I appear to be rapidly losing friends and think I am now effectively banned from the GQRP Yahoo Group.
Why? Because I have made public (GQRP , Dom Baines, the RSGB General Manager and a letter to RadCom) my view that 29 to 29.1MHz should remain the key 10m AM slot which it has been for YEARS and YEARS. I also believe the 2m AM centre of activity (144.55MHz) deserves more than a (begrudged, anti-AM?) foot note in the 2m band plan. To the RSGB it would appear AM is a dirty word. If I am wrong on this I could be forgiven for thinking so judging by the negative AM comments in the 2m band plan and the total lack of understanding WRT 10m AM currently.
QRP AM rigs are easy to make, cheap to buy (ex-PMR AM rigs almost given away) and a good introduction to amateur radio. I do accept it is not for all.
I am sorry to be a pain, but the RSGB band plans make no sense WRT AM on 10m and 2m currently and I felt compelled to make my voice heard.
5 Feb 2014
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4 comments:
I read your posts and I am in full agreement with your point of view.
A.M. is a perfectly acceptable mode of communication. It may not be the most efficient way of getting your voice heard on the wireless - although aircraft have been happily using it for years.
....and don't get me on the subject of bandplans!
Fancy a QSO on CW around 3.798?
;-)
(Out of respect for others I wouldn't! Honest.)
JJ
I wouldn't loose any sleep over this Roger. You are entitled to make your opinions public. They are always polite and informative. For anyone to take exception and throw their toys out of the pram could indicate that they have a very blinkered view. Its not healthy in our hobby. Can you imagine where we would be if Marconi had listened to people who said his spark transmitters were dangerous and gave up on the back of it?
Keep your opinions public om. Its your right! If others don't like it, they should leave the hobby.
73's
De Andy
ps Glad to hear you are making progress...keep healing
Hi Roger,
First off glad to see you back in action after your stay in hospital. I agree with your sentiments, but remember we need nether the RSGB or the bandplans to operate AM. Those thngs are not needed and should not stop any AM op from being a good radio citizen.
I won't join the RSGB until they recognise that AM is still part of modern amateur radio. The way I see it is this - we, radio hams, are curators. We should be keeping modes of operation alive, regardless of age. The age argument against AM is bogus anyway - CW and SSB are also "old" modes. Did you know SSB was actually though of in the early 1900s "1915 John R. Carson applied for a patent on his idea to suppress the carrier and one sideband" [http://dj4br.home.t-link.de/ssb1e.htm]?
And efficiency - come on! We are not running 10KW broadcast transmitters here. Modern Class E transmitters are 80-90% efficient anyway.
Although not a practicing member of the AM community at present, I do enjoy listening when I can and find them to be open, friendly, technically astute and able to carry on conversation.
You know - real radio amateurs. None of this "59 QSL. Roger, roger QSL. QSL the 59, you are 59 QSL" nonsense that passes for "communication".
Apologies for the rant :-)
73. David G8JGO.
No apologies needed Dave. I still try to make the RSGB see sense on AM but am fighting a losing battle. They DO appear very anti-AM, probably because those on the relevant committees have no experience of AM and how nice a mode it can be. In the meantime 29-29.1MHz to work AM DX and 144.55 AM centre of activity on 2m.
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