Anyone have any interest in starting up some 2 meter hi power AM action?

[N3DRB The Derb]

I've been seeing good 2 meter am rigs in new looking condition go for nearly nothing, 20 or 30 bucks.  Thinking it would be fun to play around with some power behind it and a big beam. When condx on the low bands are miserable, might be fun.

Anyone else have any interest in doing some ultra hi am action on the cheap?

 

[AF9J]

I'd love to, but we're too far apart for troposcatter.  We'd have to do when mega tropo is happening or Sporadic E.  I have a Heathkit Twoer I've been wanting to get going for an AM net that's down in Northern Illinois, but I haven't gotten around to working on it.

[N3DRB The Derb]

On my end, I'd like to soup up one of those big white box Gonset communicators and add about 500 watts.

maybe could do 6 meters too. I think 6 would plow the cable TV under, 2 I doubt it.

[AF9J]

On the East Coast by you, 2m AM might work pretty well, since the AM & 2m non-FM activity is higher than it is here in the midwest.  The only thing you might want to watch for, is APRS.  A lot of the old 2m AM freqs. above 144.300 MHz have been hijacked by APRS operations.  You might want to look for stay between 144.110 and 144.150 (stay away from 144.2, since that's the North American 2m SSB & CW weak signal callung freq.).  Between say 144.250 and 144.300 might also work. 

Ellen -AF9J
Longtime VHF & UHF weak signal operator

[Ed-VA3ES]

Up here we run AM from 144.425 to 144.460 or so +/-;  .425 is  our local calling frequency.

Keep me posted on your frequency choice, so I can stick a post-it on the radio (a Kenwood TS-700SP, with a 160W amp.  We'll be running about 30 - 40 W).

[Pete, WA2CWA]

On the East Coast by you, 2m AM might work pretty well, since the AM & 2m non-FM activity is higher than it is here in the midwest.  The only thing you might want to watch for, is APRS.  A lot of the old 2m AM freqs. above 144.300 MHz have been hijacked by APRS operations.  You might want to look for stay between 144.110 and 144.150 (stay away from 144.2, since that's the North American 2m SSB & CW weak signal callung freq.).  Between say 144.250 and 144.300 might also work. 

Ellen -AF9J
Longtime VHF & UHF weak signal operator

144.2 is considered the "national calling frequency". 144.1 to 144.2 is generally where you'll find EME operations and lots of weak-signal SSB. 144.275 to 144.3 is where you'll find all the propagation beacons. Above 144.3 you're going to bump into lots of other stuff including APRS, OSCAR subbands, etc. before you even get to 145.0. Your best place to do AM is somewhere between 144.250 and 144.275.

Personally, although I have several 2M AM rigs here, I much prefer operating 6M AM. At least on 6M AM, you have a much larger frequency area to play in, have much better distance range, and much less chance of some diddle-diddle digital stuff crashing all over you.

[Blaine N1GTU]

back in the day we used to run simplex on 145.72
that area was for simplex/experimental
used to talk all around new england
although 6 would probably be better for AM
i wouldnt worry too much about TV with cable these days and analog shutting down in a few week

[WQ9E]

I am too far away from the east coast but I am hoping to try some high power AM later this summer.  I just picked up a Johnson 6N2 Thunderbolt that I need to go through and then put up some decent antennas for 6 and 2.  Just a couple of more projects for an already busy summer.

Rodger WQ9E

[N3DRB The Derb]

The VHF stuff is relatively unaffected by collectoritis, so I can afford to play around a bit. I have a good spot for a big beam for 6 and 2 where the tv antenna is now.

snag a G-50, a one of the gonset 4X150 amps, and have sum fun. 

[K1JJ]

The VHF stuff is relatively unaffected by collectoritis, so I can afford to play around a bit. I have a good spot for a big beam for 6 and 2 where the tv antenna is now.

snag a G-50, a one of the gonset 4X150 amps, and have sum fun. 

Derb,

Just as a frame of reference, on 6M using my 8-bay Yagi stack facing SW, I could regularly work down to the DC area and maybe northern VA IF the guy on the other end was running a KW and a high Yagi. This was on ssb, too.  So, about 300-400 miles of so was the limit on 6M. (Not counting Sporadic E, etc)

Working you or the Huzman from here wud be difficult unless you put up exceptional antenna systems.  Forget it on 2M.


Also, when working the AM Boston guys about 90 miles away using the NE stack, I've found some of them to be in the noise using low antennas, while the higher Yagis wud do S7-S9 signals.   So, working 200+ miles is not an easy feat for average installations unless the band opens up and goes wild.

T


The first picture is the current 6M stack.

The second picture was up for a few years, then assimilated by the Borg to build the current stack.

The current stack is about to come down to make room for the 40M triple Yagi stack.  The 6M stack will morph into something new, just like a hot stacked babe.

(All Yagis are homebrew and erected using a one-man crew - me...

[N3DRB The Derb]

tom, thats good info. I think HUZ to you would be quite a shot, I am actually abt 500 ft in ground elevation higher here than DC, so that would help some.

