Bill Horne, W1AC wrote:
Fellow hams,

Like many others, I occasionally use AM on both 160 and 80 meters. My
reasons for doing so are probably typical: I do it because it reminds
me of the first transmitter I owned, and of other rigs and earlier
times, before I had the money to buy new equipment and linear
amplifiers. I also have many good friends who operate AM, and I like
to talk to them as well as to my friends who use CW or SSB.

I'm writing this to ask that hams who don't favor AM make allowances for us:
it seems that the "AM Window" on 80 meters is being taken over by hams
operating SSB, sometimes with blunt, on-the-air comments to the effect that
those running AM aren't entitled to use the space. There have been skirmishes,
complaints, acrimonious debates, and even outright jamming lately, and I'm
afraid it will escalate to the point that FCC action will be needed.

I'm going to be blunt he I'm not a psychologist, but I think those who
oppose AM are making a big mistake by not treating AM operators with the
same standard of on-air behavior that they show to other hams. I'm not sure
why this "range war" has started, but it's only logical endpoint is with
reduced privileges for ALL hams, not just those who use AM.

There is an element on 75 meters that just seems to hate the idea of
Hams having fun, and want to spoil it for others.

I suspect that they don't really have all that much against AM'ers, or
at least no more than they have against anyone else in the hobby. Though
no doubt they bring up the mode as a wedge to "justify" their harassment.

I believe that we are at a good point in the timeline of Amateur radio
that we need to have the amateurs who are being interfered with to start
documenting the interference, and sending it off to the F.C.C.

RDP - Record, Document, Pursue


Our hobby is at a crossroads: with young technophiles gravitating to the
Internet, and military forces needing neither CW operators nor technicians,
the future we face at the frequency-bargaining table and in the public's mind
is no longer in the hands of benevolent government agencies eager for
trained personnel who can be pressed into service quickly. In fact, the
future of the hobby is now in OUR hands, and unless we start working together
and stop sniping at each other over minor things like the modes we use, we're
going to fade away without anyone noticing.

You're pretty much right there Bill, although I would not quite agree
on tekkie folks going to the internet. I don't think we're producing
many tech folks at all. But that's another issue.

I am convinced that what we need a

Kind and friendly folk who are willing to take the newbies under their
wing and teach them.

Folk who do not judge other Hams by their favorite mode of operation.

Folk who are willing to go after the jammers and riff raff and follow
through with that RDP.

- 73 de Mike KB3EIA -