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Author Topic: The AM Ghetto  (Read 110406 times)
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Todd, KA1KAQ
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« Reply #25 on: March 05, 2007, 11:20:51 AM »

I was told by someone over the air that using the term "AM Ghetto" to describe 3870-3890 kc/s might be taken as inappropriate and offensive.

Wowsers....if 'Ghetto' bothers them, I wonder what they'd think of me using the term 'cesspool'?  Wink

We've discussed this on the air several times Don, in decent, enjoyable conditions below 3800. The mentality for staying in a box, particularly a dirty box, makes no sense. Most nights up there it was a battle just to carry on a QSO for any length of time unless you had a number of heavyweights in there. Between the QRM, deliberate jamming, and other nonsense, it gets old fast.

Even more puzzling is why so few are making regular use of the new phone spectrum below 3800. It doesn't mean never using any other frequency. Once upon a time we had (or exercised) little choice in the matter, now many seem to prefer the cluster fly approach to 3885?

There was a great group on 3728 Saturday afternoon and evening, until the proficiently rude corntesters arrived back on the scene to do their thing with no consideration for any others. Got to hear 'JN on his new GPT-750 and it sounded HiHi FB. We did get some crap from a bunch of netwits about 5 kcs away who decided to start their net on "their" frequency despite QSOs already in progress on that frequency and around it, some for hours. Then of course, they bitched about everyone else - including the corntesters.

I Will take exception to that Paul. I have a 75A4 and love it. It IS without a doubt my best battle receiver.

I agree, Bill. I think somewhere along the lines people started equating high price with high end audio or something, not sure. Most folks who use a 75A-4 use it because it's a good package and offers many features that are helpful in less-than-perfect conditions. The fact that it doesn't have hi-fi audio is no big deal. Neither does the R-390A unless you pick it off the diode load and run it to an amp. The same thing could be done with the A-4. Both are sensitive, stable, and have those lovely mechanical filters that ring like hell on stronger signals. I know Paul switches in his narrower filters when conditions get noisy. And I agree - when it gets that bad, it's easier to just throw the switch and come back another day.

It's tough to beat an old Super Pro or SX-28 for stock audio. Trouble is, you can only listen to hi fi audio if and when conditions permit. This seldom seems to be the case in the ghetto/cesspool.

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known as The Voice of Vermont in a previous life
N3DRB The Derb
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« Reply #26 on: March 05, 2007, 01:06:02 PM »

the best audio out of a stock radio I've ever heard was my Hallicrafters sx-16 with the Big 12" 'h' speaker in the broad position. about 12KC wide, PP 6V6s's. My Super Pros ( I've had a 100 a few 200's and 2 400's) came close. MY SX28A was also very good.

Of course, if you really wanna be cool, you get a console BCL radio like a PP shutter dial Zenith that tunes 160 and 75 and use that. 15" electrodynoramic speker nd all that you know. Grin
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Steve - WB3HUZ
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« Reply #27 on: March 05, 2007, 07:36:53 PM »

Quote
I vividly recall hearing roundtables getting way too big down here and being split, half moving to 3880 from 3885. It works fine during not so strong signal situations. Moving further down than 3880 in the SE will stir the slopbucketeers into a frenzy, moving higher than 3885 will draw the same reaction down in the SE.

Those were the old days Mack. We now have tons of room in the 3600 and 3700 ranges. No need for the 5 kc foolishness when dozens of clear freqs exist in the expanded phone portion.

Quote
I did go ahead and look at "your" tech paper. It's right & wrong at the same time when applied to AM ham radio. Way too many variables on the xmitting & rcving end of an AM ham QSO for there to be a 'set formula' that always works.

No set formula was used. Please detail the claimed right and wrong areas, most especially the wrong areas. Specify these many variables. As I said, let's seriously discuss this rather than using the current anecdotal approach (e.g. hundreds of hams live within150 miles of my QTH, therefore nothing can QRM them or I used 5 kHz once and it worked fine).  I know you can do better than this. Focus indeed!

Speaking of lack of focus, thanks for the corrections on my QRZ bio. I wouldn't want anyone to notice that it's a spoof. Wink
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WD8BIL
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« Reply #28 on: March 06, 2007, 08:34:23 AM »

Went low last nite and called CQ till I was blue in the face.

Finally went to the ghetto and we set it on fire !! Man the signals were great. Hi Fi abounds.

Good time guys !!
N3IBX (where men are men and women are welders), Johnnie Novice, Huzter, Dave DK, Dana, TRON and WN3...... well... u know the rest.
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The Slab Bacon
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« Reply #29 on: March 06, 2007, 08:42:44 AM »

Went low last nite and called CQ till I was blue in the face.

