[AMRadio] Was what is this???? now why i like am

Wed Dec 1 04:53:15 EST 2010

You will get better performance using the carrier control for adjusting 
power.  Leave the power control wide open so when you modulate you will have 
plenty headroom.  If you try doing it the other way, your ALC will cut in 
and lower the carrier under modulation.  That is not what you want.  You 
want it to double the carrier on the scope and on a good PEP watt meter it 
will be 4 times the carrier, if you have your amp tuned up right.  Also 
check for proper mic phase using a scope can really make a difference.  Most 
Japanese rigs for some reason all seem to be phased backwards for good 
positive peaks on AM.  A monitor scope is probably one of the most useful 
pieces of gear you can add to your AM station!  Many times you can get a 
scope given to you for FREE for the asking!  Then all you have to do is 
build up a RF sampler which is no big deal.  After using a scope for a 
while, you will soon only use the wattmeter mainly for reference, tune-up, 
and checking things like VSWR

FWIW, when I was a kid back in the late 60's and early 70's I loved to look 
at anything that had a mic or a key on it.  I was just a pre-teenager then, 
but that's why I like to collect older good looking CB sets when I find 
them.  However when I hook them up to an antenna, then I remember why I 
leave them on the shelve to look at.  My favorite that I couldn't afford 
when I was a kid, was a Sonar FS-23.  It reminds me of a baby Collins rig. 
Funny how old rigs like the Tram, Browning, etc,  now have a cult following. 
Most of the CB sets when you looked inside and also at the schematic were 
really POC!  :-)  Still fun to look at if you grew up around them, but now I 
use the web to reminisce.  No room here for such nonsense with all the ham 
gear, but the FS-23 will remain on the shelve forever, hi.

Someone asked why some of us like to reminisce on junk like this.  Many of 
us grew up riding 10 speeds bikes and carrying with us those space age 
command set walkie talkies.  Even then we would try to see how far we could 
talk to each other.  Adding longer wires and getting on high hills to extend 
the range of those mighty 250 milliwatt power-houses!  All that sort of 
thing kept us out of trouble for the most part.  I will never forget our 
young group of bicyclist's storming into a local ham's garage with our ten 
speeds.  He made the mistake of opening up the garage to take out the 
garbage, so we zoomed in on him.  All because he had a pole up with a nice 3 
element beam and wire dipole.  He was a CW man and his station consisted of 
a Drake 2B with a bug for his key, both sitting on nice school teacher desk. 
The transmitter was a homebrew rack job in the corner of the room next to 
the desk.  The huge rack was painted with latex paint, what a sight this was 
to us kids!  He became the first of many Elmers we were lucky to have. 
There was about 6 kids in that group and I am proud to say all became hams 
before we were old enough to drive.  I guess I am the most active one left. 
I bug the rest to get on the air all the time, seems life has a way of 
bogging us down.  I love Ham Radio today just about as much as when I was a 
kid looking in the Blue Book lusting after two way radios and walkie 
talkies!  That's why I like to look at CB rigs from the past even to this 
day.  Even the ones made for kids, like the old 250 milliwatt walkie talkie 
command sets.  I even get a kick out of seeing a good CB antenna that is not 
laying on its side fixing to fall down.  I rarely see one today and it is 
indeed a rare sight, but in the 70s they were on many of the housetops!

I doubt today you will see a group of kids like that anywhere!  However back 
then it was a pretty common deal!!

73 de jay/w5jay..

-----Original Message----- 
From: Jim in Waco WB5OXQ
Sent: Wednesday, December 01, 2010 12:13 AM
To: Discussion of AM Radio in the Amateur Service
Subject: [AMRadio] Was what is this???? now why i like am

I just don't want to start anything that causes hate and discontent.  That
is why I gave up cb radio and yes I did have a license for my station
because I thought you were supposed to.  My call was kqv4932.  I got it in
1967.  I had fun and fellowship with some nice folks back then but in the
early 70s things were getting out of hand so I followed the example of my
cousin WA5OHB and got my ham license in 1974 originally wn5oxq and after
upgrade became wb5oxq.  When I upgraded to extra everyone said get another
call but I declined and kept the same one, now having it for 35 years.  Now
I love am's sound and I work to try to have a good sounding station even if
I do run a solid state transceiver and drive a linear amplifier.  You can't
do much on am with 25 watts!    I find lots of nice folks on am and when
signals are good I enjoy the near broadcast station quality I hear from some
stations.  I always run larger speakers so I can enjoy the rich tone.
I do have a question from those who run solid state transceivers on am.  My
amplifier requires pretty low drive so even with 25 watts of drive the
carrier goes beyond 1kw and that is too high so I have 2 ways of lowering
the drive.  About 12 watts gives me around 375 watts carrier.  I can lower
the drive by reducing the power out control or leave the power out at full
on and reduce the carrier level.  I have never had anyone compare my audio
using either way of limiting my output.  I am inclined to think leaving the
output full on is best because of less alc action that way.  I do not use
compressed audio but I do use the built in equalizer to boost highs a bit
since I have a deep voice.  I use a Heil GM-4 mic also.  I am always open to
suggestions on how to improve my signal.  I operate mostly at night on 3.880
or 3.885  on a half wave dipole from central Texas.  Sorry  to be so long
winded here.  73,  WB5OXQ.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Larry D Barr" <k5wlf at rebelwolf.com>
To: "Discussion of AM Radio in the Amateur Service"
<amradio at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 2010 11:12 PM
Subject: Re: [AMRadio] what is this????

> Damn, Jim. Don't give up on posting to the list just 'cause a thread ran
> rampant. All you can do is throw an idea out there. You've got no
> control over what folks do with it. Keep posting. Life is good.
>
> 73,
> ldb
> K5WLF
>
>
> On

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