W8VYZ alive and well

[k4kyv]

I heard Bill on 7290 kc/s Friday morning.  Didn't talk with him, but listened for quite a while.  Everything seemed to be completely normal.

A rumour was circulating a week or so ago that he had gone SK. Glad he is OK.

The no-traffic net was operating on 7287. Later, they were heard back on 90 after Bill had closed down.

[w4bfs]

hi Don .... nice to qso on 75 a week or so ago .... very glad to know Astabula Bill is still kicking .... I have spoken with the Texas traffic net acting master of ceremonies on a couple of occasions requesting that they reconsider their net frequency coordination ... you can easily imagine the sort of response i got ...73 ...John

[Bill, KD0HG]

Me, too. God Bless A. Bill!

[W1AEX]

I had a nice half hour chat with Bill on 7290 late Thursday morning. He was quite strapping up into New England and was quite jovial. We laughed about a couple of things and then eventually broke off for lunch. It was great to hear him holding court on the frequency. Not a quack was heard from the Texas Traffic Net up here.

A couple of weeks ago, a sideband special event station set up house on 7295, and the Texas Traffic Net was doing whatever they do on 7290. I parked on 7285 and called CQ and was promptly greeted by a sideband station who informed me that AM was only done above 7290. I thanked him and said I would be glad to move up if he would clear out the sideband traffic that was intruding on the "gentlemen's agreement". He went up and listened and came back to apologize, and then he punched the AM button on his rig and we ended up having a nice QSO. I think most hams respect the "gentlemen's agreement" and don't have much regard for the turds who subvert it. As some here have said previously, if the so-called window is full, and an alternate frequency is open, use it.

[k4kyv]

Like 7160?

[KL7OF]

I worked Bill yesterday on 14286 AM..We had a large roundtable of 10 stations! 

[K5UJ]

That's vy gud to know.   BTW Don I hrd u last night on 3885 with your customary huge strapping sig. up here.   You were about to sign out of a roundtable group so I didn't bother to fire up the rig to say hello but I heard enough to understand you were testing a new mic or preamp or something so I just wanted to say whatever you did sounds FB up here just like in the past.  I listened on my vy wide no filter rx too.

Rob

[ka3zlr]

I to am very glad to here of Bobs living, as mine is slowing at least maybe he can take one more SWAT AT THEM IN PURE am fASHION.........GET OFF OUR FREQUENCY YOU BASTARDS FOLOW THE GENTLEMENS AGREEMEENTS.


But of course I beleive hey have some league and fee cee  power to off set anything a real Interested Amateur builder operator might have to say.



73
Jack

[k4kyv]

hi Don .... nice to qso on 75 a week or so ago .... very glad to know Astabula Bill is still kicking .... I have spoken with the Texas traffic net acting master of ceremonies on a couple of occasions requesting that they reconsider their net frequency coordination ... you can easily imagine the sort of response i got ...73 ...John

Some time ago, the Texas No-Traffic net complained to the feecee, and Bill was sent an official letter that required a response. Apparently, he made his case and the net members were informed that they don't own the frequency and must choose an alternative if 7290 is already in use at net time.  Since then, they have been observed operating down the band a few kc/s until any ongoing AM activity clears out.

That net is unusual in that they meet every couple of hours throughout the day, all day long, and their attitude has been that even at times in between when they are not in session they still have some sort of reservation for the frequency.  But it is extremely rare that anyone is heard actually passing any traffic.  The net meetings usually turn rather quickly into ragchew sessions. Before the incident with Bill, when it was net time, they would fire up right on top of an AM QSO if "their" frequency was not clear.

[ka3zlr]

An Amateur would stop ..think..see the problem....identify what is an isn't important....

An then decide relative operation on by general Call, depending on answer, to a qso that might take off in real AM fling.....


To sit there and take a bow when an AMer calls for QSO is Pistious frequency slopping.

73
Jack Dayton said this1-24-10



Jack Dayton
701 Ridge Ave
Canonsburg Pa 15317

Ph No 724-746-4669

League member

[ka3zlr]

There shud have been no relative anything happen....if the actors on SSB Phone were following the rules..


But those change from stomp to stomp....

