The AM Transmitter Rally is ON!

[steve_qix]

Wow, things must be getting of to an early start - already hear stations participating in the AM Transmitter Rally.

Should be a good one 

Stephanie WX3K, a contender 2 years ago got the special events call W3K and I've heard 3 other special events calls as well.

In case you missed the information about the event, go here:  http://www.classeradio.com/amtr.htm

and here to find out about logging: http://www.classeradio.com/amtrlog.htm

[KL7OF]

Found myself in the shack this morning early...worked AZ, CO,WY,WA, on 1885 and 3875...20 M this afternoon..

[N8LGU]

Lots of AM action on the top end of 40M. WA2CYT, W3GL,W9T, and many, many more. Band condx have been pretty good. The big iron sure sounds great.

[W2VW]

10 open here now. Worked W7ISJ/M. He was using a Radio Snack rig @7Watts!

[W4NEQ]

I'm hearing a bunch on 40 here in KY wid my 75a3.   I'd holler back, but I haven't gotten to fixing my ranger yet, and I'm just starting my Class D/E rig ...

[ke7trp]

The bands have been dead here.  I tried 15 with no luck. 20 meters at 14.296 has a super loud buzz right on Freq. Must be something in the hood. Then I tried 40.  Made a local contact, heard CA.  On 3885 now.  Nothing.  Not sure what is going on.  Noise level on 80 is the lowest I can ever remember at 3SU.

I will fire up the 304TL rig in an hour or so and call CQ on 3880 or 3885.  I think the guys will start popping up on 75 as we get past dinner

C

[steve_qix]

The propagation has been very poor most of the day, but now all of a sudden things are really picking up, at least on 75!  I have worked a whole slew of stations in the past hour, and it will probably get better as the evening wears on.  40 was pretty good - until the broadcasters came it and that was it....

Be back on this evening, after supper.

[kb3ouk]

i'm trying to find an open spot to try and get some more contacts, but i can't find any on 75 meters. gonna try 40 meters for now, with only 25 watts on 7190.

[Steve - K4HX]

Good conditions all day. Sitting at 242 contacts right now.

[K5IIA]

5 so far here. but the night is young   

[kb3ouk]

1 so far here, worked Kerrie on 3873, that's it. too much SSB on 75 to find an open hole and start calling, and don't have anything that puts out a decent amount of power on any other band, which this late the only other choice i have is to try 40 meters, but seems like everyone is on 160 or 75 instead. this summer i need to get in gear and get some better antennas up and build a transmitter, something to get me a little more power out.

[steve_qix]

Good conditions all day. Sitting at 242 contacts right now.

Right    (as Bill Cosby would say)!.  

[K9PNP]

Good conditions all day. Sitting at 242 contacts right now.

Right    (as Bill Cosby would say)!.  

Expanded:  "R i g h t!  What's a cubit?"

Working a normal 24 hour tour today.  Off at 0800 in the morning.  Seems like my schedule knows when these events happen.  If all goes right, will try to get in on CX tomorrow.  Hope good fun is had by all.

[Steve - K4HX]

Watch out for the Chicken Heart!

[KB2WIG]

Its beginning to rain Noaah.


klc

[ke7trp]

Alright.  After dinner headed to the shack. Worked QIX on 3705.  He had the HRO 60 pinned.  Sounded great. Lots of talk power. Very clear.

C

[kb3rdt]

I was on 3.885 man it was rough! Some ssber was yelling in his mic  and said no on AM going get thu my big signal...

[AF9J]

75 is rough tonight as it is.  I was participating in that "other' contest (the SSB Sprints - almost all  if its 75m activity was between 3770 and 3805 kHz [excluding the 3790-3800 kHz DX window]), and there was a lot of noise.  20 minutes ago, I checked out 160m - no activity, 75 AM - 2 stations ragchewing at 3870, and that was it.  I did briefly hear somebody on 14,286 AM 4 hours ago.  I'll check 75 & 160 again, after I finish my VERY late supper, but I'll probably end up just prowling 40 and above for AM tomorrow.  Oh well!

[W1AEX]

It was certainly a nice evening to play radio. The 75/80 meter band was running hot with AM for most of the evening. There was a huge group on 3705 running from the east coast to the midwest with all kinds of equipment. The most spectacular contact heard on the east coast might have been Rex K0KP who came through loud and clear from Duluth, Minnesota with a DX-60B and HR-10B setup. I wasn't quick enough with the record button to catch him, but I recorded Don K4KYV with his big signal rolling in from Tennessee as he listed all the stations that were assembled at one point in time. Steve K4HX pushed the S-meter right to the edge as Don turned it over to him. In the second audio sample there's a bit of Stephanie W3K on the Ranger who lined everyone up and added them to her AMTR log. She might give Ralph W3GL a run for the big prize! Dan W1DAN and Buzz W3EMD can be heard along with a few seconds of Paul WA3VJB as he pinned the S-meter at the very end.

Rob W1AEX

Note: The receiver was using the synchronous detector and set for a bandwidth of 10 kc.

[ke7trp]

We sat around the shack tuning the HRO 60 around.  Mr. QIX is full scale on 3880 talking to Steve KL7OF who is weak into PHX. There is west coast AM on 3870.  No AM at the bottom of the band as this writing.

The slop buckets where in full attack mode playing music, cussing and playing tones ect.  None of it really worked. It was more of an anoyance. During the AM rally, the Am people tend to run things up on high power and it really shows with some big SSB crushing signals.

I tried to join in but saw some dancing of the carrier on the scope with some wiggle of the plate meter.  I cant seem to find out where the break down is.  The PS volts is rock solid.  This only happens once in a while. I can hear a slight arc.  Really shitty, I wish it would just blow the hell up so we could fix it rather then have this happen once in a while.

I will be on 15, 20 and 40 tomorrow AM and mid day with the GK500C

C

[steve_qix]

The Rally was really good this evening (Saturday night).  Lots of stations on all over the band.  Just signed off after working many stations in many states.  The most unexpected DX for me was probably Jon K6JEK on his class E rig and the antenna that had fallen down!!!  That was truly amazing!

It is good to hear SO many stations on!  Maybe we can top last year - we'll see - the conditions are not as good as they were at least around here on 75 and 160 meters, but tomorrow is another day.  Might get on 40 earlier in the day to avoid the foreign broadcasters.

See you then!

Regards,

Steve

[Steve - K4HX]

The amount of stations on 80/75 meters did seem to be less this year, but still some big groups and lots of activity. Just spoke with Scott, KK7TY in Wyoming. All told I contacted 62 stations in about 28 states, all on 80 and 40 meters. Ten and 15 were disappointing.

[Steve - K4HX]

Hearing KL7OF and some others on 3870 right now.

[K6JEK]

Steve, Steve, Steve, and Steve, W1E, KL7OF, K4HX, W6RXK

Any other Steves around? Is there a category for working all Steves?

75 is being kind to us, long and short at the same time. After working Massachusetts Steve, I got in a round table with the usual rascals up and down the state when Steve, KL7OF, broke in and then Steve, K4HX.  I was hearing people 30 miles, 300 miles and 3000 miles all perfectly. Nice.

The usual rascals were  Steve, W6RXK, Bob, W6OZI, Tom W6TJK, and Shorty, K6JSI, with his 1000' loop up 100'.  How about that for an antenna?

[KL7OF]

Tnx Guys...It Is The four Steves on Sat night!!!Great to work yous