[AMRadio] New to AM

[Rob Atkinson]

If you don't already have an amp and are looking for one just to use
with the Icom rig on AM I would not bother.  I run a transceiver
driving an amp on AM but only because that's what I already had on
hand.   Knowing what I know now, I would not go out and spend money on
such a setup; I'd cut to the chase and get something like a Heath
DX-100 which is a pretty common and available 100 w. rig that is a
basic plate modulated rig just about everyone is familiar with, so you
can get a lot of help with it if you get into trouble and there have
been a zillion articles about it over the years, not to mention
modifications and Heath sold a million of them.  I figure you are
going to wind up with a plate modulated rig eventually so why not just
skip the amp thing and the blower noise and pass Go by getting a real
AM rig i.e. one that was built for AM from the start.

Getting back to the antenna, this is why it is nice if you can get a
1/2 w. dipole up around 70 feet on 80 meters--you can do a surprising
amout of operating with 100 w. if you have a high dipole--you will be
surprised--for transmitting the antenna is the most important thing
(in my opinion) followed by carrier power and audio modulation.   If
you drive an amp like a SB200, you won't be able to run much more
carrier than what you get with a DX-100.  This illustrates what I was
trying to point out before:   there are a number of ways of operating
AM--driving an amp, high level plate modulation tube rig, modified
military or broadcast rig, homebrew rig either tube or solid state or,
one of those class E K7DYY kits, vintage rig like a Ranger driving a
homebrew amp....what you finally wind up with may be completely
different from what you planned.   I advise taking your time and not
rusihing into anything.   The Icom rig alone can do pretty well in the
daytime on 75 especially if you have a decent antenna.  Are you
getting that the antenna is kind of important?  hi hi.


73

Rob
K5UJ