AMRally--arrl

[AG5UM]

Every year I wonder why the arrl magazine lists every thing from europe digital contest to etc....etc.... why, don't they include the wonderful AM Rally??? I think I should send them an email...but last time I sent them an email about forcing Ham operators to have an email, etc... they were NOT very helpful..anyway....I'm looking forward to the wonderful AM rally again this year...and who knows, maybe we are better off if they don't tell everyone ahead of time...Good luck to all, should be Fun.
AG5UM, Donnie.

[WA2SQQ]

It just seems they have become very anti-AM

[KD1SH]

  Remember the 2020 Rally—lady's night at the League—with the Gates? That was a great time, but it seems the League's moment of enlightenment was all too brief.

[Detroit47]

So when is the AM rally?

[w8khk]

 Remember the 2020 Rally—lady's night at the League—with the Gates? That was a great time, but it seems the League's moment of enlightenment was all too brief.

Yes, the LAB was really hopping during that rally!  We should all be forever thankful for the "Amplitude Modulation" inroads accomplished by our AM ambassador, ARRL retired lab manager Bob Allison, WB1GCM.  The ARRL could surely benefit from another AM promoter the likes of Bob!

I remember during my 2010 visit to the ARRL, seeing the Valiant rig in the lobby of the memorial building, ready for guests to operate.  Donated by Joe Walsh and Bob Heil, it eventually was moved, if memory serves correctly, did it also go to the Lab?  Not sure whether it is still in use, or in storage?  

Bob greased the skids to get the Gates installed in the lab, and when the ARRL no longer desired to retain it on loan, it, he arranged for it to be relocated to its owner, the Vintage Radio and Communications Museum of Connecticut: https://www.vrcmct.org/amateur-radio1  
It will of course be operational during the 2024 rally, commencing at 7:00 PM EST on Friday, February 2nd, with callsign W1VCM.  

Bob may have retired from the ARRL, but he is still very active promoting AM and other facets of amateur radio.

[KD1SH]

  The fire may have gone out at the League, but thanks to the enthusiastic volunteer work of Bob, as well as Larry, WA1LGQ, and a host of others, the Vintage Radio and Communications Museum of Connecticut has become our new embassy for AM.

 Remember the 2020 Rally—lady's night at the League—with the Gates? That was a great time, but it seems the League's moment of enlightenment was all too brief.

Yes, the LAB was really hopping during that rally!  We should all be forever thankful for the Amplitude Modulation" inroads accomplished by our AM ambassador, ARRL retired lab manager Bob Allison, WB1GCM.  The ARRL could surely benefit from another AM promoter the likes of Bob!

I remember during my 2010 visit to the ARRL, seeing the Valiant rig in the lobby of the memorial building, ready for guests to operate.  Donated by Joe Walsh and Bob Heil, it eventually was moved, if memory serves correctly, did it also go to the Lab?  Not sure whether it is still in use, or in storage?  

Bob greased the skids to get the Gates installed in the lab, and when the ARRL no longer desired to retain it on loan, it, he arranged for it to be relocated to its owner, the Vintage Radio and Communications Museum of Connecticut: https://www.vrcmct.org/amateur-radio1   
It will of course be operational during the 2024 rally, commencing at 7:00 PM EST on Friday, February 2nd, with callsign W1VCM.  

Bob may have retired from the ARRL, but he is still very active promoting AM and other facets of amateur radio.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

This is an AM Rally Sponsor issue. They need to run with it.

AM Rally is a non-sponsored ARRL contest so it wouldn't be listed under their heading.
If it was TO BE LISTED it would be listed under Contest Corral which includes non-ARRL sponsored contests.
However, the data maintained under Contest Corral is done WA7BNM.
Look at the bottom of each month's Contest Corral's listing the information as to how to get the information posted. It's not rocket science!

Rather then having you all trying to find this info, here it is:

Data for Contest Corral is maintained on the WA7BNM Contest Calendar at www.contestcalendar.com and is extracted for publication in QST 2 months prior to the month of the contest. ARRL gratefully acknowledges the support of Bruce Horn, WA7BNM, in providing this service.

