody know KC1XX he was making some wide band crud on 160 last night.
corntesters have arrived.

Where are you guys? Called CQ on 1945 for a while. Nothing.

No on 1885, but only a few in there.


Heard KC1XX on 75 meters earlier.

Matt, in NH,  is the biggest log amongst the corntesters these days. He's got over 20 towers and over a hundred Yagis fixed in many directions for HF.

On 160M he uses three towers fed as a parasitic array uni or broadside.

Get this... on 75M he has a 300' lit tower with a pair of stacked 2el delta loops beaming Eu - one at 300' and the other below it at 150'? (Even Tom Vu has trouble competing with that on 75M.... ;D)

What kind of crud was he generating? Must have had a problem with one of the multi-stations. I would guess Matt has several $ hundred grand easily into that station.... maybe more.

He climbs and puts up towers and ants for a living... what else?  Great guy.

T

Tom,
He was only on for a few minutes then went away so must have seen the problem. I was tuning down from 1945 and heard something in the RX. I followed it to him. At first I thought it was me but listened to other signals and they were fine. I have never seen anyone intermod the 6830 with power so was surprised with matt's signal.
sorry I missed you Steve. I went down to 1885 and just listened then went to 75M

Sounds like an awesome set up Matt has there. Too bad he's using it to scream "CQ Contest!" for hours. What a waste.

Yep, it's like if Matt said to me, "What a waste you're using your station for AM".  He's into contesting and can't see anything else. 

It's almost like dating an ugly chick. There's absolutely nothing you can do to change their minds.. it's in the genes..  ;)  Each his own, caw mawn.

T

My point exactly. You and most other normal people are into more than just one thing.

                                  "It's almost like dating an ugly chick"

A pretty woman makes her husband look small
And very often causes his downfall
As soon as he married her and then she starts
To do the things that will break his heart

But if you make an ugly woman your wife
A-you'll be happy for the rest of your life
An ug-a-ly woman cooks meals on time
And she'll always give you peace of mind


Don't let your friends say you have no taste
Go ahead and marry anyway
Though her face is ugly, her eyes don't match
Take it from me, she's a better catch

If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life
Never make a pretty woman your wife
So for my personal point of view
Get an ugly girl to marry you


"If You Wanna Be Happy"  by Jimmy Soul

.....
klc

Me normal? I start drooling and do the "W3JN look" when I describe this hobby to outsiders... ;D ;D ;D

LOL! That's definitely not normal.

The break-in test for any plate modulated rig (especially plate modulated) is to sock a loud yallo while rapidly keying the rig in staccato.  ;D


stac ca to  3. composed of or characterized by abruptly disconnected elements; disjointed: rapid-fire, staccato speech. 


T

They weren't designed to be used on the ham bands too.

They have these things called relays, that will make any transmitter suitable for break-in. The concept has been around since at least the 20's. Lots of articles in QST about it. Oh, that's right, you don't read QST. ;D

Contesting is a good check for your relays. So is full break-in CW  ;D ;D

Ahhhhh!  Bo Diddly in 1957.  Jimmy Soul is a wanna be.

Sorry is ti Diddley.

JPW

Good to talk to you on 160 meters tonight Bruce. The 30K-4 was sounding fine business. Dave, 2VW and Rich, 2OBR were a good deal stronger though. I don't think the band was in especially good shape. I've heard you stronger in the past. Was also getting some static on this end. Anyway, it should only get better as the colder WX approaches.

"Trinidadian calypsonian Roaring Lion recorded "Ugly Woman" in 1934, during his first trip to New York. It immediately became popular, and Lion continued to record it throughout his career. The calypso offers advice on finding a faithful spouse: "From a logical point of view / Better marry a woman uglier than you." Other calypsonians responded to Lion: Lord Beginner extolled feminine qualities in "Pretty Woman," while Frank Holder, based in England, wrote "Nice Woman."

"Ugly Woman" became the first calypso to be performed in a movie, when Sir Lancelot sang it in the Hollywood musical Happy Go Lucky (1943). New York-based calypso singers the Duke of Iron and MacBeth the Great further popularized the song during the 1940s. In the early 1950s, the Mighty Charmer (later known as Louis Farrakhan) recorded it, while the pianist Liberace performed it on his television show. Hollywood actor Robert Mitchum included it on his 1957 calypso album. In 1963 the calypso (under the title of "If You Wanna Be Happy") became a number one rhythm and blues hit by Jimmy Soul. Soul's version was written by record producer Frank Guida, who had been stationed in Trinidad during World War II."

http://www.calypsoworld.org/noflash/songs-11.htm


Its bean around for a while....  I like the "Soul" version 'caus its got the guy telling the OM that his (oms') wife is ugly........   klc

 

Steve,
Hey, unexpected treat to hear from Lightfoot, VA up here in cold, wilds of coastal Maine!

Thanks for the kind comments on the 30K-4, it was nice to "walk the dog" this evening.
I was busy ripping apart FT-243 xtal holders to put the rocks in the big Collins xtal holders.
You know what, despite the xtal being about 1/3 the size of the big Collins rocks, it actually worked.
So now I am plug and play on 1885 and 1945.

