HFU HF Underground
General Category => Amateur Radio => Topic started by: ThaDood on January 08, 2020, 2219 UTC
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This is probably the only HF I'll do below 10M, 11M, and 12M, http://www.amrally.com/ After that, thunderstorms start trashing the lower HF bands. Anyone up for 6M, (50.400MHz AM, or even 2M AM? Although I can easily do this, I've yet to hear of anyone doing 430MHz AM, or even 1296MHz AM.
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Never heard of AM on those bands either. I know AM on 6m was some what common years ago. Never used anything other than CW/SSB on VHF bands. For that matter never even on HF bands other than 11 meters 25 years ago. Hope it goes well. Always great to revive modes not commonly used. I'll keep an ear out for reception.
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Check most evenings on 75M from 3875kHz - 3885kHz for nightly AM'ers. Also, early afternoons, before 3PM EST, for AM'ers on 40M 7290kHz. There are some big-gun AM'ers on 160M as well, like around1890kHz. Now, if these warm weather thunderstorms can just keep their distance, and not trash the lower HF bands at night, there's lots of AM to be had. BTW, with some Winter Sporadic "E" leftover, you may hear 10M AM on 29.000MHz - 29.200MHz. There's some folks doing 20M AM. The AM Rally lists 14.286MHz, but I was hearing more AM up in 14.330MHz daytime. So, there could be a lot of AM to be had. And, before 2M FM and SSB, there was 2M AM. That is very sporadic upon whom does that around this country anymore, but in FL, where you are, Tropo propagation could bring you 2M AM DX stations. And yes, 6M 50.400MHz. I use to join in those 6M AM round table Saturday night winter evenings back in the mid-90's. Some of those hill toppers were over 70 miles away! Hey... Ya never know...
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Looking forward to the AM Rally this GHD weekend to see if Timtron, WA1HLR, will see his shadow. But, a question was risen to me on, "Where can Tech Class ops do AM?". Yeah... They are kind of limited, since the majority of the AM portions of the HF bands are in the General's Regions. Well, you've got 6M AM at 50.400MHz. For years I've operated there as a Tech on AM back in the 1990's with a Kenwood TS-60S and a Halo antenna, and got out over 50 miles on some Saturday night 6M AM round tables. And, if you have the capability, there's 2M AM. Now here no one seems to agree where to really operate, but if you do a search for 2M AM activity, you get sites that mention various pockets of 2M AM activity. https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vuhf/2am , http://amfone.net/Amforum/index.php?topic=33419.0 , https://forums.qrz.com/index.php?threads/2m-am.234248/ Yeah, not just here, but around the world no one seems to have agreement where to do 2M AM. Me, I've tried 144.250MHz and no one has bothered me up there. It's above the majority of the 2M CW / SSB, and just below the Beacon Portion. So, you might have to research where to do 2M AM in your area. Another thing that you can do, and I did this several times on a Tech Class years ago, is to goto a friend's QTH whom holds a higher class and operate using his / hers class on HF, (Including their call when you ID yours.) So Techs, don't be intimidated that you have limited AM space. It can be had. http://www.amrally.com/
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Just worked a couple of stations from the Rally on 7.295 and one on 20m. Haven't worked AM on HF for well over 20 years. pretty cool!
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Just listened to a station in the mid west work a station in Hawaii. It was his first time doing so on AM. Wish I could have made that contact. Good for him!
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Well, I didn't do HI, but id did a work a few stations in WA on 20M, 14.315MHz and 14.335MHz AM. I heard stations trying on 14.286MHz, but the SSB'ers were just too much there. Works a couple of 40M 7290kHz AM, and the rest were on 75M 3880kHz and 3885kHz AM. Huh... The op at W1AW hung it up around 5PM Sunday, but I managed to work the take-over guy whom was 20 miles of the Newington, CT center. I didn't hear any AM on 160M, besides the amateur news infos on 1960kHz AM. More Flex rigs, Kenwoods, several Icom, and actually one decent sounding Yaesu FT-3000. (Wow!!! Miracles can happen.) The most popular amps used were the Heathkit SB200 and SB220. Good weekend! Now, to ready for the AM Heavy Metal Rally. When's that??? Looking at some search sites on that, and apparently, I'm not the only one asking this. But I'll ask this... Anyone getting QSL card request from SWL'ers? I have, for the last couple of years, and I've got to figure that me mentioning my massive 20W carrier must be one reason. (Hi-hi....) 73!!!!!!!!
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You really need a BC610 and SX28 to do am right.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-Y6QFxzI2M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_ceu9MyA5I
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Wow!!! I'd like to hear what his audio quality sounds like on-air. Some day, I hope to collect gear like that. Right now, I'm doing good to keep the gear that I have presently.