Finally went to the ghetto and we set it on fire !! Man the signals were great. Hi Fi abounds.

Good time guys !!
N3IBX (where men are men and women are welders), Johnnie Novice, Huzter, Dave DK, Dana, TRON and WN3...... well... u know the rest.

What was I, a potted plant??................................
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WD8BIL
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« Reply #30 on: March 06, 2007, 08:50:39 AM »

That's potted EGGplant, Slab.

Like we said last nite..... the memory is the second thing to go.
I still can't remember the first thing...... darn it !
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The Slab Bacon
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« Reply #31 on: March 06, 2007, 08:54:17 AM »

That's potted EGGplant, Slab.

Like we said last nite..... the memory is the second thing to go.
I still can't remember the first thing...... darn it !


The hair!!..................................
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Steve - WB3HUZ
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« Reply #32 on: March 06, 2007, 09:09:22 AM »

Frank, you're the mayor of the ghetto. No need to list you since you are always there. Not.

Actually, I was pleasantly surprised to hear you on that early in the evening, and on a weekday! Same for JN. The freq was very clear (had the rx opened up to 14 kHz) and signals were big. Wish I had shown up early and could have stayed around longer. See, there's this thing call work (yes, a nasty four letter word) that keeps getting in the way.

Hope to catch you guys again.
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The Slab Bacon
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« Reply #33 on: March 06, 2007, 10:08:00 AM »

Frank, you're the mayor of the ghetto. No need to list you since you are always there. Not.

Actually, I was pleasantly surprised to hear you on that early in the evening, and on a weekday! Same for JN. The freq was very clear (had the rx opened up to 14 kHz) and signals were big. Wish I had shown up early and could have stayed around longer. See, there's this thing call work (yes, a nasty four letter word) that keeps getting in the way.

Hope to catch you guys again.


With the condx as good as it wuz, I hated to bail out when I did, but
0 dark 30 comes too friggin early for me!! I wouldnt have been on at all last night, but the YL wanted to play some radio! Go figger!!
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Steve - WB3HUZ
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« Reply #34 on: March 06, 2007, 10:22:49 AM »

Dude. you have it made!

Quote
I wouldnt have been on at all last night, but the YL wanted to play some radio! Go figger!!
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WD8BIL
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« Reply #35 on: March 06, 2007, 10:24:24 AM »

XYL Huh.....
Living up to her call already Frank?Huh?/ OL' Mother Trouble !!!!
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The Slab Bacon
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« Reply #36 on: March 06, 2007, 11:23:35 AM »

Well...................... you know how new hams are.......................
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« Reply #37 on: March 06, 2007, 07:49:53 PM »

Good for Carol, ain't ya proud!?
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k4kyv
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Don
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« Reply #38 on: March 07, 2007, 12:42:52 AM »

I hated to bail out when I did, but
0 dark 30 comes too friggin early for me!!

You're going to love it when that goddam daylight shifting time starts up!
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Don, K4KYV                                       AMI#5
Licensed since 1959 and not happy to be back on AM...    Never got off AM in the first place.

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The Slab Bacon
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« Reply #39 on: March 07, 2007, 10:05:45 AM »

[You're going to love it when that goddam daylight shifting time starts up!

for a week or two I will walk around with my ass on backwards until my biological clock readjusts. It sux!! I wish they would make up their mind and stay there!!
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Herb K2VH
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« Reply #40 on: March 07, 2007, 10:12:28 AM »

By next year the only Standard Time will run from Thanksgiving till New Years, so that we can celebrate the holidays in the dark.  All the rest of the time we can get up in the dark, send the kids to school in the dark, and run our lights in the AM instead of the PM.  Sure makes sense, eh? Huh

vH
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K2VHerb
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Steve - WB3HUZ
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« Reply #41 on: March 07, 2007, 12:33:26 PM »

Just means we'll have daytime conditions in the AM Ghetto longer in the afternoons. Everyone knows it's safer in the ghetto during the day time. This is a good thing.
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Todd, KA1KAQ
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« Reply #42 on: March 07, 2007, 12:50:03 PM »

Went low last nite and called CQ till I was blue in the face.

Precisely what I've spoken about. I was on Monday early evening and talked with the guys north of the border, including Tim, VE6PG running mobile. Came back later and called down there for 15-20 minutes, only heard one weak response to my CQs. I figured the band went long because I couldn't hear much of anything even in the cesspool. This was after 10PM, though.

