[AMRadio] Usages of AM in the amateur context

Sun Sep 26 14:22:30 EDT 2010

I guess I will join in here a bit if that's ok.  I just happened to read 
this post and it looks interesting.  Just signed up to this relfector about 
a week or so ago.

Hi Todd and the group.  This is Kelly,  K7SU.  I live in Twin Falls, Idaho. 
I just got the AM bug awhile back and have been having lots of fun with it. 
Since I'm the president of our local club , Magic Valley Amateur Radio Club, 
www.K7MVA.org, I'm always trying to come up with fun and different 
activities to keep the interest going for the members.  I just recently 
decided to start a get together on 75 meter phone for AMers.  Most are 
local's from the club but others are beginning to join in now also.  We meet 
at 0830 local time around 3870, give or take QRM, on Sunday mornings and 
just have a round-table discussion.  We call it the RETRO-net after one of 
the local's starting call it...and it just kinda stuck. But it's not a 
net...it's just a bunch of us getting together in the same spot on the dial 
and yacking about anyting that comes up.  We've been having a ball.  We have 
anywhere from 6 to 10, depending on what's going on that day.  We have died 
in the wool AMers who check in with their boat anchors, and others who are 
curious...don't have the old equipment, and check in with their rice boxes. 
ALL are welcome.

This is somewhat of an attempt on my part to get the Tech's to listen in and 
get enthused about upgrading and realize there is more to ham radio than the 
VHF-FM "shack-on-a-belt" through the local repeater that they can only talk 
on during a level-1 emergency!  We have hams around here who have $$$ 
wrapped up on handhelds, take three or four of them everywhere they go, 
attend all the emergency training sessions, and have never talked on their 
radios....they are waiting for that big emergency to hit I guess.  (But, I 
will save my soapbox on that for later.)

Meanwhile, back to the HOBBY of amateur radio....I have three AM 
rigs.....HT-37/NC-300 combo, another HT-37/R-388 combo, both of which I 
usually run through my AL-80B amp at around 400 watts, and a Viking 
II/HQ-180A that I run barefoot at 100 watts.  I also have a Kenwood TS-2000 
with AM but haven't used it on AM yet.  I have found that many of the AM 
signals out here get lost in the noise/qrm/qrn but late afternoon/early 
evening operation out here can be very enjoyable if you can find someone on. 
Also, our Sunday AM group is very enjoyable too.

I've also noticed that many of the guys have great signals, but MUSHY sound 
when they try to make it sound like HI FI...a bass-y warm sound that works 
well on AM broadcast but makes for difficult hearing with much of a noise 
floor.  One of the best AM sounds I've heard is a local guy who runs an 
Elecraft K3 with a heil mic!

Anyway, as I explore the world of AM, I find I'm learing a lot about sound 
and propagation, and just having a lot of fun.  For longer distance 
communications, on the lower bands anyway, you're better off with SSB but 
within 500 miles or so, AM is really cool.

73

Kelly  K7SU
www.K7SU.com
www.K7MVA.org

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Todd, KA1KAQ" <ka1kaq at gmail.com>
To: <donmcm63 at bellsouth.net>; "Discussion of AM Radio in the Amateur 
Service" <amradio at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Sunday, September 26, 2010 11:30
Subject: Re: [AMRadio] Usages of AM in the amateur context

> On Sun, Sep 26, 2010 at 4:30 AM, Donald R McMurray
> <donmcm63 at bellsouth.net> wrote:
>
>> Well... enough rambling. My question is, how effective is AM on the 
>> bands, what bands do you usually use, what time of day do you usually use 
>> them, and how do you know someone is calling CQ on a band that is 
>> predominately SSB?
>
> Welcome aboard as a potential AMer, Donald. The effectiveness if AM vs
> SSB or CW will really depend on what you're expecting for results as
> well as what you run for equipment, power, and so on. SSB is more
> efficient for long distant contacts, sure. But also more fatiguing to
> listen to over extended periods of time, and lacking the more human
> feel of an armchair copy AM contact. Few of us are monolithic and also
> enjoy a bit of CW, SSB for DX work, or some other mode. But most can
> be found spending the majority of their radio time on good ol' AM. It
> does help to run a healthy signal of course, 100 watts minimum for
> 75-80m most evenings and quite often even that will land you in the
> 'weak copy' category if the band is busy or noisy. 200 watts or more
> will make your presence known most night. A decent 811 amp or similar
> on your 930 should do the trick.
>
> An AMer calling CQ with a reasonable signal will stand out from the
> SSB garble, making your S-meter rise upscale and stay there as they
> tune or call. Much easier to tune in than SSB too.
>
>> I hope everyone will bare with me, as I am just trying to learn about 
>> full-wave AM ( I guess that is a term for AM since SSB AM is either the 
>> bottom or top of the AM wave, but please correct me if I'm using the 
>> wrong terminology).
>
> Maybe 'full signal' is appropriate. SSB utilizing only a portion of a
> full AM signal.
>> I hope some of you might want to explain the standard of AM in amateur 
>> radio, versus SSB.
>
> As a fellow I was talking with this morning said "AM operating is a
> lot like what I remember amateur radio being like when I listened as a
> kid". Generally speaking, it's a more relaxed style of communicating
> that is as much about the social aspect as the technical. While there
> are always exceptions (idiots and troublemakers, regardless of mode),
> I think you'll find the AM community to be the most technically-astute
> and active group out there in the design, building, and restoration of
> equipment. If you go to a decent sized hamfest, you'll find the AMers
> also tend to have a lot of social activities going on from cook outs
> and BBQs to dinners, parties, and whatever else. As we've aged and
> gone through the boatanchor/more toys phase, the time together with
> friends has become more important.
>
> And also as with SSB, don't be discouraged if you hear some bad
> behavior on the bands. It does happen, but the vast majority of AMers
> are a decent lot who simply enjoy the pleasant sound and experience of
> the mode. I'm east of you in NC and work stations in TN quite easily,
> so I hope to hear you on the bands someday soon.
>
> 73 -
>
> ~ Todd,  KA1KAQ/4
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