[AMRadio] Saturdays on 7.160

[Donald Chester]

ARS W5OMR <ars.w5omr at gmail.com>  wrote: 
> Some of you know this, but Darrell/WA5VGO and others, myself sometimes,
> although rarely lately, usually gather on 7.160 MHz on Saturday mornings at
> about 11am Central time.

I worked Darrell (this past Saturday I think), after the  rest of the group had signed.  We had a nice long QSO and Darrell was strapping in the whole time.  I  rarely try to  join the group since there are usually several stations I can't hear well or not at all.
 
> Remember, in the 5th region, 7.285 is busy from around 8am till 9:30am, and
> of course, 7.290 from 10am till noon. But, 5kHz away should be good,
> because if the frequency isn't busy, AM is allowed.

I don't know what group claims 7285, but the 7290 (No-)Traffic Net seems to be active all day long.  I hear them open and close out the net several times throughout the day, but whenever it closes, I come back to  the frequency shortly thereafter, and inevitably it has started back up again; never figured out what their scheduled hours are  supposed to be.  I  think it's whenever one of the members decides to come on the air and another member joins in. They have been more accommodating to the AM activity on or near this frequency ever since the show-down with Ashtabula Bill W8VYZ (SK) several years ago when the FCC got involved.

7275 is regularly used by stations in the Northeast, but like 7160, when they are on the air I can usually copy one one or two of the stations.

In any case, whenever  the top end of the band is occupied I nearly always hear plenty of vacant frequencies all the way down to 7200 and below. No reason why we  can't operate more there.

Don k4kyv