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Author Topic: Anyone Doing AM On 17 meters?  (Read 27157 times)
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Ed WA4NJY
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« on: January 13, 2008, 02:22:19 PM »


     Noise on 80/75 and 40 is terrible lately.  A few unfriendlies on 20 during the daytime make
  AMing not fun.  So maybe 17 would be a choice during the day. I know the sidebanders there
  may be a little less likely to be upset. For the most of us, it would be using SS rigs.

     Anyone trying 17 on a regular basis?
                                                              Ed WA4NJY
                                                               Bradenton, Fl
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K3ZS
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« Reply #1 on: January 13, 2008, 02:54:23 PM »

Boatanchor AM transmitters usually can't go on 17M without using some oddball frequency crystals.    However, AM capable riceboxes can.    Is there an established AM gathering spot on the band?    Maybe we should establish a presence there.
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ka3zlr
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« Reply #2 on: January 13, 2008, 02:56:58 PM »

18.150 guys.
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AF9J
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« Reply #3 on: January 13, 2008, 03:50:43 PM »

How about 15?  15's a band that underutilized as it is.

Ellen - AF9J
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N4JOY
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« Reply #4 on: January 13, 2008, 07:07:47 PM »

I agree that 15 and 17 meters would be ideal for AM activity.  I conducted a quick search a few weeks ago and 21.285 and 21.425 seem to be the frequencies for AM.  I called CQ on 21.425 last week for the heck of it -- the band seemed in good condition but unfortunately no one replied.  I can't believe how 15 meters is almost devoid of SSB and CW activity.  Over the past few months, I have been calling CQ on 29.010 and 29.020.  I've made just a few contacts with my IC-718 and Hallicrafters HT-40.  I believe there are numerous occasions that the band is open but people believe otherwise.   
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Bill, KD0HG
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« Reply #5 on: January 13, 2008, 08:03:52 PM »

My ART-13 works fine on that band. Makes around 125 watts. So does the R-390A.

No proper antenna here but a long wire, but might be fun to try!
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Ed WA4NJY
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« Reply #6 on: January 13, 2008, 08:44:11 PM »


      OK,
          I will be calling CQ most afternoons after 4pm eastern on 18.150.  Rig will be Drake TR-7 and
       amp, will give about 60 watts carrier.  If activity starts (and continues), I will build small direc-
       tional antenna for 17.
                                                 tnx to all, Ed
       
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Pete, WA2CWA
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« Reply #7 on: January 13, 2008, 09:39:06 PM »

I agree that 15 and 17 meters would be ideal for AM activity.  I conducted a quick search a few weeks ago and 21.285 and 21.425 seem to be the frequencies for AM.  I called CQ on 21.425 last week for the heck of it -- the band seemed in good condition but unfortunately no one replied.  I can't believe how 15 meters is almost devoid of SSB and CW activity.  Over the past few months, I have been calling CQ on 29.010 and 29.020.  I've made just a few contacts with my IC-718 and Hallicrafters HT-40.  I believe there are numerous occasions that the band is open but people believe otherwise.   

10 meters is more effected by Sporadic E type conditions then 15 meters. 15 meters and lower are more effected by D, E, and F layer ionization. At the lower end of the sunspot cycle, ionization is low, so the MUF has a hard time getting to 21 MHz. Sporadic E openings generally happen any time during a sunspot cycle. There will be times when there's more 10 meter activity and 15 meters will be void of many signals. For the last several days, 10 meters has been open with activity, from minutes to hours, after darkness here in NJ.
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Pete, WA2CWA - "A Cluttered Desk is a Sign of Genius"
Pete, WA2CWA
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« Reply #8 on: January 13, 2008, 09:47:31 PM »


      OK,
          I will be calling CQ most afternoons after 4pm eastern on 18.150.  Rig will be Drake TR-7 and
       amp, will give about 60 watts carrier.  If activity starts (and continues), I will build small direc-
       tional antenna for 17.
                                                 tnx to all, Ed   

