20 meter AM in 2024

[N4DJ]

I have been able to find stations on all bands except 20 meters. I don’t know why no one seems to be on. In the 60s and 70s it and 10 meters were the only bands I worked AM on. I think my last 20 meter QSO was K6HQI. This weekend is the AM rally and I sure would like to hear some activity on 20 meters!

[WD5JKO]

I was on 20 AM yesterday. Made several contacts. I first saw AM at 14.216, and then I moved up to 14.329 where I worked a few more stations. Two of them were using home brew transmitters!

Jim
Wd5jko

[N4DJ]

I just had a QSO on 20 meter AM! The station was KA1BWO in Idaho. The frequency was about 14,160.
I used to operate 20 meter AM in the 60s and 70s all the time with my Johnson Viking Ranger II and Drake 2B receiver. For a few years I also had a pair of 813s modulated by another pair of 813s. A lot of the AM guys sent me 813s when they heard I (as a teenager) was building a plate modulated rig to drive with my little Ranger! When I got it on the air it was a great compliment to have one of them say it sounded like a BIG Ranger!  I think its been 35 or 40 years since my last 20 meter AM QSO. I think my last 20 AM QSO was with K6HQI.  He was the last of the old timers I used to work left on 20. I remember working W4ZZZ, W6QS, W6HLH, K6HQI, W8VYZ, W1BNN, W4TK many times. I do operate AM on 80, 40 15 and 10 meters but never hear anything on 20 until today. There should be more activity on 20 meters.
Today is also the first time I operated 20 AM below 14,200. It felt funny as I always was careful not to go below 14,205 in the old days!

73,
Don
N4DJ

[Pete, WA2CWA]

The AM designated 20 meter "calling frequency" for years has been 14.286 MHz. Because of lots of activity and nets around that frequency, many AM'ers moved up to around !4.330 MHz.