Europe, why not 40m AM?

[k4kyv]

Why don't we try 40m for trans-Atlantic AM contacts?  Several European countries now have limited use of 7100-7200 kc/s.  It should be very easy to make contact with the early-morning crowd over there.

I happened to listen this evening at about 0530 GMT, and heard some very strong (SSB) signals from Spain, UK and Germany.  There was very little QRM because most US operators had already gone to bed.  I'm sure AM would have been "armchair copy".

Most of the activity that I heard was between 7100 and 7150, with only one or two audible broadcast stations.  The Europeans were STRAPPING to say the least.  The US advanced segment has now been expanded down to 7125.  I heard several west coast stations in QSO with Europeans, as well as Europeans working other Europeans.  The US/Europe contacts seemed to have a little difficulty hearing each other through the static, but both sides of the conversation were perfectly audible here (in middle TN).

Maybe to-morrow night I'll fire up my transmitter on that region of the band, T-storms permitting.

[AF9J]

I agree Don,

With the exception of DXers and contesters (both of whom mainly work it split for the international stuff), the vast majority of SSB ops, call it quits on 40, an hour or two after sunset, because it goes long, and they only use it for North American QSOs.  That's too bad.  Because even with my goofy antenna, I've been able to easily work into Europe on 40 using only 70W on RTTY, and even occasionally QRP on other modes.  It should be no problem working Europe on 40 AM.  Even much of the BCI starts to go away, as propogation shifts west during the night. The band also gets pretty quiet later on at night.  It's still relatively high in atmospheric noise compared to say 20m, but  not as bad as 75 or 160.  As a matter of fact, I may just do some listening on 40 today with the SX-96, to see what's happening.  I was able to deal with most of my 75m noise issues last night using just the SX-96, and my noise antenna.  So I should be able to deal with what noise 40 dishes out.  Well, gotta run.  I'm scooting out to a local swapfest that starts at 8AM, to see if I can get my hands on a D-104 for the Cheyenne.

73,
Ellen - AF9J

[WA3VJB]

Count me in.
You're talking Saturday night into Sunday ?

Will start out 7285Kc sniffing around, then root around down low as you recommend.

If I need the "high power" of the T-368 I can power it up, otherwise will run the 300-G as usual.

My dipole at 50 feet is broadside E-W so there's a good chance for contacts.

[k4kyv]

Europeans can't go above 7200, and I believe many countries are still limited to 7000-7100.  Once the stateside QRM and foreign broadcast abates, the band sounds wide open.  Most of the broadcast signals last night were on 7150-7300.

My suggestion is to start out in the expanded portion of the band, 7125-7150, and 7150 up as far as the broadcast QRM permits.  If we hear no Europeans, simply work domestically (if the skip zone phenomenon permits).  Maybe some of the AM ops across the pond will hear, and maybe even join in, as on 75.

Since  late night 40m is much like 20m in the daytime, it would be a good idea to ask if the frequency is in use before calling CQ or making a test transmission on a seemingly vacant frequency.  Best to avoid bumping a wasp nest full of slopbuckets, if possible.

[AF9J]

BTW, anybody on 40 right now?  I just finished calling CQ for the past 20 minutes on 7290, with no takers.

Ellen - AF9J

[Ralph W3GL]

Yeah, I'm on 7290 right now (1938Z time) and all I hear is static!

[Ralph W3GL]

How about 7137.5 kc?  I'm there right now listening to the sounds of static...

[pe1mph]

Very good idea, but:

Between 7100 - 7200 are still many radio broadcast stations on air.
Mostly from Russian.
Sometimes 7150 / 7155 and 7190 are free and some stations are not every day on air!!!!
Together with KS2AM I am trying to find good (AM) freq.
Last Saturday conditions were on 40 mtrs good, I received KS2AM in LSB mode quit good! On 7193 and 7165, that freq. were then clean.
For more info ask Sam KS2AM.... (I have made a qso-recording).
So it is very difficult to find a clean/good freq. on 40 mtrs for AM!
But mostly by my 7150 - 7155 is clean....

Greetings,

Henk pe1mph, Dokkum, The Netherlands

[AF9J]

Good Point Henk,

Here in the midwestern part of the United States, 7145-7165 is usually the clearest part of the 40m phone band, when BCI rears its ugly head.  But typically this situation occurs between about 2200z-0300z.  Before 2200z, what BCI there is, is pretty easy to work around.  After 0300, BCI isn't that big of a problem, between 7100-7200.

Ellen - AF9J

[pe1mph]

Ellen - AF9J

From Mo. to Fr. I listen before I go to my work between 04.30 to +/- 05.00 GMT London time. On these freq. mostly radio stations on air:
7115, 7125 (very strong), 7140, 7145, 7160, 7165, 7170, 7175, 7185, 7190 and 7200 (very strong).
At 04.30 signal on 7185 goes off air.
At 04.30 signal on 7190 comes on air (but not every day!!)
Yes that making it so difficult, some stations are not every day on air.