Personally, I think 20 meters would be a better choice. 17 meters is from 18.068 to 18.168 MHz. From 18.068 to 18.110 is RTTY and Data. From 18.110 to 18.168 MHz is phone and image. Total phone operating space is 58 KHz. Not really the place to drop a 6 KHz AM carrier and make any neighborly friends. And, I really see no advantage to using this band.
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Pete, WA2CWA - "A Cluttered Desk is a Sign of Genius"
WA3VJB
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« Reply #9 on: January 13, 2008, 09:59:29 PM »

468 / 18.150 = 27 feet of wire, 13+ a leg for a dipole, I've got that much laying around here if I can find a piece of coax.

T368 should put some fire in the wire up there, eh ?
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Bill, KD0HG
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« Reply #10 on: January 13, 2008, 10:49:56 PM »

Yup, I was thinkng that almost any military rig should cover that band- ART-13, T-368, GPT-750, BC-610 and there would be others.

I won't be able to fire up until this weekend, 4 PM EST is in the middle of my workday. 18.150 it is. Howaboutit, Paul? Set that R-390 squelch on and dial up 18.150.

I've worked SSB ops cross-mode on 18 MHz with the ART-13. There's absolutely no activity there. You got the whole band to yourself. Actually, it's a perfect place for AM.
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Bill, KD0HG
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« Reply #11 on: January 13, 2008, 11:18:22 PM »

Yup, I was thinkng that almost any military rig should cover that band- ART-13, T-368, GPT-750, BC-610 and there would be others.

I won't be able to fire up until this weekend, 4 PM EST is in the middle of my workday. 18.150 it is. Howaboutit, Paul? Set that R-390 squelch on and dial up 18.150.

I've worked SSB ops cross-mode on 18 MHz with the ART-13. There's absolutely no activity there. You got the whole band to yourself. Actually, it's a perfect place for AM.

Just tuned up the ART-13 on 18150 into the 80 M zepp. Real VHF for an 813. Horrible VSWR, but it makes around 100 watts. Carrier sounds a bit buzzy or hummy...But they didn't care aboard that Navy PBY in 1944.
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WA3VJB
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« Reply #12 on: January 14, 2008, 06:16:17 AM »

Yeah this could be fun, Bill.

I can't move that quickly however, need to cut and hoist the dipple first, then let me prove out the T-3.

I was getting some RF in the audio chain when I last had it up on 15 meters (21.425Mc) to talk across the pond.
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k4kyv
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Don
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« Reply #13 on: January 14, 2008, 10:50:11 AM »

And what about 12m?  I rarely hear ANY amateur activity in that band, even when 11m CB is wide open.

I notice that sometimes 11m is hopping with activity while 10m is dead.  Old timers have said that when 11m was a ham band it was "the best DX band we had".  So 12m ought to be even better.

Maybe, as the new sunspot cycle takes off, 12m would be a nice spot for some QRO AM activity.  It's kind of like the "11m" shortwave broadcast band, located somewhwere around 25 or 26 mHz.  No-one seems to use it.
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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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WB2RJR
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« Reply #14 on: January 14, 2008, 10:56:12 AM »

I use both my SB-200 and SB-220 on 17 meters with the band switch in the 15 meter position with no problems.

This makes me wonder if there is enough "slop" in the 15 meter position of most old rigs to cover 17 with an appropriate crystal.

Most rigs I'm aware of usually triple in the oscillator on 15 and run all other stages straight through. If that's the case it seems you could use 6 mc crystals and triple (or today you can get fundamentals up to 20 mc or so). As long as the 15 meter tuned circuits will make it to 18 mc it would seem you can put an older rig on 17 meters without mods (xtal control of course).

Brian AF4K lists a 6040 kc. FT-243 on his sight which tripled would get a person on 18,120.

Wonder if anyone has tried this? I haven't yet but for 12 bucks it may be worth a try.

