30 Mar 2014

10m AM Operation

Ignore what recently published 10m band plans may say - 10m AM is alive and well just above 29MHz with most 10m AM between 29 and 29.1MHz.

Many recent band plans talk of 2700Hz wide SSB in the 29 to 29.1MHz slot. This is rubbish written  by people who don't have a clue! Just take a listen between 29 and 29.1MHz next time the band is open and make up your own minds.

Write to your band plan scribes and ask them to actually USE 10m next time before putting pen to paper. I have written to the RSGB to express my displeasure with their latest 10m attempt:  they blame the IARU.  I see on the RSGB website they have made a half-hearted attempt to clarify 10m AM use - a very poor attempt in my view.

28 to 29MHz is plenty of room for narrow-band modes, even when there is a major contest or the band is wide open. There is space above 29MHz for AM, FM and satellites. 29 to 29.1MHz has lots of AM often with beautifully modulated signals: it is a pleasant change.

In a few years time the whole of 10m will be largely quiet again and we amateurs need to use it for local comms, Es, and the occasional N-S DX or risk losing it to CBers and taxis.

There are plenty of 10m projects on my main website.
at

2 comments:

  1. G0FTDMon Mar 31, 05:32:00 pm GMT+1

    Lots of 29Mhz AM activity this weekend despite the CQ WPX
    contest.

    AM refuses to die, and boy does it sound good.

    There's just something about it !

    Must admit I've not made any AM qso's for sometime, but I did
    manage to catch one on video that I made with the FT817 to
    the USA with a measly 1.5w carrier plus a wire 6ft above ground level, as seen here:-

    http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/g0ftd/media/g0ftdg4czuandk1iedon29mhzamoctober2012.mp4.html?sort=3&o=0

    The rig, tuners and antenna can be seen here:-

    https://sites.google.com/site/g0ftdradio/home/ft817-buddy-box

    73 de Andy

    ReplyDelete
  2. Roger G3XBMMon Mar 31, 07:22:00 pm GMT+1

    Well done Andy.

    Yes 10m AM makes a pleasant change from the usual SSB rat-race. It would be sad if 10m AM was pushed out, especially as there is room for ALL modes on 10m - the very best band we can access.

    ReplyDelete