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Author Topic: AM on 2 Meters?  (Read 976 times)

W2EAF

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AM on 2 Meters?
« on: July 03, 2021, 04:58:37 PM »

I'm finally getting around to restoring a Clegg 22'er transceiver I picked up years ago, and am wondering about AM on 2 meters. Is there much activity in the Northeast? I'm in Connecticut, about 15 miles from the ARRL's W1AW in fact. The only 2 meter experience I have is with FM repeaters. Antenna recommendations? Horizontal or vertical politicization?  Total newbie in this mode on this band.
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W7XTV

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Re: AM on 2 Meters?
« Reply #1 on: July 03, 2021, 07:03:58 PM »

The last time I heard or read about full-carrier AM on any VHF/UHF frequency was probably 50 years ago.  FM put that mode out of business in the early 1970s.  Maybe there are a few ops restoring these ancient rigs, but I'll be shocked if there are too many.  It's too bad, since it might be fun to play around with.

Horizontal polarization would be required, just like SSB on these bands.
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W9FIB

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Re: AM on 2 Meters?
« Reply #2 on: July 04, 2021, 02:57:47 AM »

The club I used to belong to has a 2M AM net once a month in SE WI. So there is activity. Just need to hunt it down.
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73, Stan
Travelling the world one signal at a time.

N9DKD

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Re: AM on 2 Meters?
« Reply #3 on: July 10, 2021, 01:03:46 PM »

Several years ago I went camping near Danville, illinois.  Took my ft897d.  Had an MFJ half wave 2 meter telescoping antenna.  90 degree elbow so vertically polarised.  Seemed to be an active net in the area. 145.6 mhz.  I talked to people up to ten miles away.  They used a variety of new and old equipment and nobody worried about polarization.  I was running 5 watts.  I live 35 miles from there and I can sometimes hear a faint signal.  If I had an outdoor beam with a little height i bet I could make some contacts.
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W9WQA

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Re: AM on 2 Meters?
« Reply #4 on: July 11, 2021, 09:47:21 AM »

danville ??  bud erlick still open ??
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W1VT

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Re: AM on 2 Meters?
« Reply #5 on: July 11, 2021, 11:09:51 AM »

http://www.arrl.org/am-frequencies
2 Meters:

144.4 (Northwest)
144.425 (Massachusetts)
144.28 (NYC-Long Island)
144.45 (California)
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G8FXC

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Re: AM on 2 Meters?
« Reply #6 on: July 11, 2021, 11:47:07 PM »

I guess that most modern "shack-in-a-box" type rigs are capable of it, so there must be a moderate population of hams out there that you could talk to, but I doubt that many of them have ever operated AM... In my experience, 2m is fairly lightly populated these days and you need all the help you can get in order to make QSOs. Repeaters are not going to let AM through, so you are talking about simplex communication and the majority of modern transmitters are going to wind back the power as soon as you select AM!

Martin (G8FXC)
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K1FBI

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Re: AM on 2 Meters?
« Reply #7 on: July 12, 2021, 06:45:53 AM »

Several years ago I went camping near Danville, illinois.  Took my ft897d.  Had an MFJ half wave 2 meter telescoping antenna.  90 degree elbow so vertically polarised.  Seemed to be an active net in the area. 145.6 mhz.  I talked to people up to ten miles away.  They used a variety of new and old equipment and nobody worried about polarization...........

Seems AM broadcast stations never heard about having to be horizontally polarized either. Ideally on any mode for local work you want to have like polarity, however many contacts are made irregardless...

Set-up a schedule with a local ham and more than likely others will join in.
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KT4NR

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Re: AM on 2 Meters?
« Reply #8 on: July 23, 2021, 11:12:53 AM »

I'm finally getting around to restoring a Clegg 22'er transceiver I picked up years ago, and am wondering about AM on 2 meters. Is there much activity in the Northeast? I'm in Connecticut, about 15 miles from the ARRL's W1AW in fact. The only 2 meter experience I have is with FM repeaters. Antenna recommendations? Horizontal or vertical politicization?  Total newbie in this mode on this band.

I used to live in Northern CT and back in the day there was a lot of 6m AM activity on 50.4. I bring that up because some of those guys were also tinkering with old Lunch Boxes on 2am. Same down on 80m Yay-Em. Timmy, WA1HLR up in NH if he is still around may know of some activity for 2am.

There is/was also a 6m AM repeater around 50.4 in central CT which was kinda fun to play with. May even be active. Might be worth calling around there to scare up some folks for skeds.
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KM3F

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Re: AM on 2 Meters?
« Reply #9 on: August 30, 2021, 03:42:07 PM »

My son and I used to do 2m SSB, FM and AM modes just for something different now and then.
Now we do it on 10m. Sometimes on 15m, there  is no activity so the band is quiet for any mode on a local basis over a 50 mile path beam to beam at S9 at 100 watts.
Now on 6m AM Sunday eve at 7:30 50.400 a net in eastern Pa. We are all horizontal polarized for antennas.
Hear others every so often when conditions are good
My radio is KW TS 2000 all mode up to 70cm.
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KM1H

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Re: AM on 2 Meters?
« Reply #10 on: September 05, 2021, 07:38:22 AM »

It seems that in this area 2M activity is usually early AM when Im either horizontal or have no interest in radio. SSS and coffee & breakfast takes precedence. On 6 50.4 is hot during band openings and Ive worked AM on 4 continents so far to scores of stations.

I started on 6&2 AM in the late 50's with HB TX, RX converters, and small yagis on a side mount to the family house.

For the last ~ 30 years a Clegg Zeus and Interceptor B does it all on both bands at 100-120 carrier, 400W PEP.  I heard many but very far out of my price range when they became available in the early 60's.

Carl
« Last Edit: September 05, 2021, 07:43:09 AM by KM1H »
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K3XR

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Re: AM on 2 Meters?
« Reply #11 on: September 05, 2021, 08:06:02 AM »

I well recall working lots of AM on both 6 and 2 meters in the early 60's.  There was about zero activity on 146-148 MHz pre FM and repeaters.  Of course, all of that changed over the years.  Depending on your area there may still be some dedicated AM ops on 6 and 2 meters.  I listen on 50.4 when the band opens and 10 meter AM can get quite lively including DX stations when that band opens.
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AA4Q

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Re: AM on 2 Meters?
« Reply #12 on: September 09, 2021, 02:28:31 PM »

I heard some AM on 144.450 in AZ just a week or so ago, audio sounded nice. I think it was a weekly net. But the op I heard was more long winded than my attention span so I didn't join in.

AA4Q
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KM1H

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Re: AM on 2 Meters?
« Reply #13 on: September 14, 2021, 03:03:29 PM »

I tend to ignore nets, period, like the plague from 160 and way up. Give me an old style AM roundtable where motormouths are simply talked over if they dont take a hint.

Timtron, WA1HLR is an exception ;D

Carl Ham since 1955
On AM in 1956 with a Viking I and 122 VFO
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N5PNZ

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Re: AM on 2 Meters?
« Reply #14 on: September 15, 2021, 05:18:49 AM »

........
But the op I heard was more long winded than my attention span so I didn't join in.

AA4Q

I thought that was normal for many AM ops.  I've heard AMers keep the key down through the entire 10 minute ID window.  Some ramble through multiple+ subjects.  You'd need to take notes to be able to respond.  Guess that's why I don't join in.  Yes there are sidebanders that do it also but they are not so noticeable.
I haven't heard any 2 meter AM since the 80s.
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