AM Rally sponsors, if they plan on future AM rallies, should send announcement/date/etc. to the link in the previous paragraph, which my best guess, would be at least 3 or more months before the actual Rally Month and date.

[Detroit47]

Apparently I was remiss in expecting a response. Here is the answer to my question.

0000Z Saturday February 3 - 0700Z Monday February 5
( 7:00pm EST Friday February 2 - 2:00am EST Monday February 5 )
( 4:00pm PST Friday February 2 - 11:00pm PST Sunday February 4 )

http://www.amrally.com/

Johnathan N8QPC

[Pete, WA2CWA]

AM Rally sponsors didn't post anything in Announcements here and I checked QRZ.com forums quickly and didn't see any announcements there either.

Maybe the thought was that, if you put your hand on the AM rig, the AM Rally date and time would be absorbed into your mind. 

Don't know and don't care since I have other things to do on that date.
I prefer contests anyway, since there is a lot less jibber jabber and there are specific goals in mind.

[N1BCG]

We're promoting it late this year to see if that's more or less effective than the 2 months notice we used previously. While that seems like a lot, it was needed for publications and podcast scheduling, but for most ops it was waaay to early.

However, there's also been enough awareness of this annual event where those who are interested would simply check the website at www.AMRally.com

As for the ARRL, they provided a lot of support for the event but the AM station that had been set up in the lab was moved to the Vintage Radio & Communications Museum of Connecticut (along with Bob Allison WB1GCM) where it now gets even MORE time on the air.

I remember during my 2010 visit to the ARRL, seeing the Valiant rig in the lobby of the memorial building, ready for guests to operate.  Donated by Joe Walsh and Bob Heil, it eventually was moved, if memory serves correctly, did it also go to the Lab?  Not sure whether it is still in use, or in storage?

That Valiant and Joe Walsh's NC300 were used as the AM station during the 95th anniversary of the 1921 Transatlantic Tests here in Greenwich. It was then-CEO Tom Gallagher who suggested it be included along with the SSB and CW stations to anchor the commemorative event.

Maybe the thought was that, if you put your hand on the AM rig, the AM Rally date and time would be absorbed into your mind.  

You'll only get the reminder by touching plate caps.

[Detroit47]

Pete
I am surprised by the fact that you like AM. Which is mostly jiber jab. I may be jaded, but saying  CQ Contest 900 times. For the inevitable reply of your 5x9 reply just seems a little repetitious for me. Alas to each his own kinda like Ft8 I tried it kinda  cool rather impersonal. I guess that's what makes the hobby interesting there is something for everyone.

Johnathan N8QPC

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Pete
I am surprised by the fact that you like AM. Which is mostly jiber jab. I may be jaded, but saying  CQ Contest 900 times. For the inevitable reply of your 5x9 reply just seems a little repetitious for me. Alas to each his own kinda like Ft8 I tried it kinda  cool rather impersonal. I guess that's what makes the hobby interesting there is something for everyone.

Johnathan N8QPC

My CQ contest pitch, along with several other phrases, are all done digitally. I'm typing in the computer as it's saying its thing. Contesting is like testing yourself. I like timing myself during contests. I like the action and competition. You give out whatever and move to the next contact.

AM Rally, Heavy Metal Night, and similar stuff are much to slow pace for me. To much dialogue (i.e. jibber jabber) and somewhere in all that sometimes the pertinent exchange details might come out.

I like the AM mode but when there is competitive action within a defined period of time, I'd like it to move along quickly.

As you look at the Contest Calendar for each month, there are a lot of listed contests and many of them are fun and draw in a lot of participants.

[W3SLK]

WA2CWA said:

AM Rally is a non-sponsored ARRL contest so it wouldn't be listed under their heading.
If it was TO BE LISTED it would be listed under Contest Corral which includes non-ARRL sponsored contests.
However, the data maintained under Contest Corral is done WA7BNM.
Look at the bottom of each month's Contest Corral's listing the information as to how to get the information posted. It's not rocket science!

