Big Question: Why do most Ham radio's sound like crap on AM

[C W Morse]

Yep, it did! The famous 807! It was my first HF mobile. Filaments would run your battery down in about 45 minutes if left on! (been there, done that). I traded a Gonset and an Aerotron AM VHF and a bit of cash for it! I still HAVE the original dynamotor down in the furnace room! HeeHee, you could key the mike and dim the headlights going down the road!
I have 2 or 3 of them sitting down there. Also have a couple of BD 77 dynos (1000 volts at 350 mils). ...........Which reminds me of a little story.

One day, a buddy of mine who ran a CB and ham repair shop were sitting around and there was nothing going on. We decided to test one of the BD-77 units to see if it had any output. Hefted it up onto the workbench and hooked up a 100 amp surplus variac power supply. Uh, we FORGET about the startup torque on that thing and we flipped on the power. This unit weighs.....what? 50 or so pounds? :shock: Durned thing promptly hopped off the table around our feet. IF we couldn't dance before, well, we LEARNED some dances that hadn't yet been invented!!!!!! LOOK MA! I'M DANCIN', I'M DANCIN'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That must've been 25 years ago and them dynos haven't been started since!!!!

The BD-77 would make a wicked, tho outmoded, mobile amplifier!!!

CWM

 

[jonbah]

I have a Icom 706MIIG it transmits fine on AM but the RX is bad. the filter is too wide and receives everything in the general area and if the filter is switched on then its way to narrow and the rx audio is distorted. Icom says they combine the FM and Am filter. Its bad has anyone else seen this on their 706.?


Jonbah

 

[stunner]

I have a friend with a 101ee that is the best sounding radio on am ,I have ever heard - good clean Godzilla audio - hf sound with audio you would have to hear to believe

 

[razor]

I love my 101E. Its not a radio that you would want to zip all over the bands with all the time IMO but it sure sounds good on AM. I have a older model D104 desk mike (amplified) that has been modified to not sound as tinny as some do. It has a more broadcast quality sound to it, not like a PR 40 with W2IHY processing but with just a little more bass to it.

While I'm at it, QRN, that was a good post also, sounds like you know what your talking about. I think you hit it on the head.

John

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Thanks razor. I have been in the commercial broadcast business as an AM/FM station engineer for 22 years and in two way radio of one type or another for 28 years so I have picked up on a thing or two over that time.

 

[C W Morse]

QRN,

I'd bet you know a thing or two about a BC610 and a T368!
I've lugged a few of these around. Buddy of mine had a Collins
KW-1!! 8) Pristine condition and I got to run some CW on it! It also prompted an email discussion between me and Joe Walsh.
Joe happens to be a BIG fan of Collins gear as QST readers would know! The KW-1 caught his attention real quick!!!

For those readers who don't know he is, he's lead guitarist for the Eagles (Hotel California and other songs) AND an avid ham operator!

73

CWM

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

KW-1= :shock: A friend of mine,actually the former station engineer has a BC-610.Nice OLD gear. Good stuff on the emails with WB6ACU.Joe has about nine complete Collins stations at his QTH.All it takes a money.

 

[C W Morse]

When my friend was forced his KW-1 because of his wife's death from cancer (bought it in 1955, sold 1996), it sold for
$15,500! :shock: He (and I, too) hated to see it go. LIke a Dodge Hemi...........................sweeeeeeet!

73

CWM

 

[bandaid kid]

I thouht everyone knew this....

Ham rigs sound bad on AM due to the loose nut on the mic.

73

 

[razor]

:shock:

Your probably right. . . . .I know one right here, but have you listened to ch 19 lately... They are almost as bad as some on 80 meters when you get on there personal frequency...

 

[Hulkster]

Then older tube radios have better modulation in am, right?
(Like Yaesus 101 for example)

 

[Happy_Hamer]

I was also told that you can get certain filters such as the AM filter for my ft100D and it would help alot but then he said it still would not sound real good. Funny that a $2000 dollar radio that is all mode wont sound good on the AM mode. Why include it if it sounds like crap... oh well. . .

If it is the 100D it should include the AM filter already, I had one and could not get it to sound good on am either

 

[razor]

Well, no . . . thats not always true. Some tube radios don't sound near as good as the Yaesu 101 series... IMHO :roll:
I have researched this (ham radio's) for over a year about what radio's sound best on AM. I think I am just about as confused now as ever. I did make a good decision buying the 101E. But even then it was not until I bought a Shure 444D that it really started to shine. I have heard from some that the 1000mp sounded really good and from others that say it sucks. Also the same about the Yaesu 100D with the filter installed...both good and bad.......I can say through experience that both suck. The problem is some folks will just flat out lie to you or they just don't know any better when judging your audio. "OH SURE YOUR SOUNDING GREAT" ....Bottom line, find a friend who is honest or better yet. You talk on his radio and he talks on yours.... I will tell you that I am very happy with the 101E JUST for AM. It sound really good and has that warm tube sound. It will easily modulate to 80 watts without pushing it. It also has good adjacent channel rejection...I also don't move around alot on the bands and that makes it better to live with because you have to retune if you move to another band. For SSB I use the 1000MP Mk 5. I Know you didn't ask all that but its a gamble sometimes when you purchase a old radio for AM use. I would not buy a solid state rig thinking I could use it on AM. I was disappointed and you probably would be too. This radio came along when I was in High School and I couldn't afford it. In my opinion it was better than the Eagles and trams etc. .... But you know after all the trouble I went through to get this radio going.....Most of the crowd likes the loud , echoie , hardly understandable , very overmodulated sound of a souped up CB.... I guess I will just have to be the odd ball.... I like the old CB sound of the 70's and 80's....
Sorry for rambling.

Razor