So yep - I bet if everyone hangs around up there, the new spectrum will get gobbled up by SSB. It's already well on its way, at least the after dinner hours.

Sorry I missed ya, Buddly. Most nights I'm down below 3800 either calling CQ or listening to the rcvr if I'm busy elsewhere. Don seems to be around down there fairly regularly too.
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k4kyv
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Don
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« Reply #43 on: March 07, 2007, 05:44:36 PM »

It's already happening.  The other night I listened across the extra class portion, and heard no AM.  As I was about to call CQ, I heard a CW station on about 3686 call CQ.  So I switched to CW and called him, and we had about a 20 minute CW contact at 100% copy, with no interference or sign of anyone else near the frequency for the entire time of the QSO.  When we finished, I switched over to AM and called CQ.  As I went back to listening mode a couple of slopbucketeers had settled right on top of me, bitching about my AM signal, openly acknowledging the fact that they knew I was there, expounding on how all AM'ers are pathetic misfits, etc.  So I just kept calling CQ on the frequency for about 15 minutes, hoping someone would answer on AM, where I intended to stay put for the duration, but no-one ever came back.  About a half hour later I tuned by and listened on that frequency again, and they were still laughing to each other about "running that AM'er off."  Apparently, the derision of AM had been the topic of their conversation for the entire previous 30 minutes.
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Don, K4KYV                                       AMI#5
Licensed since 1959 and not happy to be back on AM...    Never got off AM in the first place.

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Herb K2VH
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« Reply #44 on: March 07, 2007, 06:16:17 PM »

Went low last nite and called CQ till I was blue in the face.

 I was on Monday early evening and talked with the guys north of the border, including Tim, VE6PG running mobile.
So yep - I bet if everyone hangs around up there, the new spectrum will get gobbled up by SSB. It's already well on its way, at least the after dinner hours. 

Yes, Todd.  I too talked with VE6PG/m on either Friday or Saturday on 3657.  But shortly before we signed out some slop bucketeer (NN1N to be exact) came on calling CQ CONTEST.  I told him what I thought of him, but that didn't phase him.

Don (K4KYV) -- I was on 3657 about a half hour ago calling CQ on AM, and did get an answer finally from N4WN, whom I've worked a number of other times.  No slop bucket this evening.  He's always a pleasure to talk with.  Great old timer.  Maybe I'll run into one or more of the rest of you one of these days before supper.  That's when I like to get on.  But maybe, one of these nights, I'll stay up and yak after supper.

73, de K2VHerb
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K2VHerb
First licensed in 1954 as KN2JVM  
On AM since 1955;on SSB since 1963

"Just because your voice reaches halfway around the world doesn't mean you are wiser than when it reached only to the end of the bar."
--Edward R. Murrow
Steve - WB3HUZ
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« Reply #45 on: March 07, 2007, 08:34:14 PM »

Did you talk to Doug? How's he doing?

The AM Ghetto got some of it's former glory back last night. VE4BX/Doug Beamish of Hamiota, Manitoba, Canada was on for quiet a while, he got lots of calls. It's been a long time since I've heard Doug on and the old 4-1000 HB rig is still perking out a big signal into TN.
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« Reply #46 on: March 07, 2007, 09:32:43 PM »

Just means we'll have daytime conditions in the AM Ghetto longer in the afternoons. Everyone knows it's safer in the ghetto during the day time. This is a good thing.

Gotta watch that MLK BLVD at night.
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WA3VJB
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« Reply #47 on: March 08, 2007, 05:05:23 AM »


Gotta watch that MLK BLVD at night.

GPS = DR MLK JR BLVD
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N2udf
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« Reply #48 on: March 08, 2007, 06:19:34 AM »

I can see it now in "Electric Radio".The 813 BG rig  with downward drifting VFO....Lee,N2UDF
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Steve - WB3HUZ
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« Reply #49 on: March 08, 2007, 10:53:32 AM »

Ah. Too bad. I bet you wanted to say hi to Doug after all those years between QSOs. Maybe next time.


Did you talk to Doug? How's he doing?

The AM Ghetto got some of it's former glory back last night. VE4BX/Doug Beamish of Hamiota, Manitoba, Canada was on for quiet a while, he got lots of calls. It's been a long time since I've heard Doug on and the old 4-1000 HB rig is still perking out a big signal into TN.

The line was very long to say hello to Doug, I just listened. All seemed to be well with Doug in the Great Frozen North Lands. Geez he used to report -?? temps and snowfall levels in winter that us southern boys can't comprehend! I recall one winter Doug stating that it had been 2 weeks since he could open a door at his place!
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