[Elecraft] AM and FM bandwidth

[Brett Gazdzinski]

I have been doing AM as my only ham radio activity for the last 30 years, 
and enjoy it a lot.
I use all equipment built by me, mostly my own designs, and able to run 
excessive power levels and bandwidths, but that is not how I run it.

I restrict myself to weekend morning operation, and do limit the high 
frequencies to a sensible level, but there is rarely any reason to do so, 
the bands are almost empty.
People want to ban AM, ban ESSB, and make everyone sound like they are 
talking on a cheap telephone.
Well, I don't like contests, but when they are on, I do something else.
If other people like them, then its fine in my book.

If people want to get on and see how narrow they can go and still be 
understood, I don't have a problem with that.


When the band is crowded, I would not think of getting on and being wide in 
any mode.

I don't do DX, but since other people like to chase it, I don't want to 
bother them.
I don't do digital modes, moon bounce, sstv, and other things, but think its 
great that people enjoy that stuff.

There are plenty of people who just don't care about others and will operate 
poorly, and I suspect there are just as many that want to eliminate 
everything that they personally don't like/enjoy.

I am glad most manufacturers are leaving the choice in the hands of the 
operator, I hear the flex radios are capable of very nice fidelity in every 
mode.

I wonder why most hams I hear on 80 meters at night are SO unhappy, they 
hate AM, they hate the government, they hate contesters, they seem to hate 
everything.

Brett
N2DTS