73
Jack

[W1AEX]

Like 7160?

Right after the broadcasters vacated the lower phone portion I had quite a few nice QSO's down on 7160. However, before long, it seemed to have been designated as part of a DX window, by some obscure authority. The last time I was down there, I felt like a little kid with a stick, surrounded by packs of angry ducks, quacking at me from all sides, and I was totally alone...

[K5UJ]

Like 7160?

Right after the broadcasters vacated the lower phone portion I had quite a few nice QSO's down on 7160. However, before long, it seemed to have been designated as part of a DX window, by some obscure authority. The last time I was down there, I felt like a little kid with a stick, surrounded by packs of angry ducks, quacking at me from all sides, and I was totally alone...

Rob,

That will probably change in spring when 160 and 75 become less appealing.

Rob

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

I was down on 7165 last weekend and had a nice chat with a few folks, one SSB station and several AMers. Threw out a CQ and away it went. Worked John, KX5JT down there a while back too.

Like the 80m portion of the band below 3750, it seems to be more a case of others waiting for someone else to start the party to join in, as it's seldom anyone is heard calling CQ down there. With a puny 100 watts and very marginal aerial, my success rate down there is at least 95%.

Sorry I didn't catch you down there, Rob. Two sticks club better than one.  

[flintstone mop]

QUOTE Don  That net is unusual in that they meet every couple of hours throughout the day, all day long, and their attitude has been that even at times in between when they are not in session they still have some sort of reservation for the frequency.  But it is extremely rare that anyone is heard actually passing any traffic.  The net meetings usually turn rather quickly into ragchew sessions. Before the incident with Bill, when it was net time, they would fire up right on top of an AM QSO if "their" frequency was not clear.



These folks have no life.

Fred

[k4kyv]

Like 7160?

Right after the broadcasters vacated the lower phone portion I had quite a few nice QSO's down on 7160. However, before long, it seemed to have been designated as part of a DX window, by some obscure authority. The last time I was down there, I felt like a little kid with a stick, surrounded by packs of angry ducks, quacking at me from all sides, and I was totally alone...

If the AM community continues to wimp out, much like the US President and members of the Senate and Congress, and refuses to stand its ground because some of us don't want to endure unpleasant "conflict" with the slopbucketeers, we will eventually be pushed completely off the band.  God knows, they have been trying to do just that for decades.

The DX'ers think they own all of the newly-liberated segment of 40 below 7200.  Whenever I am operating down there and someone comes on frequency to dump that load of bullshit on me, I tell them if they don't think our measly 75 kHz of broadcast-free phone band is enough, then they should petition the FCC to expand the phone band at least down to 7100 kc/s, or preferably to 7075...   WATSA ARRL?

Continental USA is about the only spot on the entire planet where amateurs are denied phone privileges below 7125.  7075-7125 kc/s is mostly a vast wasteland, populated by maybe a half dozen CW and data signals of US origin at any one time. Most of the time it just lies idle, except for a few Canadians and Centra/South American phone stations that can regularly be heard enjoying working the DX, or choice DX stations working each other. 7100-7125 particularly gores my arse since the only reason we are denied this segment is because it is a hold-over from protecting the old Novice sub-band, which no longer even exists.

I think 7160 and thereabouts is devoid of AM activity mainly for the same reason there is so little below 3800.  Once the novelty of the new frequencies wore off, everyone gradually migrated back to their old stomping grounds.

[WD5JKO]

The Cafe' Press folks still carry a line of W8VYZ clothing.

http://shop.cafepress.com/w8vyz

The outfit could be something to wear at the next swap shop eyeball session....

They also carry a W8VYZ button:

http://www.cafepress.com/+quotashtabula_billquot_button,14419570

Jim
WD5JKO

[WD8BIL]

I think 7160 and thereabouts is devoid of AM activity mainly for the same reason there is so little below 3800.  Once the novelty of the new frequencies wore off, everyone gradually migrated back to their old stomping grounds.

A windstorm took my antenna down, Don. I'll be back down low soon enuf.

[N3DRB The Derb]

I'm goin to get a new T shirt - my old one has about had it. maybe 2 grey ones this time.