Anyone else running low power AM on 40?

[VE3LYX]

I have my homebrew rig working. I am only running about 3 or 4 watts AM output. I wonder am I alone in the land of 40M with low to moderate power? Am I whipping a dead horse.? I know on CW that would be enuf for a few hundred miles on a good evening. I have a old linear downstairs a friend gave me. He used it illegally on 11 meters (CB) before his conscience got the better of him. I may open it up and put in some 40M coils and see what happens. Still I would like a contact with my rig  as is. I havent quit by any means.
Don VE3LYX

[VE3LYX]

I guess that would be a NO!
Don Ve3LYx

[kb3rdt]

Sorry! I have not around radio till 2 pm est and all i hear is ssb! or broadcast!

[W2PFY]

I will soon have a Heathkit AT-1 on there. Don't have it yet, I think they run about 15 watts out on AM?? Need to screen modulate it.


 

[Steve - K4HX]

Have you tried 7290/95 during the daylight hours, especially before about 2 PM?

[W2PFY]

I used to talk to a guy in the White Mountains in NH running a 1 watt backpack radio on 40. He did a great job with it. Many people in NE worked him.

[VE3LYX]

Thanks all. Yes I have tried 7290 and 7295 . No response back .
I have the thing working and commandeered and guest op to transmit while I went for a drve with a recvr. Signal was good whenever I checked. Clear and strong and readable. I have had a couple of Iffy contacts but I  good solid test to be sure. A normal QSO as it were. It is blowing the monitor rxs almost off the shelf here. I cant block it out even with RFgain and the absolute bottom. Before this amp I could. Today though I could not connect with Tim VE6PG even though he was coming in strong and we were on the same freq . I dont know of any hams locally who do AM So i am always working or trying to work a fair distance. Immay take a SW set to a freind palce 25 miles from here along with a tape recorder . I will prest it and then go home and try it. If I am strong at 25 miles then i just need good conditions. The other option is to have someone due south. (Rochestor )listen for me since I am directly north of there  not all that many miles. I putabig power supply on it today. big voltage wise but the choke was getting a bu it warm so i had to quit. inpi ut is now with it about 25 watts. One would hope for 5 to 7 watts true output with screen modulated AM. On a decent day that should go almst anywhere. I am beginning to get frustated a bit and may have to back of and figure it out. I dont know why I am not being heard. All my tests would indicate otherwise. SWR is between 1.1 to 1 ad 1.2 to 1. Through the tuner or not makes little difference. Don Ve3LYX

[KB2WIG]

"  The other option is to have someone due south. (Rochestor )listen for me since I am directly north of there  not all that many miles.  "

Its 1156 AM  now..... Give me a time and i'll try it with you.  Fwiw, i'm about 102 mi from bell view. ON


klc

[WB2EMS]

I'm about 50 miles further south than KC2WIG, and could give a listen for you on weekends or evenings. Often there is good activity in the morning well into the afternoon on the top of the band. Try joining some of the QSO's there. It might be more productive to join a conversation than to call CQ. Or call a station after a QSO ends. That often works well for me when I'm running QRP.

There are a bunch of folks running a QRP net with the same kinds of power levels you're running on 75 meters on Sundays. Last spring it was quite successful, and 40 is generally even more QRP friendly than 75 is. I've worked into NH from Ithaca with an FT817 (1.25 watt carrier) and a vertical on 75, and worked a bunch of stations in the AM transmitter rally two years ago with an IC703 with a 2.5 watt carrier on 75.

Don't give up, try to schedule with some folks, and try to find some QSO's to join in.

Kevin

[Steve - K4HX]

Yes I have tried 7290 and 7295 . No response back .

You called CQ or tried breaking an existing QSO?

Unless there is something wrong with your antenna, you should be heard. Years ago, N3HJQ ran QRP all the time and was heard quite well over a several hundred mile range.

[VE3LYX]

Yes Steve I agree. I have has two iffy contacts but time for a solid Qso. Mornings is very noisy here. I am sorry. I was out this morning when you posted. The rig and Pa will go down to 80 but the tank in the final will not. It has only a 150 approx variable cap so it will get to down to about 4.2mcs I am going to pad it but then had ordered a 365 single gang on line. When it came it was crystal set size, not suitable for a final amp tank even at low power. I will just pad this one enuf to get both bands . I will look at that tomorrow. Meanwhile I finished the cabinet for the PA other than dial and labeling. I wanted it to match the rxtx I built which is in a 1920s radio cabinet someone gave me.  Here it is. Not quite Drake twins but I like it.
Here is what I have tried. I have made SSB contacts and Cw on my antenna with my TS830S . It seemed to load up fine and I contacted both times first call.  Now it could be the extra power is what covered it. But i agree with all that is said here. In good conditions it should work fine. I have asked about 50 people nearby (50 mile radius. if they had a SW recver so i would at least have an swl report. The only person having one is my brother and he said sometime he would lisen. I hope it is this century. Local interest ham wise seems to be in new rigs and buddy poles with auto antenna tuners. Not they they are decent fellows. They are just not interested in tubes and AM.  I did get a lead that the local armories has some operative Am sets and use a ham from a nearby town to operate them for demonstration. They are 19 sets so should be good if he is willing. Anyway if I get an opening I will give it a shot and post here. Perhaps it will work with someones schedule and we can connect. Thanks you all who have offered help and suggestions. What I gues I need is somone else who is interested to take my portable rx and do some field tests in the south end of The County.  Measuring as they go. If i can make 25 or 30 miles then in optimum conditions anything is possible. No I wont give up. Tis not my nature. To be honest I have enjoyed the experience from the beginning. Probably because I am learning at every step. If it is clear I will try tonite at10PM Est and tomorrow at 7 AM  7120 is where I am now but that isnt good for some of you. I will try then at 7130 and see. OK?
Don VE3LYX

[VE3LYX]

There is an Arkansas SSb station in there right now. I will wait till 10.10 to see if it opens then I am gong to turn in till morning.
Don Ve3LYX

[VE3LYX]

I am going to try 7130 at 7 . I am tuned upright now.
Don VE3LYx

[VE3LYX]

The Antenna test was good. Ist crack worked NC and Virginia on SSb .
Don Ve3LYX

[KX5JT]

The Antenna test was good. Ist crack worked NC and Virginia on SSb .
Don Ve3LYX

Excellent! NEVER GIVE UP!!!  I might try a contact with you during dark hours (preferably before dawn).  That would maximize the chances of success for us.  40 meter is full of ssb and b.c. until early predawn hours.  Daylight is no good at our distances on 40 meters.

I'm available the until Friday.  If you want a schedule, let me know!

73 John KX5JT (near the Gulf of Mexico in South Louisiana)