The AM Forum

It's a great QSO.  All signals are strong, and the audio is impeccable.

(Yea, I solved my HF receiving antenna problem in an urban setting)

I'm listening on a 75-S3A.

But is all you guy can talk about is the subtle, probably irrelevant tiny differences in mics?

Give me a break!

Is this what you think is what HF needs?

Just asking...

73l,

W1GUH, Paul

The calls I've heard are WA1QIF, W2XR, K1KBW

We were talking about the things we wanted to talk about. If you or HF wanted to talk about something else, it's easy - start another QSO. Lots of empty freqs this time of night.

Just what do YOU think HF "needs"  ??

Maybe that would help bring an understanding of why you have asked.

---

Actually, in the time since you last were on the air, most of us have switched over to the new AM Pro type of signal. This discussion was probably focused on some of the variables involved in that technique.
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(http://cdn.soundclick.com/05/images/a/band/ampro.gif?version=0)

now everybody play nice or I will have to ask you to go home
we and not in the beltway you know

W1GUH et al,

Thank you Paul/VJB and Steve/HUZ for addressing this. I was a little taken aback when I saw the posting from this gentleman, especially his comment,"But is all you guys can talk about [sic] is the subtle, probably irrelevant tiny differences in mics?"

As everyone is aware on this forum, the microphone is a crucial element in providing the desired on-air sound.

I personally like to hear how different microphones sound on the air, particularly those of other stations.  This was how I selected the microphones used here at W2XR; by hearing these same mics on the air, appreciating the quality, and purchasing them for use in my station.

I believe this fellow is unaware that in order to provide the highest possible  transmission quality in AM (or any mode for that matter), a process of progressive refinement is required in terms of optimizing the transmitter and related audio circuits. As you move further and further up on the curve, these differences and improvements can become very subtle indeed, but ultimately, it's the summation of all of these sometimes small and incremental improvements that make the sound of the rig that we all strive for. Absolutely nothing new here, and the process of improving the technical quality in my station has never ended and never will.

When we ask how a different microphone (or adjustment to the rig) sounds to other participants in a QSO, and the other stations can readily discern the differences, this is a credit to the quality of the receiving set-up at the listening end as well the transmitter. I put tremendous value in the objective and constructive critism that virtually all of the AM guys offer when they are polled about audio quality, etc., and the only way to do this is to discuss these issues on the air. Can't do this with a dummy load!

It's a matter of getting the right combination of equipment that enables us to get the highest possible fidelity out of our equipment, and the only way of doing this is to do the kind of testing we do on the air. Sorry, but as long as I've been a ham (37 years and counting), experimentation with other stations has been a way of life in this hobby.

Just my 2 cents worth, as I would be the first to admit that I do like to experiment on-air with different microphones, audio density adjustments, EQ settings, etc. , and I believe the other participants in the QSO you we referring to to in your post feel the same way.

73,

Bruce

  " The audio chain starts with the Mic "


or maybee the mind...    or maybee not ...  See  the appendex of  1984 by George Orwell.... ..      klc

Bruce if I were you I wouldn't feel compelled to somehow defend the subject matter. It's a nice courtesy you have extended  to explain the interest, but it's like any topic anyone encounters, none is more "important" than some other, nor is there a greater value attached to it by its presence on the bands.

That's why I will be very interested to see GUH's list of things that "need" to be on HF.

He clearly has a set of topics in mind, and I will carefully consider his answer, or lack of response, as this discussion continues.

That is a good one.

Usually when someone can't follow audio changes on the air it has to do with the receiver's lack of audio response. Dunno if this is the case here.

I thought the audio chain starts at the larynx, altered as it travels through the vocal tract, and configured differently based on the position of the tongue, lips, mouth, and pharynx.

If you sound like Minnie Mouse when you talk, no microphone is going to make you sound like James Earl Jones.

(http://www.dribbleglass.com/subpages/strange/tongue.jpg)

Quite right Pete but if you had a voice like James Earl Jones the wrong microphone could make you sound like Mini Mouse!!

Audio Chain: A series of audio equipment that's interconnected to control sound for reproducing. A simple audio chain would be as follows: microphone, mixer, equalizer, amplifier, speaker. (Definition from Accoustic Glossary)

The audio chain does start with the Mic as it is reproducing the local sound of our voices. I guess the operative word is reproduce. Something has to generate sound so it can be reproduced.

Interesting to say the least.

Actually, I'm really surprised that this guy's surprised. I mean after all that's what the AM crowd is about. If not Microphones it's about the tube line-up, or many other technical discussions of or about radio.

That is why I enjoy the AM crowd! It's allot better than listening all day to a bunch of geezers complain about their dentures and trying to chase DX all the time. If I had 1/10 the marbles allot of the AM crowd has got I wouldn't be complaining! Intelligence and the sharing of knowledge is always something I find interesting. If only I could retain what I hear I wouldn't have to ask so many stupid questions!

Of course a little belching, farting and drop the maul fun thrown is on top of it just to show we're normal people too!

Can't we talk about prostates and why ham radio was better before (insert time point here)
That is why I got my license.......

