[AMRadio] Why and Where I Operate AM


Mike Duke, K5XU k5xu at jam.rr.com
Fri Oct 13 18:56:01 EDT 2006


Why we operate a given mode can be a never-ending discussion.

For me, the very basic reason that I operate AM is because it is simply fun.
This applies to both the mode and most of the personalities who operate it, 
regardless of band or frequency.

As for where, I operate pretty much anywhere I can find activity on a 
frequency that is clear enough for my meager rice box signal to be heard.

It should be a given that amateurs who operate AM must have clear input into 
any band plan which proposes to suggest or dictate where such operation 
generally occurs.

To get a grasp on the numbers of AM operators, and an understanding of why 
the 75 meter "AM window" must be expanded into at least a doorway, all one 
needs to do is listen to 3885 early on Tuesday or Thursday evenings.

Last night, for instance, I could hear 3 different groups operating at once 
on 3885 at approximately 6:30 PM central time.

Despite all that crowded noise, I was able to clearly hear a station in 
northwest Florida who was using a 2e26 rig barefoot.

Of course, he would have sounded much better on a clear frequency.

More about that unusual transmitter in a separate post.

Mike Duke, K5XU
American Council of Blind Radio Amateurs





More information about the AMRadio mailing list
This page last updated 19 Mar 2024.