[Boatanchors] 10M AM Frequencies

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

On Thu, Sep 22, 2011 at 2:37 PM, Warren Elly <w1gud4 at gmail.com> wrote:

> I say fire up anywhere you wish, so long as you are not disrupting on-going communications. That's the
> gold standard. Love thy Neighbor.


Couldn't have said it better myself, Warren. And the proof is in the
pudding. After the 'fone band expansion, many AMers spread out more
through 40 and 75/80m with great success. Most nights you can find
numerous AM roundtables below 3800, even some below 3700. A couple
weeks back I worked Jean F6AQK using AM on 3710. Second time, actually
- he called Steve K4HX and I last spring when we were on the air here
late after making some transmitter repairs.

On 40m there is activity around 7160, 7185, 7220 as well as the usual
7285-7295 area. Amazingly - the latter frequencies seem to be the only
place I hear regular interference to ongoing AM groups. So much for
the 'AM Window' approach. Same thing with 75m vs 80. If bad operators
jamming you are a concern, why would you want to paint a target on
your back? "I'll be here, come jam me!".

I think the bigger issue has been outlined clearly in some of the
responses, albeit unintentionally. Too many people "listening" for
activity instead of creating it, as Pete points out. A mentality of
AMers being in a small box that's easy to find on any given band, so
turning that big knob isn't required, and where QRM  from congestion
as much as jamming is routine, somehow justifying disparaging remarks
or elitist attitudes about other modes. Ignorance, stupidity, and bad
on-air behavior certainly aren't mode-specific.

Most amusing to me is the distinction in modes, ignoring the fact that
frequency allocations state 'phone' or 'voice', not AM or SSB,
sometimes referred to as 'AM Lite' since it's merely AM with one
sideband and carrier filtered.

Then again - maybe that explains why the other 80% of the band is so
useable and enjoyable when those imaginary 'window' regions sound like
a drunken school board meeting. I have numerous cross-mode contacts in
the log with SSB stations on 80 & 40 too. Hmmmm...

10 meters is the perfect band to spread out and enjoy. Going forward,
having enough people on the air to talk with is a FAR bigger concern
from where I'm sitting. To paraphrase a famous saying, you can create
activity, wait for activity, or wonder where the activity is. Throw
out a CQ, you might be surprised at just how open the band really is.

 Todd,  KA1KAQ/4