[MRCA] 75-Meter Crystal Control

[Al Klase]

Gentlemen,

OK, I like what I hear.  Let's wait for others to weigh in.

I do have a word of caution.  We need to be low-profile on this.  A few 
months back, someone on the boatanchors list suggested, in public, we 
establish a presents on 3680.  SSB low-lifes showed up in a completely 
on-occupied band to harass them.  I heard it.

Al

Radio Station KW1I wrote:
> Good suggestion Al.  I don't mind re-crystalling my rigs as long as I 
> have awhile to plan for it.  Let's listen to the frequencies you 
> suggest for a time and see if we can develop a consensus on which one 
> might be best.  We should consult the latest ARRL list of net 
> frequencies as well.
>
> I think 40 and 60 meters may be our tactical ops future.  We should be 
> thinking a couple of frequencies on each of those bands as well.
>
> Dale
> KW1I
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Al Klase" <al at ar88.net>
> To: "Military Radio Collectors Association" <mrca at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Sunday, September 23, 2007 4:18 PM
> Subject: [MRCA] 75-Meter Crystal Control
>
>
>> 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/
>>
>>
>>
>
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-- 
Al Klase - N3FRQ
Flemington, NJ
http://www.skywaves.ar88.net/