Hi--

The QSO you guys are talking about was S9+ here in Oklahoma City last night. Lots of good signals with great audio. Even the DX 100 was clear. The noise level was very low, and the SSB stations that had been on just below that freq. an hour earlier must have gone to bed. Some of the best band/path conditions between here and your part of the country that I have heard recently. Very nice signals and audio, especially considering my space-limited and way less than ideal antenna. The differences in the microphone comparison were audible here also. You guys have some excellent sounding stations. I hope the unusually good band conditions will happen more often!

73; Gary KD5CPL

Could it be that Paul GUH was just being a smarty pants?

Bob,
Sometimes it is fun to poke the hornets nest and run.....all kids at heart

Geeeezzzseee!! I was in that qso, it was a great qso with excellent signals for a change on 75. No qwerm, no crap, and no friggin slopbuckets. signals and audio were great! Last night was even better condx than friday night. huge signals, all totally fully quieting my receiver.

Friday night, Qixie was making aircheck recordings and playing them back for everyone. Ritchie (KB2AM) had me rolling on the floor when he heard himself and said "I couldnt belive I sound like a faggot" (He was a bit un neutralized) I was laughing so hard I almost pissed myself!! All of the rest of us tried to tell him how good his new HB rig really sounded, but he was too unneutralized to believe us. Truely another "great moment of AM"!!

As far as complaining about the topic of a qso and not being an actual part of it is kinda like being an
"armchair quarterback". If you werent actually part of it, you really have no right to bitch about the current topic of discussion. The nicest thing about the am qsos are the topics of discussion, they can go anywhere from hemmrhoids to muscle cars, to guns, to audio. That is the charm of it all. If you dont like the current topic of discussion change frequency and find another qso more to your liking, or better yet join in to it and steer it more in the direction of your liking, but join in to it!!

A short or compromised antenna is no excuse!! I have been running one for many years!!

                                                                           The Slab Bacon

Hey Franko,

Well put. You're right, it's like TV; if you don't like what's on, change it to another channel!

Maybe this fellow was just jealous concerning the QSO we were participating in; all of the stations had audio that was better than any broadcast station you are likely to hear on either MF or HF, plus the content was a heck of a lot more interesting as well.

73,

Bruce

   sure was a good one last night, eh Frank? the guy in Florida strapping with a barefoot Ranger, and topped off at about 2AM with Dean WA1KNX/7 from Arizona 30 DB worldwide with a DX100... if i don't like the topic of conversation i'll simply turn the dial. see the First Amendment: if you don't underdstand the First Amendment, then read the Second Amendment...

Chris,
        Saturday night was even better than friday night! Absolutely fabulous condx!!
Deano was the icing on the cake, he was +30 into B-more! I gotta stop those 3:00 am stints though. I stayed up way too late saturday and sunday I had my ass on backwards all day. However friday and saturday nites were the "radio fix" that I was jonesin for!! I NEEDED THAT!!

Bruce, 
         You shoulda been on saturday night, it was EVEN BETTER than friday!!
Signals were HUGE very low noise!
 
                                                        The Slab Bacon

                                                       

Franko,

Yeah, so I heard! I was busy all evening wiring up the shunt bias regulator for the 833A modulator, and like most of these projects, got completely engrossed in it and lost all track of time. Wish I fired up old Betsy and joined you guys on Saturday evening. I'll be spending a lot of time over the next few weekends wiring up the +1250/+450 VDC PSU for the new 845 audio driver and then integrating the whole thing into the rig, but I'll still be on the radio.

I agree; these 3-4AM sign-offs kill me the next day. Not like I'm 21 years old anymore when I could do all-nighters and have no ill effects the next day!

Best 73,

Bruce

Aint it hell being over 50 now! Reminds me of an old saying: What I used to do all night, now takes me all night to do!! ;D ;D

Once a week !!!! (or is that weAk?)

I've heard there are three stages:
1) Tri-weekly
2) Try weakly
3) Try...

 ;D
-Charles

Speaking of you, I thought the one guy in there with us on saturday was you. He was a little piss weak using an ARC-5. His call was WB3JLK!! Go figger!!

Shortly after that the Hawaiian disease sets in!! (L.O.N.) ;D ;D

That is an amazing almost-coincidence  ;D Definitely wasn't me though... the ARC-5 stuff is in Missouri and I'm freezing my butt off in northern Maine since Jan. 8th where it was a moderately nippy -16F again this morning. The high hasn't been over +15 in a week!

What was he running for a modulator? I homebrewed a screen modulator setup but there's only about 10W carrier output with that rig.

I'll be back in MO next week and might give it a try, especially if I get the bugs worked out of my 4-125A amplifier. 225W of carrier shouldn't be nearly as PW  8)


That, and C.R.S  :P

-Charles

Hi guys...

Wow.  What venom.  It was only a simple, "sorta" civil question.

But I'll add detail to my reaction to what I heard.

Starting from...

1) The HF spectrum is pretty much unused by commercial interests.

2) The ham bands are in a state where there's not all the much activity.

3) No-code generals are about to make their presence know.

Now...