Mostly around 7150 and 7155 is clean/free by me in Dokkum.
Maybe you can use these freq. and I hearing AM on 40 mtrs?
Even so I know conditions on 80 and 40 aren't always the same...
Last Saturday I received Sam KS2AM on 40, where NO conditions on 80 mtrs

Greetings,

Henk pe1mph

[k4kyv]

Last night (Sunday evening/Monday morning) I worked DK1AQ, Hermann from Varel in northern Germany on 7148 kHz, around 6 AM his local time (0400 GMT).  I called CQ AM, but didn't get any response.  I minute or so later, I heard Hermann zero beat with my carrier frequeny, testing on SSB.  I gave him a call, running about 300 watts carrier output, and got an immediate reply.  We talked for about 15 minutes, and it was 100% both ways.  I described my station set-up in detail, but he never acknowledged the fact that I was running AM, but he did say my homebrew rig sounded very good.

The frequency was completely clear of any broadcast QRM, which seems to pretty much disappear from the 7100-7175 region about that time in the evening at this QTH, and most stateside slopbuckets have apparently gone to bed.  I did hear some strong US signals from Washington state and the east coast, so the band should be open for domestic AM work as well, and maybe some Euro-AM'ers will join in.

[pe1mph]

Don!

Very good work.
And when conditions are good, I am 100% shure we can work in AM-mode on 40 mtrs.
But (again) to find a clean freq. on 40 mtrs. is important....
So around 7153 is mostly clean in Dokkum (Holland)!

Greetings,

Henk / pe1mph

[AF9J]

Way Cool Don!

40 was noisy last night but (like 160 is sometimes) was usable if you had enough power.  I read a posts by both Joe, W1GFH, and Sam, KS2AM, on the 10m thread, saying Ashtabula Bill was on 7290.  I was trying to get some 6 & 10m AM QSOs, but 6 was dead, and I was having no luck with 10m AM, in both listening, and calling CQ (in spite of SSB signals being good).  So, I went to 7290.  Bill had a great signal, at least 10 to 20 over 9.  I could also hear Sam, KS2AM chatting with him.  No BCI on most of the band. Virtually no SSB on the band (see, I told you that most SSBers call it quits on 40, when it gets dark ).  Unfortunately, my Cheyenne isn't up and running yet (I'm waiting for the D-104 I won on ePay to arrive), so I had to use the ricebox FT-897D, and it just didn't cut it.  Bill briefly heard me, but I dropped back down into his noise floor (all the T-storms that gave us Es, caused a lot of QRN), and we never were able to connect.  The K and A indices are very low today.  If there's no Es on 6 or 10m (I LOVE 6m), and the QRN is manageable, I may try 40 again tonight.

73,
Ellen - AF9J

[pe1mph]

Again!

This morning around 04.45 I received again USA on 40 mtrs.
Stations with the W in their call....
Talking with a station from Frankfurt Germany.
All in ssb mode... sorry but they talking to fast for me.
So I have no calls or names and conditions going fast 'Up and Down'.

Very interesting the freq. 7155 were clean, only qso stations on air.
So I think 7155 can be a good AM freq. when conditions are oke.

Greetings,

Henk / pe1mph from Dokkum

[WA3VJB]

Henk,
I again will try tonight, Friday night into Saturday, to work you and anyone else you can muster on your side of the pond. Strictly using the complete signal of wholesome AM.

Please look for me initially on 7285, then as conditions build, I'll be down around 7155 Kc.

I also shall use the Holland-based RX340 to check how my signal is hitting your neighborhood.

Fingers-crossed,

[pe1mph]

WA3VJB,

Please look for me initially on 7285, then as conditions build, I'll be down around 7155 Kc.

Sorry, but 7285 (and 7290) we can 'never' receive AM!!!!!
Strong radio broadcast stations on these freq.

I think around 7155 is for us (European) the best freq. to receive USA stations in SSB or AM mode!
I mail your info to my AM lovers in Holland....

Greetings from a raining Dokkum,

Henk

[pe1mph]

Bad conditions this morning on 40 mtrs.

Only station I received good: N2PL
Around 7150 in SSB, s 1 to s 3.
I am shure more stations on freq. but to weak for me!

Freq. 7150 were today totale FREE/CLEAN


Greetings,

Henk pe1mph

[k4kyv]

I heard a couple of stations in UK, but they were much weaker than usual.  Worked a station in Syracuse on AM on 7170.  He was weak, running a ricebox on AM.  Later called CQ several times on 7290, but no response. 

75 and even 160 seemed unusually quiet, but the T-storm map showed plenty of lightning activity, but at 0630 GMT much of the lightning has subsided.

[pe1mph]

Sorry no stations received on 80 in AM this morning!

And even so nothing around 7170.....
Maybe a next time?

Greetings,

Henk pe1mph