[AMRadio] Usages of AM in the amateur context

[Jim Hill]

Regarding AM vs SSB, you definitely get out much better with 
SSB.  Years ago when the Heath DX 100 was available, a friend and I 
made a comparison test.  He had a DX 100 with the SSB phasing 
adapter, and lived about 40 miles away from me.  He transmitted on 
AM, and I rotated my beam until I couldn't hear him, and telephoned 
him to switch to SSB.  I had no problems copying him on SSB.  I was 
quite impressed. I noticed a big improvement when operating mobile, 
but my AM rig was a Morrow MB560 with a single 6146 in the final, 
while my SSB rig was a Swan 500 so there was a power difference, 
too.  I traded my MB560 for some other gear, and have regretted it ever since.
Jim


At 01:30 AM 9/26/2010, you wrote:
>Hello everyone,
>
>I am new to this group and amateur radio. I am 32 years old and have 
>had some health problems the past few years.
>
>I bought a Kenwood TS-930S in 2006. I hooked up a 12 awg wire approx 
>60' long and in some places up to 35' tall. It works a lot better 
>than I thought it would. I run it straight down from the apex of the 
>house. I run it through the window and close the window on it. It 
>doesn't seem to hurt it because of the insulation on it. I run the 
>12 awg strait into the back of the radio with the help of a very 
>short and small gauge nail so the wire will stay in place and make 
>good contact. Of course, this is just a receiving antenna, if you 
>could call it that.
>
>While I'm studying for my exams, my mentor suggested that it would 
>be more motivating if I got a working station built to get used to 
>listening and developing my ham shack ( but of course not 
>transmitting until I'm licensed ). My favorite band while I've been 
>doing all this listening on the bands in the 75-80 meter band. I 
>almost have all the parts together to build a half-wave 75 meter 
>dipole. I have studied our property and I know I can get it 50' high 
>but I'm hoping for 60' which would be a 1/4 wave in height. I have 
>other antennas in mind for the other HF bands.
>
>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?
>
>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).
>
>I hope some of you might want to explain the standard of AM in 
>amateur radio, versus SSB.
>
>I hope to be licensed soon, so maybe I'll see you on the bands! 73's
>
>Donald McMurray
>Kingston, TN
>mailto:donmcm63 at bellsouth.net
>
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