All of the comments re: "how to make a great sounding radion" are exactly right on and are expertly expressed.

Some other comments are, well, shall we say driven by other, less noble motivations.

OK...

Here's the question behind the original question...

Those guys talking about subtle differences...totally cool...but...

All of the signals had outstanding technical characteristics, as do most.

So I'm asking, given that you guys have put together such outstanding transmitters....

(Yea, and it's ham radio...but...)

Why do you waste the hardware and time spent to make your signals so outstanding just to demonstrate how much you know?

Why not use your outstanding signals to discuss stuff that actually means something?

Or is the only world you know the technical realm of the subtle differences between this or that mic, or this or that processor?

That's not that much different that "hi-fi sidebanders" discussing their "appliances."

Cool, you know a bunch of good stuff, and that's acknowledged.  But give me a break...that's definitely not the future of the HF amateur spectrum. 

It seems to me that the new no-code generals are gonna make the AM window a LOT more interesting to listen to.

Ah, well...73, guys...

BTW...one of you guys still owes me (after about 14 years) for a negative carrier.  No, not a 180 degree out of phase signal, something that goes in an enlarger.  You know who you are.

I don't see the list from you that I requested.

Typical Flame Phishing from someone who is not on the air. I guess it is called trolling.


Why not use your outstanding ability to disrupt and discuss stuff that actually contributes to the AM community?

The question asked is one of two things. Either Paul has no idea what the AM community is all about ( we know he knows because he was actually on the air at one time)  or he wanted to raise a few of you as he has successfully done.

And you guys bought into it :o

Why should I ?

( I like phishing G !)

deleeted before I get in trouble.

R^ea_lly?
 ;D
-Charles

The Green Family:

Fonts and Colors are Good

Fonts and Colors are Good


Fonts and Colors are Good

Fonts and Colors are Good

Us old guys appreciate the larger fonts.  Wait until you eyes go.

My eyes are going !  Or maybe its the glasses I'm wearing in the picture.

(if you can read this you're too close to the screen)

(if you can read this thats a nice monitor you have)

(if you can read this you may be using the IE7 zoom function)

Curley:  I can't see!  I can't see!

Moe:  Whatsa matter, numbskull?

Curley:  I got my eyes closed!

http://grouper.com/video/MediaDetails.aspx?id=1609824

Why don't you guys use some fonts that I'm interested in? Are you all demonstrating the subtle differences between fonts because you know how to use them? Do you all actually think that this is the future of fonts? Maybe you 20-font-per-minute know-code font users should cut us 5fpm guys a break.

How about this font:

Why don't you guys use some fonts that I'm interested in? Are you all demonstrating the subtle differences between fonts because you know how to use them? Do you all actually think that this is the future of fonts? Maybe you 20-font-per-minute know-code font users should cut us 5fpm guys a break.

I once used a font this big   >___________________________________________________________________________________<


klc

Actually they aren't fonts at all. They are typefaces. I think the subtle shading and rounded corners of the Monaco typeface is most pleasing to my eyes.

(http://image3.myfonts.com/textimage/07/0720a27a47cb458eb6a0d890f42f129b.png) - MAC Monaco

Quick  brown - Comic Sans MS

Quick  brown - Arial Rounded MT Bold


Quick  brown - Lucida Sans Unicode


There's probably several others in the MS Windows category that come close to MAC's Monaco

None of those come close. Monaco is available for PCs too. See TrueType.

I tried http://www.fonts.com and several other "TrueType" sites and could not find any info on it for Windows type users although I did find one called "Monako". Not the same type as what you showed for the MAC version.

I didn't show any.

TrueType was a joint venture by Apple and MS to stave off Adobe's move into the computer typography and imaging market.

Sorry, I showed it based on the links I found here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monaco_(typeface) and here, http://www.myfonts.com/search?search%5Btext%5D=monaco; you mentioned it.

Thread hijack successful!  ;D

Indeed. Short history on typography here.

http://www.planetoftheweb.com/archives/000143.php

Supposedly a new version on Monaco out too. Bet you are excited Pete.  True Type file at the URL below.

http://www.gringod.com/wp-upload/software/Fonts/Monaco_5.1.ttf

You are easily amused.

Font discussions RULE!

Why do you hate ham radio?

I'm just offering a perspective as an SWL, which is probably all I can do from here, but I'm working on a statiion here where I just might be able to transmit on HF, albeit QRP on CW.

You all know that I LOVE transmitting AM on HF, and if I could, I would.  I REALLY WISH I could...I just can't.  And that's why I really love the internet...I can keep contact with this great, vital, and INTELLIGENT community that I'm proud to be a part of.

What this thread seems to say to me is that I'm way overdue to hook up with you great guys at a hamfest...I'd really love to do that.  It's been way, way, WAY too long.

I'm in LA 3/4 of the time, and I'll be at the next TRW hamfest in El Segundo...beyond that, I'll do what I can on the east coast.

Sincerely...all of you...I REALLY MISS that station I had...maybe someday I'll be able to do that again. 

THANK YOU for amfone.net that's kinda like being on the air.

73, all,

Paul