Sadily the poor beast, being a commerical rig, has lived a hard life and not had the same of care as the 30K-1 transmitter I got going last month.
As the 30K-4 is commerical rig, not really rigged well for quick break-in, more for long buzzard as multiple switches need to be thrown.
I'm working out a nice T/R lash up so I don't need to start hacking up the rig.
I plan to make it the mainstay 160 meter rig this winter, as the station will consist of the 30K-1 on 75 and up, and the 30K-4 on 160 only.

I look forward to many more enjoyable QSOs with you fellow old buzzards.
Get you smoking jackets, pipes and jiggers of scotch ready, the winter season is here!

73 Bruce W1UJR

Excellent. I'll bring some cigars.

Macanudo Vintage 1997 and Chivas only please.  ;D

I heard the HUZ in there last night on 1885 whilst scanning for the group that moved from 3870. Found QIX and FCU on 1930. Joined in, but have to say - no one was running break in. We buzzarded away, no problems. Break in is fine except for the constant doubling and conversations that turn into a personal chat between only two folks. Nothing wrong with that, mind you - it's not like there isn't any space to spread out. The 'clump factor' always puzzled me, with accompanying monster roundtables.


Chivas is one of Uncle Teddy's favorite drinks because every bar carries it. Teachers is a better blended scotch. If you're gonna drink Chivas, go with the Royal Salute. Single malts are (in my opinion) much better. Glenfiddich is a good highland single malt, Glenlivet is too, and a bit cheaper. I had planned to fill the wedding flasks with one of these but time got away from me. I'll bring some when I come up to play with the 30K-4. Then we can get on the air and search for those big AM mauls, caw mawn?

Single malts rule...  :D

Phil, myself and numerous other have run broadcast rigs in break-in operation for many years without a problem. There is plenty of empirical evidence that broadcast transmitters can be used in break-in. There's nothing magical or different about them that prevents break-in operation.

I think I'll write an article on broadcast transmitter break-in operation for QST.

Acutally there is nothing so refreshing as running full strap QSK CW on the Collins 20V2.

Of course, to engage in this form of transmission, it is necessary that one use a liberal coating of Marconi Aerial Wax on the antenna to allow the electrons to slip freely into the luminiferous aether.

Needless to say, said application must occur on the night of a full moon, while ritualistically incanting the name of Major Howard Armstrong and spinning one's body in circles with a clockwise rotation.
Of course if one is in the southern hemisphere, the direction of the rotation is always counterclockwise.

I fear that I can not share any more, being sworn under the alligence of the Royal Order of the Wouff-Hong.

-Bruce

Gotta get me some of that wax!

 ;D

Bruce,Tom,Etc,
                    Would you be interested in trying a sked on Monday morning, 11/7? You pick the time,friggency, etc.

Mod-U-Later,
                 Joe Cro N3IBX

Hey Joe,
If its early morning, yes indeed!
As long as its before 7:45AM as I leave for the office at that time.

Otherwise a Sunday afternoon would work.

Good to hear from u OM, where you been hiding?

 ;D

I do the same method with a 50 K resistor across the contacts to reverse bias the tube. Never had a problem here. Class e rig I only kill drive then change the antenna. On TX I change the antenna then turn drive back on. 1 antenna relay with aux contacts. I run driver power off coil power through contacts. I take advantage of mechanical relay delay for the driver to die before ant changes. KISS

Phil,
Simple interlocks setting up fail safe operation and fail safe failure modes is the KISS way to go. 
Dats da proper way to design a weapon system

Bruce,Others,
                   TENTATIVELY, how about 7AM Monday morning on 1885KC? I say tentatively, because my wife is back in the hospital today. She should be home this weekend. I'll give you a confirmation via the AMBBS.

Very Best Regards,
                         Joe Cro N3IBX

Sorry to hear about the XYL Joe, will keep that in mind, and of course my best for a speedy trip back home.

7AM is fine OM, 1885 also OK.

-Bruce

Bruce,Others,
                   TENTATIVELY, how about 7AM Monday morning on 1885KC? I say tentatively, because my wife is back in the hospital today. She should be home this weekend. I'll give you a confirmation via the AMBBS.

Very Best Regards,
                         Joe Cro N3IBX

Howdy Bruce and others,
                                  It's confirmed. Hope to mod-uins around 7AM tomorrow morning. I'll be on the T-368/R-390A combo. Propogation should be Fine Business Old Man!
                               Joe N3IBX

Is he on narcotics?

John/JN has a new gag he tried out a few weeks back. We were eating in a resturant and he went outside and came up to the outside window looking in at the customers.  Like a homeless guy, he stared with a blank expression,  mouth open and head tilting to the side. He had a drooling look. It was a scream.

Axe him to demonstrate next time.

T

Gosh I miss Irb, really.
He added color to the band, and that windchime....
Where is the OM?

You are kidding, right?

"
Is he on narcotics?


Gosh I miss Irb, really.
                               "

well, now that sadAm will be streching his neck, we have no one to fill the void  ....   klc

I heard that they are using piano wire.....

 My thoughts are such that I can't really express my opinion in public forum.  If it was up to me, his death would be a long one....  klc

Then webbing rather than wire for a nice slow choke