Dan/W4NTI wrote:
"Ken Scharf" wrote in message
news
garigue wrote:

You might as well leave out the
AM modulator since it will be useless today. Back in '66-'67 there
were still some people on AM (mostly on 80 and 10 meters), but today
it's completly gone.

OH, Really!?? Snert! - Sporf! - Snurt! TNX for the laugh!

Jonesy
--
Marvin L Jones | jonz | W3DHJ | linux
Pueblo, Colorado | @ | Jonesy | OS/2 __
38.24N 104.55W | config.com | DM78rf | SK


Yepper ....just like the fellow on 2 meters said .......nobody uses CW
anymore .....its DOA . I just like to put up my feet, lean back, and
open
an Iron City Beer and enjoy the quality of those AM signals ... and this
from a 99.99% CWist. My buddy built on of those rigs in 66 and it worked
fine with his Mor-Gain antenna ...even with the hardware cloth safety
mesh
covering the chassis. Lots 'o fun.

God Bless and 73 all ..... KI3R Tom in Belle Vernon PA



Well I havn't heard any AM on the HF bands in a long time, but I stand
corrected that some people still use it. Granted it's in the minority
and on "calling frequencies". I don't think those screen grid modulators
found in novice rigs were of much use though. They didn't have
much punch and poor audio. If you are going to go AM, a real plate
modulator is the only way to go. (I shudder to think what a plate
modulation transformer would cost these days....)


Ken,

You admit you have NO knowledge of present day ham usage of AM. And
apparently NO knowledge of old timey AM use. Properly designed, built and
used low level modulation works and sounds good.

I get glowing reports with my DX-60B, slightly modified to improve the bass
response. And a Bullet Astatic Mic.

And with the new rice boxes, if you adjust it right, you can get excellent
audio out of them.

With the FCC reduction of power for AM full carrier, plate modulated
(375watts) the big monsters are going the way of the Dinosaur.

Dan/W4NTI



Well I have to agree with the other poster who also owned a novice rig
with a grid modulator and nobody could hear him. I had the same
experience. The DX-60B may have had a well designed modulator and you
have it adjusted just right. (also you are not trying to over drive
the final). A plate modulator for a low power rig would make sense
if you really want to operate AM and put out a good signal.
I remember in some old ARRL handbooks there were some mobile am rigs
that used a filament transformer as a modulation transformer with a
pair of DS501 transistors (from old car radios) in the modulator.