40 Meter AM activity

[Knightt150]

I listen almost nightly on 40 meters 7160kc all I am hearing is ssb.

John W9BFO

[k7yoo]

Turn your BFO off !



sorry, I couldn't resist

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Did you call CQ?

KA1KAQ, W1VD and other were on 7160 just the other night.

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

Was on 7165-66 last night also with a new licensee from VA running a FT-101E and Jim K4JPM putting in a nice signal from Birmingham with his Viking II, first time he's had it on 40 in a while.

Sure, there was some static, but along with Skip's suggestion, I'll reiterate what's been said before: Spin the dial, call CQ. Works better than simply listening, every time so far.

[flintstone mop]

Same here John.
Maybe not every night, but it may be we're not pressing our PTT. I'm not too good at generating a CQ.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Same here John.
Maybe not every night, but it may be we're not pressing our PTT. I'm not too good at generating a CQ.

I just did a search for "calling CQ" in the QST archives and found a number of articles that go from present to all the way back to the 20's.

[k4kyv]

By the time I get into the house at sundown, have the evening meal and get out to the shack, everyone has gone to bed, or else the Ethiopian jammer on 7165 is wiping out that whole portion of the band.

All I have to do to call CQ is throw a couple of switches, press a button and sit back and wait for a reply.

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Todd, KA1KAQ and I were on 7164 for about 1.5 hours tonight - about 8:30-10 PM EDT. Only one other station joined in, Jay, W1VD.

As someone once said, "Where's all those big AM mauls?"

[K9ACT]

I fired up my newly repackaged 810 rig last night on 7160 and ran my robot for almost an hour and never got a response.  Not even a slop bucket.  Actually that was the night before last.

That is actually good news because now I don't have to get it working on 20 meters.  I moved to 20 because there was too much activity on 40.

js

[k4kyv]

Probably too much QRN.  40 has been almost as bad as 75 and 160 lately.  The wx map in the local newspaper has shown t-storms covering the entire N. American continent every day for more than a week now.

[W1VD]

Despite almost daily thunderstorms the static here hasn't been too bad. Todd and Steve were easily copied through it last night. Many evenings 7160 has become infested with slop buckets (maybe because it's a 'round' frequency?). Rather than waiting them out Todd has been moving up to ~65 and calling CQ.

[flintstone mop]

Apparently there is only propagation between Steve and Todd..................hi
There's an RF hole for the rest of us.

Fred

[k4kyv]

Despite almost daily thunderstorms the static here hasn't been too bad. Todd and Steve were easily copied through it last night. Many evenings 7160 has become infested with slop buckets (maybe because it's a 'round' frequency?). Rather than waiting them out Todd has been moving up to ~65 and calling CQ.

You have to get an early start, before the slopbuckets get on the air. This seemed easier to do earlier in the year before it stayed light out so late. And you don't have to be exactly on 7160.  How about 7162.3 or 7158.9?  That will discourage some of the SSB stations that like to piggy-back ride AM carriers, because many slopbucketeers insist that it is proper to transmit only on "round" frequencies.

Of course, you can expect 7165 to becomes useless after 0400Z because of the broadcast jammer, which takes 7160 out along with it.

Things should get more interesting this fall when noise begins to subside and we go off Daylight Shopping Time.  But look for more hassles from slopbucketeers who will insist that AM shouldn't be taking up space in "prime DX" territory.  The best counter argument to that is to advise them to stop griping about AM, and begin work to formulate a petition to the FCC to expand the phone band down to 7075 or at least to 7100, so that continental US can join the rest of the world in the "DX" portion of the band.  Right now, 7100-7125 is mostly wasted space, and the DX crowd doesn't "own" 7125-7200.

Maybe some of the European AM group will show up on 40.  I was disappointed that so little AM was heard out of Europe right after the broadcasters went away.  I haven't heard whether or not French hams have access yet to 7100-7200, or how many other countries are dragging their feet on expanding 40m privileges for their amateurs.

