[Milsurplus] QRMing the MilRadio Net

[Mike Morrow]

>After a few minutes, the whole group of SSB operators
>showed-up at once and I heard:
>
>      "... Yeah, he's down there.  Have you got your amp on?"
>      "I'm warming it up now...."
>      "Helllllllo!  Nothing like 500 watts to clear the band out."

Phone operator QRO LIDS...gotta' love 'em!  It never changes.  You'll find complaints about this type of nonsense in ham radio magazines from 75 years ago!

Unfortunately for AM operators today, AM does not compete well against SSB.  The battle is unequal due to the technical inferiority of the AM mode, except for its novelty in a vintage radio setting.  Even troop-entertainment US Armed Forces Network shortwave broadcasts have been on USB for the past ten years.

You'd find much less of this problem if the activity were Morse, conducted with vintage and milradios in the Morse portion of the band.  Something there is about those "highly-skilled" microphone button-pushers and VOX-jockeys that brings out the jerk. 

OT DIVERSION FOLLOWS:
In ham radio, if I want an on-air QSO with people who are relaxed, civil, and generally of much better than average technical qualification and skill as operators, I have found that best obtained in the Morse QRP community.  Until I found that bunch, I'd pretty much given up on ham radio operations.  If you're feeling the same, research the Morse QRP community.  You'll likely be pleasantly surprised.  It's not a cult...really!  : - )

Mike / KK5F