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Author Topic: When the Elephants Go to Bed.....  (Read 6978 times)
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KA0HCP
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« on: February 17, 2013, 09:58:50 AM »

...The Mice Come Out to Play.

Last night I was listening to the usual North East ramblings on 3878kcs.  The Elephant's went to bed around 1 a.m. Maryland  time, followed by the QRM'ers (one of whom was particularly innovative).  

The roar of the band settled down to a lovely winter calm. Then the little guys came out to play, mostly 25 Watters, with soft velvet audio.   Not forcing their way onto the band but rather layered onto it.  Most were participating in the Exchange, but I didn't hear a contact that was less than fifteen minutes long.  I heard at least fifteen stations tiptoeing about.

This lasted for over two hours until some SSB'ers settled in 3kc's down and discussed that they would not move down to accommodate the AM'ers.  Sigh.

It was magic while it lasted.  Smiley   Bill

p.s.  Me?  I was puttering around working out how to fit replacement meter cables for the Gross CB-80.  It will live again!
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New callsign KA0HCP, ex-KB4QAA.  Relocated to Kansas in April 2019.
AJ1G
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« Reply #1 on: February 17, 2013, 11:21:36 AM »

Tried breaking into a few elephant herds myself last night  on 75 with  the PW GRC9 Tacoma mobile but the PW signal combined with the GRC-9s annoying push and wait to talk feature made for no joy.  OTOH, just made several nice AM QSOs this morning on 15 AM with 25W from the HT-37.  K0KP and K0EOO were particularly strapping, Dennis EOO was also running low power with a Flex and later an AF-67 both DFQ here with them at 25 watts.  15 meters is a nice band, we should use it more often.
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Chris, AJ1G
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KA0HCP
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« Reply #2 on: February 17, 2013, 11:33:56 AM »

I've been slaving away on a Harvey-Wells TBS-50D and VFO for a week and a half trying to get it running for the Exchange.  Too much to accomplish in such a short time, but it is going to be a nice rig when I'm done.
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New callsign KA0HCP, ex-KB4QAA.  Relocated to Kansas in April 2019.
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Patrick J. / KD5OEI
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« Reply #3 on: February 17, 2013, 11:57:44 PM »

COL Tucker was on 7160 and cranked up, as were apparently the other rigs on that freq. around here. The Texas bunch for the most part. I don't know who kept score but someone mentioned they were going to log the calls. It was great from 1Pm to 5PM and we quit for dinner, not because of other stations or noises.

More than one 7160 participant reported having worked on their transmitter just prior to the event. It was evident too. The signals were much bigger today. The "100W carriers" with 120-140% positive were great. no AGC issues, no splatter. The usual big stuff even seemed better today. Someone had a blown filter cap but psrticipated anyway. OK by me, what's 120Hz between friends?

Some of these guys must have been race car drivers in a past life doing adjustments and experiments during pit stops. Our group likes those long contacts, each turn 5-10 minutes and if there are 9 stations in the RT who cares. It gives one time to tweak the transmitter or use the necessary room between runs. I even did a turn with zero screen voltage to reduce carrier to 100W, and tried a couple different values of load resistance on an old dynamic mike on other turns. All the guys who were on 7160 here were great and had strong clear signals with lots of audio strength. Lots of discussion about operating parameters.

It was an Exchange and didn't feel like a contest here but then we did not get on 75M. There was a lot of AM activity on that band.
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Radio Candelstein - Flagship Station of the NRK Radio Network.
WA3VJB
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« Reply #4 on: February 18, 2013, 09:41:33 AM »

Sunday evening around 7pm Eastern there was a good gathering on 3875kc.

After a while it sounded like the band was going long, with another AM QSO somewhere under the one consisting of stations along the Atlantic Seaboard.

Sure enough, we all stood by to hear who, and eventually worked K5IIA in Louisiana, and Ted WFØN, the artist formerly known at KC3OL in Kansas.

Ted wanted to ping the frequency for some contacts with the AM transmitter event, and ended up creating a pileup!  There were at least twice as many stations moving through to work him than I recalled hearing in the actual QSO that preceded it.

You shust never knerl who-all might be lissling in...
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KA0HCP
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« Reply #5 on: February 18, 2013, 11:02:46 AM »

Yes, quite busy last night.  At one point Washington state station checked in, though with my poor antenna was barely discernable.  Steve, WA1QIX held court until after 1 a.m. when his voice gave out.  He graciously provided opportunities for everyone to work one another.
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Steve - K4HX
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« Reply #6 on: February 18, 2013, 11:24:57 AM »

QIX was running QRP? No way!
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« Reply #7 on: February 18, 2013, 11:52:34 AM »

QIX was running QRP? No way!

Yup, had the little rig on  Grin
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