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

Was a fun couple hours last night, which started off with Steve scaring the crap outta me after my second CQ when he came back immediately with a 20+ signal as I was leaning to adjust the receiver. We'd carried on for about an hour when Jay popped in (which now makes me listen for popping condensers) just above the noise to me. By his 2nd return he was up to S8 and before long was his usual 20+ over S9. Figured as Jay came up, Steve would drop, but that wasn't the case. 40 was stable and supporting long and short contacts last night, so we eventually had to call it a night. Jen (a.k.a. 'The Good Wife Mabel' ala Timtron) popped her noggin into the garage long enough to say hi to Steve, and later Steve was able to pick up Jay's LF CW beacon. Overall a fun and interesting night, as the result of a CQ and an answer.

Despite almost daily thunderstorms the static here hasn't been too bad. Todd and Steve were easily copied through it last night. Many evenings 7160 has become infested with slop buckets (maybe because it's a 'round' frequency?). Rather than waiting them out Todd has been moving up to ~65 and calling CQ.

Yep, a few times early on it seemed like some of the SSB crowd were firing up on 60 specifically due to our activity, as several said as much. I heard Steve 'QIX down around 52 one evening while another AM QSO was going on at 60 and jumped in. Since then I've operated down there, up in the 60s and 70s, just above 7200 and where ever I could find space. The last couple nights I've been able to get between SSB QSOs around 70 and 58 which has worked out great. Static has been odd as you noticed two nights ago Jay, sometimes getting stronger as the night goes on instead of diminishing.

You have to get an early start, before the slopbuckets get on the air. This seemed easier to do earlier in the year before it stayed light out so late. And you don't have to be exactly on 7160.  How about 7162.3 or 7158.9?  That will discourage some of the SSB stations that like to piggy-back ride AM carriers, because many slopbucketeers insist that it is proper to transmit only on "round" frequencies.

Good points, Don. Last night after we closed out the QSO, I heard a couple of SSB guys down around 7158 complaining that someone was tuning up on them while they tried to talked. I listened, heard nothing, and have no doubt it was the edges of our carriers they were hearing. And despite sounding like OTs, they were missing the concept entirely. I've just been aiming for max space between SSB QSOs to minimize hassles and interference, regardless of where that lands me number-wise.

Maybe some of the European AM group will show up on 40.  I was disappointed that so little AM was heard out of Europe right after the broadcasters went away.  I haven't heard whether or not French hams have access yet to 7100-7200, or how many other countries are dragging their feet on expanding 40m privileges for their amateurs.

That would be great, but it seems not unlike the way some on this side of the pond approach it: listen, then leave. Most over there seem to be restricted by power level too, but when the band is open, it really should matter much.  Steve and a few others worked Germany and Holland on AM early on, so it's definitely possible.

[k4kyv]

Maybe some of the European AM group will show up on 40.  I was disappointed that so little AM was heard out of Europe right after the broadcasters went away.  I haven't heard whether or not French hams have access yet to 7100-7200, or how many other countries are dragging their feet on expanding 40m privileges for their amateurs.

That would be great, but it seems not unlike the way some on this side of the pond approach it: listen, then leave. Most over there seem to be restricted by power level too, but when the band is open, it really should matter much.  Steve and a few others worked Germany and Holland on AM early on, so it's definitely possible.

I know it's possible.  I few times I have worked SSB stations from Italy, Belgium, Spain and UK, who were running less than 50 watts, but pounding in here.  Several times these ops gave me S9+ reports before they even realised I was on AM.  A couple even tried switching their riceboxes to AM mode and we were able to carry on two-way transatlantic AM with no difficulty at all.

The Europeans have the same power restrictions on 75 as they do on 40, but that hasn't prevented the 3705 group from working east coast USA with good signals when conditions permit.  If they are partially audible at this QTH on 75, they should be strapping on 40.

Interestingly, the vast majority of Europeans I hear on 40m phone seem to be from Italy, followed by Spain.  I hear just a smidgen from other countries from time to time.  But the licensing statistics I have found show Italy not to be at the top of the list of the countries with the most licensed hams.

