[AMRadio] AM and power

[Steve WA1QIX]

Hey, cut with the "the guys who seem to be real wide are all using . . . " 
stuff :-)  One can certainly make similar generalities about any group by 
using one offender as THE example of how ALL of "them" behave.

We don't want to be like that.

And, the reality is FAR from what this generalization suggests (or any 
generalization for that matter)....

If ONE person who HAPPENS to be running a particular type of transmitter 
(in the case to which I am responding (see quote later in this message), a 
class E transmitter), and who makes a particular statement or operates a 
transmitter in a particular way does not make "everyone" or "the guys who 
are running similar..." guilty by association.

Certainly and without a doubt the widest transmitters I have ever heard on 
75 or 160 meters were all tube transmitters, but I would never make a 
generalization about "the guys with the tube rigs" because it would be both 
inaccurate and most likely offensive to the vast majority of folks who are 
not overly wide.  I really think we don't want to go there at all, with any 
techology.

Last night an adjacent channel QSO was taken out by a, perhaps 
wider-than-it-should-have-been tube transmitter operating up about 
10kHz.... but, so what?  The type of transmitter doesn't matter.  The guy 
had a BIG signal, and what I was listening to was considerably weaker.  I'm 
not going to go around and say the guy was "wide" just because I was 
inconvenienced by the sidebands coming down from 10kHz up...The guy sounded 
great and was real loud, so I tuned up there and listened.

Most of the folks who happen to be running class E transmitters tend to be 
very strapping because, in addition to the transmitter, these guys tend to 
put up big antennas way up in the air, with efficient feeders, etc... .and 
the overall signal is very strong..... and of course, the entire signal 
will be stronger, not just the carrier and near-carrier lower audio 
frequencies.

The actual technical reality is that the class E transmitters will, by 
definition and by design, be less wide than a standard transformer coupled 
plate modulated transmitter ALL OTHER THINGS BEING EQUAL.  This is because 
all of the class E transmitters have a whole lot of filtering built into 
them.  What makes ANY transmitter wide is improper operation, and that is 
what observed here.  Otherwise, the signal width would be very ordinary.

I really think we should avoid "technology wars".  This is not where we 
want to go.  We are promoting, using and enjoying AM (as a group of AM 
operators and enthusiasts) and not necessarily a particular technology.

This is, after all, AM radio and not "Antique radio" or "Class E radio" or 
"SDR radio", etc....  It's all of that and more, and it's all good 
!!!!!!!  Personal preferences with respect to rig types are simply that, 
preferences.  There are certainly technological advantages to various 
implementations which are quantifiable under various and sometimes very 
specific circumstances, and we could talk about that.

It's the old "Ford V/S Chevy" debate.  In the end, they both get you where 
you want to go (well, unless it's a Ford) JUST KIDDING - I actually own an 
F350, but you get the idea..

Regards,

Steve WA1QIX

>The guys who seem to be real wide on 80 meters seem to be running big class
>E rigs with lots of audio on the carrier, and they limit the audio to 10
>KHz. They KNOW they are 25 KHz wide and do not care, they tell me AM is
>supposed to be wide. Well, I hear great sounding people on the air that are
>only 7 or 10 KHz wide, and even some that have most of the power in 5 KHz.
>Its an ego thing, or an insecure personality making up for limited body
>parts maybe, I don't know.
>I got no problem sounding as good as you want (wide) on an open band, but at
>
>
>prime time, taking out the entire AM window (with 2 other qso's on it) seems
>
>
>kind of rude to me.
>That is the downside of the sdr gear, you can see just how rude someone is!
>
>
>Brett
>N2DTS
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> >
> > Some of the folks I listen to on 80/40 meters, have the "attitude"
> > (My version of AM is the only one that counts!) When they are
> > called to task for being too wide or generating spurs up and down
> > the band, they say the "finder of the offense" has a cheap receiver
> > poor antenna, or No "YA M" skills. Rubbish, if it isn't working
> > properly, correct it, don't start ragging on the guy who caught your
> > error! The error remains until you fix it, simple as that.
> >
> > The Clique mentality is what causes most of the problems,
> > as in "Interlopers Need NOT Apply", makes no sense and wastes
> > others time, yet another good reason to shut down and go watch
> > TV!
> > FWIW
> > Jim WB2FCN
> > "Real radios have tubes, and weight 600+ pounds"