[MRCA] 75-Meter Crystal Control

[Al Klase]

Guys,

Operations at the recent meet, once again, pointed out the problems 
associated with using 3885 for our purposes.  This is, after all, the AM 
calling frequency, and most of the Yaaa-Em gang hangs out here on a 
daily basis.  Also for reasons not clear to me, a lot of sidebanders 
insist on crowding this frequency range as well.

3885 seems to have been chosen because it was one of the popular BC-611 
frequencies with the military, so many of these rigs were crystaled for 
3885 from the git-go, and there were lots of surplus crystals to support 
general-class hams in the AM hay day and beyond.

3885 works just fine for the OMRN at zero-five-thirty, and for local 
operation out to a few hundred yards where we can "work under" the other 
QSO's.

It seems to me that we should move to either the recently rearranged 
Extra or Advanced phone bands, 3600-3699 or 3700-3799 respectively.  
I've been sitting here with a 16KHz-wide receiver on 3680 all Sunday 
afternoon, and heard nothing except a distant electric fence.

So we need to discuss this:

How many of us are not Extra or Advanced class amateurs?  It seems to me 
we could, if nothing else, send an Extra with each team, use his call, 
and be completely legit.

This would have little impact on the frequency-agile rigs.  All we have 
to do is pick a frequency of the day and try it.  It's the 
crystal-controlled rigs that present the problem.  Just as a standard 
BC-611 frequency established the calling frequency, I'm leaning toward 
other BC-611 freq's:

3640 (4095 RX xtal)   Extra
3680 (4135)               Extra
3720 (4175)               Advanced
3760 (4215)               Advanced

There are 3720's our junkboxes because that was a novice frequency in 
"the day."  3686.4 is a standard microprocessor clock frequency.  We can 
buy HC-49's form Mouser for 45 cent, quantity one.  FT-243's can be 
moved up in frequency maybe 50-100 KHz with wet-or-dry sandpaper and a 
little patience.  If we ever agree on a frequency, we could custom order 
some plated hermetically-sealed rocks at a reasonable rate if the 
quantities are appropriate.

Does anyone know the distribution of amateur classes across the entire 
ham community?  I suspect the ertra bands are considerably under 
utilized compared to the general portions.

What do y'all think?

Al

-- 
Al Klase - N3FRQ
Flemington, NJ
http://www.skywaves.ar88.net/