40 meters

[KX5JT]

Although we haven't reached the equinox, the signs of Springs arrival are everywhere here in south Louisiana.  The clovers in the yard have exploded over the last 5 days.  The birds flocking and landing in the few trees I have and raising quite a din with chirping, the crispness of the air giving way to a warmer more pleasant temperature.

I'll be monitoring 7.290 AM most of this day. 

[ke7trp]

I am on 7293 now.  I run this most of the day when I am in the home office and not traveling.

C

[k4kyv]

Anyone game for 7160?

[KX5JT]

I may give 7.160 a looksee.

[Ed WA4NJY]

   I have been meaning to write about what happened to the 40 meter interest
we had a while back.  The 3880 + & - stuff did not work well here.  Will monitor
7.160 in the evenings. The Valiant II likes it there.

                                     Ed WA4NJY
                                     Bradenton, Fl

[KX5JT]

You'll need to take a pro-active posture on 7.160.  If you simply "monitor" you will surely hear a LOT of ssb.  When the frequency is open, you SHOULD call CQ AM.  We really need to jump into the 40 meter spectrum at night or it QUICKLY is FILLED with SSB, both domestic and DX.

I did have a nice QSO with a few stations there this afternoon and within 5 minutes of an hour long AM QSO, the ssb'ers invaded.  Strangely, not a lot of frequencies up or down were being used but they sure took over 7.160.

[ke7trp]

I worked 9 stations on 40 AM today.  I called CQ alot.  The band was short but if you keep calling, you will get QSos

C

[k4kyv]

I did have a nice QSO with a few stations there this afternoon and within 5 minutes of an hour long AM QSO, the ssb'ers invaded.  Strangely, not a lot of frequencies up or down were being used but they sure took over 7.160.

For some reason, slopbucketeers tend flock to frequencies wherever there are AM signals, like flies to a pile of dog crap.  This is true even when the band is lightly occupied. And then, they proceed to gripe and whine about heterodynes from the carrier and splatter from the sidebands even though the band may be clear for 15 kHz or more on either side of the AM signal.

Strap softly and turn up the wick.

[ke7trp]

Yes.  I think I have a theory. 

Ever pulled into a large parking lot such as a home depot.  You park way out back in an empty lot for two reasons. One, You dont want some A hole to bang his door into your car, and two, you could use the exercise. 

When you come out, You find that other drivers have flanked BOTH sides of your car and in front of you with NO other cars for 10 spaces each way.

Its the same with Am and SSB.. We can sit there on 7293 with NOBODY on the that section of the band, We start talking and bingo.. There are SSBers right on 90! then some on 95! 


C

[k4kyv]

Its the same with Am and SSB.. We can sit there on 7293 with NOBODY on the that section of the band, We start talking and bingo.. There are SSBers right on 90! then some on 95! 

Plus, usually way in the background, there is the tuner-upper who keeps dumping a carrier about 500 Hz away from the AM carriers throughout the entire QSO, but never ID's or attempts to join in.  This is even more prevalent on 75 than on 40.

[ke7trp]

Thats upset Slopbucket operators.  We have them on 40 am that will run carriers just off Freq for and hour. On this old gear, Its hard to get rid of them and they dont have a notch filter.

C

[WD8BIL]

For a group of guys whos average age is well over 50 they sure act like a bunch of kids!

[KX5JT]

I wish 7.290 was monitored more often pre-dawn.  The BC stations are no longer heard a few hours before sun up and I am being heard VERY WELL on distant Global Tuners..... But alas, no one around to play radio with.

[ke7trp]

I dont have a life..    What time?   You think you can reach to AZ?

C

[KX5JT]

Hey Clark,

I'll be off of work overnight Monday night/Tuesday Morning.  When 7.290 clears up it's usually after 3 am here, making it 1 am there..... dunno if that's a reasonable time for you. 

[ke7trp]

I could stay up late one night! 

C

[KX5JT]

I'll post back here on Monday night and we'll take it from there Clark.

[KX5JT]

Off work tonight,  Found 7.270 mhz free from BC's at the moment.   Calling some CQ's in AM mode.

John

[KX5JT]

Nice QSO with Kevin, WB2EMS... although pretty rough copy, it seems to be building...

Flex SDR1000 --> TenTec Titan sounds nice.

[KX5JT]

BC Station growing louder, moving down to 7.276.5 and monitoring with occasional CQ's.

[WB2EMS]

Thanks for the 40 meter AM qso John. Your station sounded good, getting through the east coast BC interference pretty well with some judicious use of the flex filtering. I was glad to be able to test out my new 40 meter dipole, and to get a chance to respond in real time to one of the posts on here of an operating opportunity. Mostly I see them the next day! 

Did you snag that W7 mobile? I heard you call him a couple of times.

73

[KX5JT]

It was fun Kevin!  No he was strong when he first called for me then just disappeared.  Might have been on SSB and when he heard me say AM abandoned the QSO.  They do that sometimes.  I don't think they realize I can copy SSB and they can copy AM.  I don't mind cross mode QSO's although I still prefer AM to AM. 

[WB2EMS]

Too bad, working mobiles is fun. I always appreciate it when I'm mobile when someone takes the trouble to listen for me through all the noise and stuff. 40 can be a good band for mobile operations, I've had a lot of fun on 40 mobile, AM and other modesf.

Mixed mode QSO's are fine. I used to do mixed cw and ssb on vhf all the time when voice wasn't quite cutting it. I prefer AM, but I'm not religious about it - if someone wants to talk to me I'm willing to meet them halfway.

[KX5JT]

Indeed, I like working mobiles too.  Well looks like 7.285 is a good frequency this hour. 

[KX5JT]

7.290 is no longer busy, working WA2ONK, Chuck with a class E.  Some QSB but he sounds great!