3657

[Herb K2VH]

I have a xtal for 3657, and enjoy using it on AM.  Around supper time today I called CQ on that freq. with my quad of 100THs, and was answered by N4WN--Will, at Annandale, VA.  That's the second time I've chatted with Will on that frequency.  What a pleasure to talk with him.  He is 90 years old, and a very interesting conversationalist.  When I signed with him, I was called by Bill, VA3MUJ, of Crystal Beach, Ont., and we exchanged meatloaf recipes.  Yeah, I know, some of you are retching already.  But there's more to Ham Radio than audio reports.

That part of the band is wide open at supper time, while the usual ssb qrm is going on in the 3880-3885 segment.  Even the 3.7-3.8 segment is pretty busy with lots of slop bucket, and a couple AM QSOs.  You could shoot a cannon through 3.6-3.7, however.  I read some of you on here wondering why more of us don't go down into this lowest part of the fone band.  Why, indeed?  There's no more excuse for not picking up an Extra, is there?  And don't give us that baloney that the Advanced is the only REAL class of license.  Hell, I had my Advanced for 32 years, but that didn't stop me from getting the Extra when it was still 20 wpm.  So, now it's no-code.  Get it anyhow, and let's use that lowest 100 KHz.  It's fun, and needs to be utilized by AM.

CU there.
vH

[Ralph W3GL]

I second the motion !!!  Lets get going below 3700...

[N8LGU]

   I traded my Advanced for an Extra-lite and have been having a ball on the 3600 block. Plenty of room. last night I gave up after about 45 minutes of trying to check into the AWA phone net on 3885 kc. I retuned to an open spot about 3675 kc and called CQ. Don, K4KYV answered and we were later joined by WA1SOV. We spent about an hour having a really fine, old fashioned , Q5 QSO. Makes me wonder why so many have trouble breaking out of the AM ghetto on 3885 kc.

[W2XR]

Although I was not below 3700 Kc last night, I had a very pleasant QSO on 3730 Kc that lasted from around 12:45 AM to nearly 3 AM EST with KF2C/Rye, NY, W9IXV/Evanston, IN, and KA2FCG/Milford, PA. The frequency was very quiet at around 12:45 and I called CQ, KA2FCG responded, and the other stations joined us as the contact progressed. Band condx were fairly good last night, but there was some QRN from a distant storm, etc.

Although I do enjoy working the gang on 3885, I like the more open spaces below 3800 KC; I'll take Dave's/N8LGU advice and move down below 3700 KC next time to take advantage of the even more open spaces. I can easily tune the antenna to maintain a unity VSWR down to 3600.

73,

Bruce

[steve_qix]

Well Herb, you're right about the extra !! No excuse..

You know, back when I first got on the air, in - when was it - about 1971, 3885 was in the ADVANCED portion of the band.  The general portion started, as I recall, at 3890.  So, you needed an advanced anyway to operate on '85.  I had an advanced right off the bat.

Today, the extra class test is EASY EASY EASY, and there sure is a lot less slop-bucket down there as compared to the area between 3870 and 3890.

Btw, I use a coax fed dipole that's resonant at around 3820.  Works perfectly up to at least 3940, and for sure down to 3685.

See you there :-)

Regards,

Steve

[WA1GFZ]

You can extend the bandwidth of a coax fed dipole by adding a second element a bit longer and spreading the ends a few feet apart. My coax fed dipole is resonant around 3810 and the swr is getting fairly high below 3650.

[Herb K2VH]

Well Herb, you're right about the extra !! No excuse..

Btw, I use a coax fed dipole that's resonant at around 3820.  Works perfectly up to at least 3940, and for sure down to 3685.  See you there :-)
Regards,
Steve

 
Hope so, Steve.  I was just on there for about a half hour, and worked some very interesting guys again.  BTW, if your dipole will go "for sure down to 3685," it will hit 3657 with no sweat.  Actually, by the time my ELMAC AF-67 driver processes the 3657 xtal, it is closer to 3658.  Oh well.  It's fun to have so much elbow room. I do remember when the general band ended around 3890.  As I recall, Uncle Ed Bolton used to operate above 3900 so that the Generals could join in.  See you down below at or around supper time.

73,
K2VHerb

[N3DRB The Derb]

I just renewed as a advanced. nobody told me whut my options were, so I just renewed the same class.