I'm gonna look around for some cheap 6M stuff as a side project and see what I can do. I like 6 much better. I have 25 or so countries on 6, from when I had a Swan 250 and a 6 element beam in the early 80's. It was hella fun. always have loved 6.

the vhf stuff is within my $$ reach. Might as well grab. I guess am going to be a Gonset collectorz. 

I want a G50 and the Gonset 4x150 amp. Maybe a 150~175 watt carrier with a 4CX250B subbed out.

[WD8BIL]

Derb.... keep an eye open for the FTV-650 and 250 converters for that FT Line.
I had the 250(2meter) for years paired up with the Drake Twins and had lotsa fun.

FTV 250 on Epay

[WB2YGF]

Derb.... keep an eye open for the FTV-650 and 250 converters for that FT Line.
I had the 250(2meter) for years paired up with the Drake Twins and had lotsa fun.

FTV 250 on Epay

$299 for 4W of AM?   Not exactly hi power AM action, IMHO.   Even my IC 706 will do 15-20W AM output on 2M, but it's much more efficient to do FM simplex on 2M (50W out) and the fidelity is probably better too.  Just my 2c.

[ka3zlr]

It Figuers, I'm trying to talk the XYL into letting me buy a 10 meter beam..and yunns guys wanna go to 2...LOL...yer Killing me here...LOL

I got my eyeball on a Y quad for 10 meter that Coppers Electronics place got one..


2 can Be a Big Challenge on terrain..But, it Can be done....


73
Jack.

[N3DRB The Derb]

when I say hi pow-pow-power, I'm meaning around 225 watts carrier. 4 watts drive into the appropriate maul will get you that.

Bud, you know, i forgot all about the transverters. That guys prices are uniformly about 100 to 250 bucks too much for all the radio gear. One of the EX's he has he wants $599 for! For a radio made in 1977. 

[ka3zlr]

I would think the duty Cycle on AM would be conducive compared to FM...

73
Jack.

[KB2WIG]

  "  XYL into letting me buy a 10 meter beam..and yunns guys wanna go to 2. "

Da !  ..........  That's not a 2m beam, that's just the top part of the 10m beam.... 


glad to be of service,
klc

[KX5JT]

I wonder how big a periodic log yagi that covers 10 through 2 meter would be?  Is this just a crazy thought?

[W2VW]

Have you got a good place in the clear to put up a horriblezontally polarized beam?

[K1JJ]

I wonder how big a periodic log yagi that covers 10 through 2 meter would be?  Is this just a crazy thought?

John,

I had one of those commercial 40 mhz to  1ghz  logs for about 10 years.   It was at 190' on a rotator fed with hardline.

It worked "OK" but was much like a 2el Yagi or less on all freqs. Sometimes more like a rotatable dipole.  Too much area to cover. The f-b was OK, but nothing big.  When compared against a simple 3el 6M Yagi, there was no corntest.  It's good if ya wanna get on lots of bands, but nothing optimized at all.   If I did it over, I wud make a separate Yagi for the lower FM band, 6M and 2M.  For a scanner, a log like that wud be OK, I suppose.

Logs work best when used across a 2:1 spectrum at most. More than that, then they suffer unless they are HUGE.  10-20M is about the max. You question about 28mhz to 146mhz would be too large an area for good performance.


For VHF/UHF work, I wud focus on ONE band antenna-wise and make an antenna optimized for that, even if it's just a simple 3 element Yagi for 6M, etc.  Otherwise performance is really compromised OR you pay BIG bucks for a SteppIR antenna that tunes its elements to each freq.


T

[ka3zlr]

I'm just keepin up with the 6 and 10 meter watch thread, activity's up on 10...

So I figure I get me a beam, it's the only way to go, course i could build one., but it wud be nice for once to buy a store bought one brandy new...

73
Jack.

[ka3zlr]

  "  XYL into letting me buy a 10 meter beam..and yunns guys wanna go to 2. "

Da !  ..........  That's not a 2m beam, that's just the top part of the 10m beam.... 


glad to be of service,
klc

In a Word.......HUH.....LOL.....

73
Jack.

[WD8BIL]

Bud, you know, i forgot all about the transverters. That guys prices are uniformly about 100 to 250 bucks too much for all the radio gear. One of the EX's he has he wants $599 for! For a radio made in 1977. 

Ya, I know the price is outrageous. It was the transverter I was pointing out with the epay ad. I've seen the FTV250's at hamfests for under $100. The 650 is a bit harder to find. They're perfect for grid driving the 4CX250's!

[N3DRB The Derb]

That's the way I'll go, makes more sense than a separate rig. plus you get all mode. I wonder if advanced reciever research is still in business? I used to use their rx preamps to perk up old junky toob vhf receivers.

[K1JJ]

That's the way I'll go, makes more sense than a separate rig. plus you get all mode. I wonder if advanced reciever research is still in business? I used to use their rx preamps to perk up old junky toob vhf receivers.

Derb,

A transverter is a great way to go.   Check out the ones made by Downeast Microwave in NJ. Put a wanted ad out for a 50-28. I have two 6M units and love 'em.  Pretty cheap for the kit version. 

http://www.downeastmicrowave.com/cat-frame.htm


Advanced Receiver Research is alive and well. The owner is a vely popular ham.

http://www.advancedreceiver.com/

T