As previously stated on another forum, the AM Rally is NOT a corntest but to 'get the mode out there.' Me personally, eschew corntests as expressed by Detroit47.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

WA2CWA said:

AM Rally is a non-sponsored ARRL contest so it wouldn't be listed under their heading.
If it was TO BE LISTED it would be listed under Contest Corral which includes non-ARRL sponsored contests.
However, the data maintained under Contest Corral is done WA7BNM.
Look at the bottom of each month's Contest Corral's listing the information as to how to get the information posted. It's not rocket science!

As previously stated on another forum, the AM Rally is NOT a corntest but to 'get the mode out there.' Me personally, eschew corntests as expressed by Detroit47.

True! But the actual "Contest Corral" data and link that I provided for them lists all sorts of "on the air" activities for each month and not just contests. If you want exposure to a radio "on the air" activity, that would be a good place to submit it.

It's just a suggestion, I really don't care how the sponsors propagate the activity.
Life goes on!

[KD1SH]

       I agree, we hams—especially AM’ers—need to start off the New Year by resolving to eliminate this annoying plague of jibber-jabber. As a start, I suggest we eliminate the term “QSO” from the amateur radio vernacular, since it implies mindless prattle and empty headed blather, and replace it with the more descriptive and functional term, “contact.” A contact implies an exchange of pertinent information—callsign, location, and signal report—all of which might take up perhaps thirty seconds; none of this bandwidth squandering idle chitchat about transmitters, audio chains, or antennas.
   As a matter of fact, once an amateur has worked another amateur, and entered the contact into his log, there’s no need at all to ever work that guy again: he’s in the log, and that’s what counts; any further contact is wasteful extravagance. Imagine how quiet our bands would be, if amateurs would only refrain from pointlessly conversing with the same stations over and over again, ad nauseam, and instead transmit only when an entirely new station makes an appearance, exchanging of course only the pertinent information; log the contact, and then go back to listening.
   Likewise for this absurd notion that amateur radio should recognize any such trite concepts as camaraderie and fellowship. Let’s abandon such superficial, non-productive affectations and make our transmissions business-like, professional, and impersonal. There’s nothing funny about amateur radio; it’s serious business.

[w8khk]

       I agree, we hams—especially AM’ers—need to start off the New Year by resolving to eliminate this annoying plague of jibber-jabber. As a start, I suggest we eliminate the term “QSO” from the amateur radio vernacular, since it implies mindless prattle and empty headed blather, and replace it with the more descriptive and functional term, “contact.”......snip

WOW, what an ingenious concept!  Think of how much bandwidth would be preserved if we only contact each individual station ONE TIME!

Unfortunately, that puts the onus on the op to check his log before replying to a CQ or joining a roundtable.  But the bandwidth saving benefits reach further than we can imagine.  Just think, that would leave PLENTY of spectrum to dole out to the Yachtsmen and women, such that they can now access their email and websites at no expense.  And other portions of the spectrum could be auctioned off to the highest bidder, filling the FCC coffers to the brim.

To make this suggestion truly practical, we need to petition our plastic radio and SDR suppliers to add some simple code to the rig, such that the ID of the person calling CQ is translated from speech to text, then check the op's log for a match.  If found, the PTT key is locked out, preventing any further abuse of valuable spectrum.  I am sure the ARRL could have a field day with this improvement (pun intended) and the FCC could require type acceptance of the "Dupe check before PTT is enabled" on all new rigs.  A limited time would be allowed for mandatory upgrade to new hardware, and compliance would be strictly enforced by the new fleet of unofficial observers.

Come to think of it, Corntest Lovers would also benefit significantly, because the "challenge" would be greatly improved.  No longer could an op claim the same call in contacts logged on different bands, or modes.  All must be completely unique.  Unfortunately, this likely would give rise to an increase in the number of bootlegged calls, but that is of course another advantage to the FCC, more revenue every day!

The benefits of this new operating mode and regulation seem to be limited only by the imagination.  No longer would any of the older boat anchors need to be repaired, as they would be totally obsolete....   The list goes on and on and on...........  And it is not even April yet.