73

Marty WB2RJR
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Steve - WB3HUZ
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« Reply #15 on: January 14, 2008, 11:00:52 AM »

I know of a few that have done it with a Viking I or II.
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AF9J
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« Reply #16 on: January 14, 2008, 11:38:12 AM »

And what about 12m?  I rarely hear ANY amateur activity in that band, even when 11m CB is wide open.

I notice that sometimes 11m is hopping with activity while 10m is dead.  Old timers have said that when 11m was a ham band it was "the best DX band we had".  So 12m ought to be even better.

Maybe, as the new sunspot cycle takes off, 12m would be a nice spot for some QRO AM activity.  It's kind of like the "11m" shortwave broadcast band, located somewhwere around 25 or 26 mHz.  No-one seems to use it.

Cool,

Yeah, I 'd love to do 12m AM.  I think the Scout has enough leeway tuningwise, that it'll do 12m, and (on a longshot) 17m.  12 is a nice band, when it's open.  It's the first WARC band I operated on (back in 1987).  It's probably a good place to do AM.  Even when the sunpot cycle is in high gear, it seems like activity on 12m is relatively low.  I've never heard the band with wall-to-wall signals on it.   I'm game to do 12 if anybody else is.

73,
Ellen - AF9J
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wa2dtw
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« Reply #17 on: January 14, 2008, 12:26:26 PM »

Should be possible to convert the 11 meter position on the Ranger to 12 meters.
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WB2EMS
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« Reply #18 on: January 14, 2008, 01:28:17 PM »

Just a request to be aware and neighborly to the weak signal folks up on 18.157.5. These are mostly QRP folks working with backpack or picnic table portable radios and having a lot of fun with 20 watts or less. I run an IC-703 up there with a 13 foot fishpole antenna from the bike in the summer and from a pack at other times.

It's been the calling frequency for the HFpack folks for the last 6-7 years on 17 meters and there are often roundtables of portable operators on there with the occasional base station mixed in. Also a lot of green radio folks doing that kind of operating up there as well. 7.5 khz should be enough separation but if .150 doesn't work out so well, I'd recommend sliding down rather than up to find some space.

Thanks

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73 de Kevin, WB2EMS
WD8BIL
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« Reply #19 on: January 14, 2008, 01:42:49 PM »

No, don't do that ! What we should do is maybe........ Oh hell..... maybe not. But we can try. Who's in ??   Roll Eyes Roll Eyes

On the other hand  it might not be a good idea.
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KB2WIG
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« Reply #20 on: January 14, 2008, 02:04:14 PM »

And whatt time of the day wud this b happinin??  Will be back frum homley depot by 3 est. Gots the rice box huked up ...........  klc
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WB2EMS
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« Reply #21 on: January 14, 2008, 02:06:41 PM »

I'd be up for giving it a try. Weekdays I won't be able to get on till after 6pm EST, which might be too late for conditions. Weekends I'm game, and also for trying to establish some footholds on 12 and 15 meters as we start up the new solar cycle.
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73 de Kevin, WB2EMS
AF9J
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« Reply #22 on: January 14, 2008, 03:21:18 PM »

Yes, I'd , love to try 15 & 12m for AM.  I've been saying for a while, that 15 is underutilized.  Weekends are best for me (unless we have Sporadic E doing its thing at night during the weekday).  It's one of the reasons why I decided to keep the Scout (to use for High Band AM fun, where power isn't as critical, and my antenna has some gain).  I'm in, I just have to replace the tube in my VFO (the VF-1's a little weak above 20m outputwise).

73,
Ellen - AF9J
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WD8BIL
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« Reply #23 on: January 14, 2008, 03:41:07 PM »

15 is a good choice. Ifn ya ain't got a 15M antenna try the 40 meter dipolio !!
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ab3al
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« Reply #24 on: January 14, 2008, 03:49:54 PM »

My ART-13 works fine on that band. Makes around 125 watts. So does the R-390A.

No proper antenna here but a long wire, but might be fun to try!

didnt know an r-390 put out 125watts  lol
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