[AMRadio] "AM Ghetto"

[Steve WA1QIX]

We definitely need to expand - but such expansion may occur more quickly if 
we don't "move" so far away from the defacto center of AM 
activity.  Realistically, we will probably not be able to move that defacto 
center - at least not any time soon.

At night (and during much of the day, at least around here), everyone knows 
we have firmly established 3885 and 3875 as regularly used (essentially, 
every night), AM frequencies.

We need another around frequency, maybe 10kHz away.  3865 might be the 
logical choice, or we might have to compromise and start out with 3868 or 
3867 to deter any bucketeers from trying to start a QSO 3kHz up the band 
and causing interference until things are firmly established.

Back when I first got on (more than 40 years ago), 3870 was a *regularly* 
used AM frequency - pretty much every night.  There usually was another 
group on on 3885 also - pretty much nightly.  Occasionally, someone might 
try to drop a QSO between 3870 and 3885, but the heterodynes were very 
annoying, and a lot of folks didn't have the receiver selectivity to deal 
with it.

Of course the 5kHz spacing we run into sometimes is JUST TOO CLOSE unless 
the band isn't open, and the stations are REAL far from each other 
geographically.

There is probably some merit in having a contiguous band segment that we 
regularly use for AM.  Yes, we can go anywhere, etc. etc. etc., but 
sometimes reality suggests a different course of action.

Just my opinion :-)