[AMRadio] Starting in AM

[Bob Macklin]

The PNW AM group operates on 3870 in the late afternoon. Between 4PM and 6PM 
PT.

There is also a So. Cal AM group that operates on 3870 in th evenings 
several times a week. But I don't know the schedule.

Check 3885 in the early morning between 6AM and about 8AM PT

Modern receivers wit digital dials are nice because they are closer then the 
classic string dial boatanchors.  The only way to really use a string dial 
boatanchor is if you have a crystal to spot on.

Bob Macklin
K5MYJ
Seattle, Wa.
"Real Radios Glow In The Dark"
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rob Atkinson" <ranchorobbo at gmail.com>
To: "Discussion of AM Radio in the Amateur Service" 
<amradio at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Sunday, January 30, 2011 8:37 PM
Subject: Re: [AMRadio] Starting in AM


> Hi Dave, okay FB; You are sort of in the same boat I am in.   When I first
> tried AM it was not very satisfying for two reasons.  I did not really run
> enough power to have a good chance of having a QSO and my reception
> techniques were not very good.    I suggest working on a pair of goals:
> learning about radio and circuits and AM and making contacts.   The old
> receivers (and I have one and enjoy it immensely) can be a bit tricky or
> require practice when operating at night under tough conditions of QRM.
> With AM you have a relatively wide passband.   There are times when a
> passband of 5 KHz (pretty narrow for AM) can be nice to have.   I don't 
> know
> much about your transceiver, but JA rigs on AM often have a fairly narrow
> passband, maybe 6 KHz.  I'd hang on to it because it might be useful when
> conditions are poor.  You might want to tune around and practice copying 
> AM
> qsos.
>
> My suggestions are partly because of your location in N. Utah.   Most of
> your operating (on the low bands at least) will probably be at night for I
> don't think there is a large AM population within a few hundred miles of 
> you
> that you can work in the daytime on 75 m. (but 40 m. may have
> possibilities).   As the sunspot cycle continues there should be 
> increasing
> AM activity on 10 meters up around 29.0 too.
>
> I'd also shoot for a method that gets you operating with at a minimum 100 
> w.
> carrier.   I have a hunch if you go the low power route (DX60s, Johnson
> Rangers etc.) you won't scare up much from your QTH and you'll wind up
> getting frustrated and disappointed.   Most of the guys running those rigs
> use them as exciters for linear amplifiers, or operate them in the daytime
> from locations in the midwest or northeast where there are lots of AM 
> hams.
>
>
> Most important is putting up a pretty good antenna.   If you can put up a
> center fed dipole 1/2 wave on 80 m. up 50 feet or higher that would be
> great.
>
> If you need material to read for a vintage electronics education, one of 
> the
> best texts I have found is the old Navy electronics manuals.  The two 
> volume
> Basic Electronics course (but you only need v. 1) known as NAVPERS 10087-C
> is an absolutely first rate text that is carefully written to train the
> young man coming in off the street with no electronics knowledge and turn
> him into a pretty knowledgeable repair tech.  You can see the table of
> contents here:
> http://books.google.com/books?id=o6pn1Pdas1UC&pg=PP7&dq=navpers+10087-c
> and there are several used copies available at http://www.abebooks.com 
> just
> enter basic electronics navpers 10087 in the title blank.
>
> I agree, there is nothing like hot tubes and warm analog audio!
>
> 73
>
> rob
> k5uj
>
>
> On Sun, Jan 30, 2011 at 6:52 PM, David Rhodes <der3113 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Correction:  My uncle was K6PRF
>>
>>
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