Actually Geoff, in a number of published band plans, including the ARRL's, 29.0 to 29.2 is actually designated as an AM slice of frequencies. Not that we have exclusive use but at least a "noted agreement". And, as I had been saying in earlier e-mails, like yourself, 3885, 7290, 14.286, 50.4 are designated as merely calling frequencies. But, like all things human, amateur calls CQ on the calling frequency, makes a contact, and then doesn't QSY. After years of doing this, AM'ers wanting to start there own QSO, move up 3, 5 or 10 KHz's in either direction of the calling frequency, and hence the formalization of the imaginary window. The rest of the band could be void of signals to move 30, 40, 50 KHz away but generally it seems hard to grasp. The reasons, as mentioned earlier, antenna is cut for 3885, have no VFO, have only 1 crystal, SSB'ers will get mad at me, transmitter is only tuned for 3885, etc., etc. always seem to be the answers.
Anyway, this past Sunday, listening on 75 in the late afternoon, at one point there were AM QSO's on 3810, 3825, 3837(AWA net meets around here), 3852, 3860, 3875, and 3885. Most weekends, at least here in the Northeast, a number of AM'ers have at least found the VFO knob, and have moved to other parts of the band. I'm willing to bet, at least here in the Northeast/middle Atlantic area, there will more of this type spreading out throughout the holiday week. Pete, wa2cwa On Tue, 21 Dec 2004 19:40:13 -0600 "Geoff/W5OMR" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > > > 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