[W3SLK]

I parked my bohunkous at 7.160 @ 1300 HRS local time. I called CQ for 20 minutes. In the words of Phil Collins, "No reply at all...."

[k4kyv]

You will probably have better luck round 1700 hrs  local time.  Not much activity in the middle of the day.  Before the broadcast stations left, most AM activity was on 7290-95.  About the only time I ever heard activity then was in the morning between 0900-1200 local time.  Rarely did I hear anyone after 1200.  By mid afternoon the broadcasters were already coming through.  Of course that no-traffic net always thought they owned 7290 and they would meet about every 2 hours throughout the day every day, frequency in use or not.

With the broadcasters gone, activity below 7200 begins to get heavy in late afternoon and continues throughout the evening.  Mixture of domestic and DX contacts.  Sometimes the band goes too long except for DX work, but other days it can be more like 75.

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

Another good group last night, including Jay W1VD, later joined by Buddly(!) WD8BIL, Rafael KP4GB, and Dave W9AD. Some minor static, but nothing like 160 or even 80. The band held in there fine until we called it quits sometime after 10. No problem finding a place to operate, happened to be right on 7160 this time.

So - Illinois, Ohio, CT, MD, NC were all hearing each other FB. Even managed to receive Jay's NDB down this way after throwing some wire on the floor and hauling out the R-390A.

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Yes, it can be done and has.

It's important to know that the best signals from Europe will likely occur in the period starting about an hour before our sunset to about an hour after and late in the same period centered around European sunrise. Right now this is about 2300-0100Z and 0400-0600Z. It's also good to know the ZLs and VKs come through in the latter time period. Any AMers down under wanna give it a try?

http://amfone.net/Amforum/index.php?topic=19745.0

I know it's possible.  I few times I have worked SSB stations from Italy, Belgium, Spain and UK, who were running less than 50 watts, but pounding in here.  Several times these ops gave me S9+ reports before they even realised I was on AM.  A couple even tried switching their riceboxes to AM mode and we were able to carry on two-way transatlantic AM with no difficulty at all.

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

40 was sure like 40 tonight - flakey as all hell. Found Steve up around 7216 and we moved up to 7220 until a BC station fired off. Steve was strapping them, but it wasn't pretty. Ended up on 41 until the band finally gave up.

Was remembering the night before Deerfield that the now-famous quote was uttered on 40m:

"When W3JN keyed up, the QRM QSYed..."

Maybe we can get a similar response tomorrow night? 

[W1VD]

Agree...40 was unusually flakey last night but managed a nice QSO with Don, K4KYV down around 7160. Don was not his ordinarily strapping self but still good copy. Static had that 'rustling papers' sound to it  - not the usual individual impulse sound. Vaisala lightning map showed a thick solid line from NM up through MI. I guess the long line of storms at varied distance from here ensured a steady noise source 'propagating in'.   

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Great description of the static Jay. That's exactly what I was hearing.

After Todd and I signed, I listened around on 80M. It was generally pretty quiet in comparison to 40M. Guess the storms in the West weren't propagating in yet.

[W9GT]

Got my 40 M antenna back up...now nobody seems to be around...I'm listening around 7160, just wkd a QRP SSB station on 7159...anyone around for an AM QSO?

73,  Jack, W9GT

[kb3ouk]

Tried calling cq on 7295 and 7190 earlier. I took a cd and copied some cq's on it and play that in a cd player hooked up to my ft101 and use that to call cq with. got carried away at times and would let it run for 5 minutes or so and then realize it was still on (cause i was also eating an ice cream cone at the same time and trying to run the radio andf finnally gave up on watching how long it ran and just let it go till i waz done eating)

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Good sized group in there from 11PM to midnight ET. Included K9ACT, K4KYV, WB0JZG, WA2ONK, ?3LTK, and WB3HUZ. At last listen, K4KYV was still in QSO with someone I couldn't hear.