[W1RKW]

AMCC

[KD1SH]

  Yes indeed, it's not even April yet. I jumped the gun a bit, I'll admit, but I'm an unapologetic Celtic Cynic (something akin to a Haggis Moussaka, I guess) and sometimes I get an irresistible urge to paint myself blue and howl at the moon.

 The list goes on and on and on...........  And it is not even April yet.

[Opcom]

I understand how people feel about the term QSO, with it's vernacular and implications of jibber jabber, mindless prattle, and empty headed blather, often limited only by the regulations for 10 minute transmit time.

Last time I was on the air with the Old Standards, the talk was about what HB transmitter was in use/in the shack/under construction/being dreamt of, etc., with several operators giving intricate details including modulation method, unorthodox use of transformers, chokes, and capacitors in the power supplies and the tubing size and kinds of caps in the PA, as well as what kind of oscillator and power section architecture was implemented, what voltages and rectifier hookups were there, what tubes were in there and where each resided, details the electrical values of other various components, why those values were found to be troublesome or to have merit, on and on until it seemed that a skillful note-taker could draw rough schematics by listening (if they didn't pass out first)! It was total bedlam with no two stations alike! There was nothing approaching uniformity or crisply executed business of any sort except whose turn was next.

So intolerable did this complete nonsense grow that after 3 or 4 hours of it, during which it was my turn 3 times, and the last one spent answering a rather nosey fellow about why I thought a swinging choke was a bit of a cheat, and not hearing even one piece of important traffic such as is related to the miseries of gall bladder surgery, I turned the equipment off in disgust!

[KD1SH]

  I suggest that all is not lost, though: as the amateur radio community ages, the ratio of those who know a grid-leak resistor from a rectifier to those who have gall-bladder issues will change, and gall-bladder issues, gout, and incontinence will one again become priority traffic. The meek may inherit the earth, but those with chronic medical issues will surely inherit amateur ratio.
  But let's go easy on the poor swinging chokes; their moral indiscretions are only the inevitable result of centuries of puritanical and overzealous suppression of natural parasitics, as Dr. Ruth Westheimer surely would have agreed, if she'd been a ham.

So intolerable did this complete nonsense grow that after 3 or 4 hours of it, during which it was my turn 3 times, and the last one spent answering a rather nosey fellow about why I thought a swinging choke was a bit of a cheat, and not hearing even one piece of important traffic such as is related to the miseries of gall bladder surgery, I turned the equipment off in disgust!

[W3SLK]

"Are you using parasitic suppression?" (done in my best female German-laden English!)

[N1BCG]

I suggest that all is not lost, though: as the amateur radio community ages, the ratio of those who know a grid-leak resistor from a rectifier to those who have gall-bladder issues will change, and gall-bladder issues, gout, and incontinence will one again become priority traffic. The meek may inherit the earth, but those with chronic medical issues will surely inherit amateur ratio.

That's what sympathy QSL cards are for! Some ops are working on getting these from all 50 stats by enthusiastically discussing their ailments and afflictions.

[kb3ouk]

I suggest that all is not lost, though: as the amateur radio community ages, the ratio of those who know a grid-leak resistor from a rectifier to those who have gall-bladder issues will change, and gall-bladder issues, gout, and incontinence will one again become priority traffic. The meek may inherit the earth, but those with chronic medical issues will surely inherit amateur ratio.

That's what sympathy QSL cards are for! Some ops are working on getting these from all 50 stats by enthusiastically discussing their ailments and afflictions.

You could go through a stack of those things in one night tuning around 75 meters.

[Sam KS2AM]

AM Rally sponsors, if they plan on future AM rallies, should send announcement/date/etc. to the link in the previous paragraph, which my best guess, would be at least 3 or more months before the actual Rally Month and date.

Pete, this could be the same reason my local newspaper did not run any advertisement of the yard sale I had last year. You're saying that it would have been up to me to contact them myself?  Seems easier to just come here and complain about it.   

[Jim/WA2MER]

If you guys were in a roundtable reading off the posts in this thread...