Am Transmitter Rally May Be Worldwide

[K1JJ]

Having the Rally in March was somewhat of an experiment, but I think it's better held in January or not too far into February.  

Over the years, I've noticed hams are generally very active on the air, jovial and outgoing during the Christmas season and into February.  When March comes, we see activity start to drop and the first signs of cabin fever.

I notice it especially down in the 75M DX window. It's "Merry Xmas , Happy New Year!" for a few months.  Then later we start to hear a little friction.

The beginnings of static may appear in March too. So, the middle to late January  might be the best time for the AM rally.

T  

[KB2WIG]

Is there a prize for the fewest contacts made? With my work hours getting changed, and an unscheduled after work trip, I didn't get on untill after 9P on Sunday. And then there was that digi crap in the 38XX windoz. Thoes guys in Wa and the South West were coming in good. I craped out at 11pm and went to bedd. But I still had value.


klc

[steve_qix]

That digi interference (which was deliberate) was a bit of a mess on '85, but the SDR actually made it reasonably easy to copy those distant stations through all of the noise.

Fewest contacts?  Upload your log to the server!

Regards,  Steve

[W2VW]

I ran about 3 contacts per hour and made dozens of long transmissions in case any of the chronic posters on a certain 3 letter site were listening. Even mentioned grid current.

[ka4koe]

I am ashamed to say that I was sidetracked the whole weekend working on my first tube amplifier, an SB220.  I didn't even get to use my fancy special event callsign. I hope this transgression on my part can be overlooked.



PAN

[Steve - K4HX]

Were you on 12 meters?

I ran about 3 contacts per hour and made dozens of long transmissions in case any of the chronic posters on a certain 3 letter site were listening. Even mentioned grid current.

[W1RKW]

How about scheduling next years AM XMTR rally now?  Get it to the ham rags too.   

[W2VW]

Were you on 12 meters?

I ran about 3 contacts per hour and made dozens of long transmissions in case any of the chronic posters on a certain 3 letter site were listening. Even mentioned grid current.

No but I could have been.

[Ralph W3GL]

Noted all the comments regarding my contesting abilities that I almost
started to believe them myself...

I think it is time for me to forget about such operations.   While I got
the temporary sky wire (it was put up 5 years ago) accepting RF by
clearing about 11 shorts across the open wire feeders, lack of the final
amplifier on 75 and 10 meters along with generally crappy conditions
(at least here in DE), the dam VA QSO party SSB QRM and excessively
long-winded transmissions of a few AM stations I ran across without
pausing between change overs, I came up well short of anything even
looking like an "all out" effort...   It was frustrating sitting here waiting
to attempt to break in to an ongoing  QSO and not being heard...  

To add to the problems here, I crapped out very early Saturday PM and
didn't get out of bed Sunday till a bit past noon.  

Steve, a suggestion...  Mid March is not a good time slot for this activity
on AM !    January, preferably during whatever international CWDX contest
weekend  sponsored by CQ mag. or ARRL (I don't remember who it is)  is
the time you need to run this operation.  That way there generally is less
SSB activity choking the bands and winter conditions make for quieter low
band operations, especially for the guys running 30 to 50 watts output...
Not everyone is running 375 watts of class D power and it might help some
of the people out there that might tune across one of our AM signals and
try the mode by pushing the AM switch on the panel of their 100 watt plastic
radio.

Also, I might add, there was a conspicuous absence of actual AM operations
on the bands.   This activity NEEDS publicity so make a decision for next
years run soon and get it published  nationally  (QST, CQ mag, QRZ, Electric
Radio, etc, etc, etc...)  not everybody in the AM community reads the AMFONE
forum.

Okay, I'm finished ranting,  As you were, carry on...
 

[KA2DZT]

I am ashamed to say that I was sidetracked the whole weekend working on my first tube amplifier, an SB220.  I didn't even get to use my fancy special event callsign. I hope this transgression on my part can be overlooked.



PAN

Nope, sorry, we're not overlooking anything.  You must now remove all the modulator tubes from your rigs and sent them to me.  You now can only use your rigs on CW.

Full AM operation may be restored at some future date,  maybe.  Although, there isn't any record of AM operations being restored to other similar offenders in the past.

Fred

[ka4koe]

All is not lost……even though I am feeling an overpowering wave of ennui. At least there is a Presentation Vibroplex on the desk……but alas, the Valiant he chirpeth worst than the drunk canary in yonder yew tree.

[KA2DZT]

ennul?

Not fair using words I have to look up in the dictionary.

OK FB on the Vibroplex, something I never used.  Says a lot for my CW skills.

[K4RT]

How about scheduling next years AM XMTR rally now?  Get it to the ham rags too.   

If you're considering the winter months, a quick glance at the WA7BNM contest calendar http://hornucopia.com/contestcal/contestcal.html, shows that at present only the "OK DX RTTY Contest" and "Croatian CW Contest" are scheduled for the weekend of Dec. 20-21, 2014. Lots of activity scheduled for January 2015, although Jan. 10-11 might be a possibility. Nothing up for Feb. 2015 at present. There are probably other contest calendars that should be checked.

Way too many contests & sprints. It was better when there were only the principal ARRL & CQ contests and the NAQP.

[W3GMS]

Noted all the comments regarding my contesting abilities that I almost
started to believe them myself...

I think it is time for me to forget about such operations.   While I got
the temporary sky wire (it was put up 5 years ago) accepting RF by
clearing about 11 shorts across the open wire feeders, lack of the final
amplifier on 75 and 10 meters along with generally crappy conditions
(at least here in DE), the dam VA QSO party SSB QRM and excessively
long-winded transmissions of a few AM stations I ran across without
pausing between change overs, I came up well short of anything even
looking like an "all out" effort...   It was frustrating sitting here waiting
to attempt to break in to an ongoing  QSO and not being heard...  

To add to the problems here, I crapped out very early Saturday PM and
didn't get out of bed Sunday till a bit past noon.  

Steve, a suggestion...  Mid March is not a good time slot for this activity
on AM !    January, preferably during whatever international CWDX contest
weekend  sponsored by CQ mag. or ARRL (I don't remember who it is)  is
the time you need to run this operation.  That way there generally is less
SSB activity choking the bands and winter conditions make for quieter low
band operations, especially for the guys running 30 to 50 watts output...
Not everyone is running 375 watts of class D power and it might help some
of the people out there that might tune across one of our AM signals and
try the mode by pushing the AM switch on the panel of their 100 watt plastic
radio.

Also, I might add, there was a conspicuous absence of actual AM operations
on the bands.   This activity NEEDS publicity so make a decision for next
years run soon and get it published  nationally  (QST, CQ mag, QRZ, Electric
Radio, etc, etc, etc...)  not everybody in the AM community reads the AMFONE
forum.

Okay, I'm finished ranting,  As you were, carry on...
 

Ralph,
What has happened to your station?  I think you have all the pieces but just having trouble getting it all together.  Can the antenna be rebuilt and put back up where you had it or did something fall down?  Also, I think you had an amp with a pair of 3-500Z's.   What does it need to be put back in service?  The way your explaining it, the front end loader will be next!  
Joe, GMS