> Quote - "...to have a one to one contact but if this were the case then > 3880-3890 will only have 6 AM Stations on it at a time."
> You hit the nail on the head. So I guess, unless I want to break into a > one-on-one discussion, even through I may have no interest in what the > discussion is about, I should shut down the rig and go and do something > else. Unfortunately, my perception of many "AM Windowers" is like timid > sheep in a pen with no gate. Nothing anywhere says you can not operate AM mode anywhere in the phone band your license will allow you to operate. There is no "Window", just a calling freq of 3.885. Same on 10m - the AM calling frequency is 29.00. Just like 146.52, and 52.525Mc, those simplex "calling frequencies" are just that, and as soon as you establish contact, move off of the calling frequency (where*EVER* you can find a clear spot) and move your conversation (phone)/QSO (CW) there. (CW is allowed everywhere still, right? ;-)) So, if I call CQ on 3.885, and there's an AM conversation on 3.880 and another on 3.890, I'm gonna go hunt up/down and find a hole somewhere else that this station and I can mutually work, together. I, being the Extra, would ask the other party where he'd be comfortable at. 3.870? 3.875? 3.753.45? I -have- a VFO, so it don't matter. Speaking of which... Not Having a VFO is no excuse, either. If you've a crystal, you can feed a vfo signal in that same socket. Even if it's only a low- level output from a ricebox, you can feed a small amount of RF in there, to make that old rig frequency agile. I conlude that the general concession is that a lot of the "local discussions" on 75m is, well.. let's just say it's not fit for mixed company. Not that I'm a prude, but I also get that more gentlemen operate AM than there are Gentlemen on most SSB frequencies. Being polite Gentlemen, and not being diliberate, why -not- fire up AM QSO's, starting at 3.753 (if the frequency is clear) and having a pair of guys every 6kc (when possible) and fill the whole cotton pickin' band with AM. THEN, when the Sidebanders whine and complain about ALL the AM, we -could- say "Fine. We'll confine ourselves to these 30kc *if* you keep your SSB QSO's off of say between 3.860 to 3.890." But, then that puts us back in a "window" or a box, if you will. No.. upon further reflection, I believe that operating an AM rig anywhere you're allowed phone operation is what the answer is. Being limited to 3.870/75/80/85 and 90 on 75m is -not- conducive to further growth of our little spectrum of the hobby. If we want to 'raise the level of politeness' on 75m, then let's get AM'ers on the band, starting from 3.753, and getting a qso going every 6kc up the band. Getting everyone on, at the same time, is a logistical nightmare, but a -lot- of people have a -lot- more free-time during the holiday season. Any suggestions as to when this should happen? 73 = Best Regards, -Geoff/W5OMR
