Reclaim LSB 16

[Rick330man]

This is a new effort to reinvigorate an old theme.

Some of you will recall the pre-40 channel days. Back then, the unofficial SSB hailing frequency was LSB 16. LSB 38 has taken over since pretty much the day we went to 40 channels, but it gets too crowded. And it isn't too uncommon to have someone on LSB 38 running so much power that they distort and splash across several channels. Another problem is the occasional idiot - like the one on there right now playing an air raid siren.

With skip propagation apparently improving, I say we try to bring back LSB 16. At the very least, it will provide a relief valve for LSB 38. At best, we may get a less crowded alternative for making DX contacts. I propose we try to get the ball rolling by aiming to make contact on the following schedule:

Saturday, June 5th
12:00 noon eastern/11:00 A.M. central/9:00A.M. pacific

3:00P.M. eastern/2:00P.M. central/noon pacific

6:00P.M. eastern/5:00P.M. central/3:00P.M. pacific

9:00P.M. eastern/8:00P.M. central/6:00P.M. pacific

Sunday, June 6th
12:00 noon eastern/11:00 A.M. central/9:00A.M. pacific

3:00P.M. eastern/2:00P.M. central/noon pacific

6:00P.M. eastern/5:00P.M. central/3:00P.M. pacific

9:00P.M. eastern/8:00P.M. central/6:00P.M. pacific

Thoughts?

 

[brandon7861]

Too close to the splatter-bowl for me...

 

[midnight special]

there is a few who gather there on sunday evenings using pre 1978/23 channel radios ,,,,

 

[Jay Mojave]

I will try to be there, yeah the old days. Use to slide down 5, 10, and even 15Kc from CB 16 oh the memories.

 

[Rick330man]

I will try to be there, yeah the old days. Use to slide down 5, 10, and even 15Kc from CB 16 oh the memories.

Kind of like wiring up the DPDT switch on your Realistic Navaho to get what would become channel 24.

And then came the really crazy mods on the TRC-448. I wouldn't let mine be touched, as I was quite happy running it stock with a Turner +3 base mic feeding my Radio Shack .64 omni.

I'm hoping this LSB 16 experiment works. LSB 38 is great, but the pile-ups when the skip is rolling are out of control.

 

[Hurricane145]

It would be nice for all the guys that have older 23 channel SSB gear they would like to use.
Just start populating channel 16. For local contacts at least, just move down there to chat as an alternate channel to use.

 

[AudioShockwav]

And then came the really crazy mods on the TRC-448.

I had a TRC -448 that had 5 miniature toggle switches on the bottom edge to control the programing pins.
I had so much fun with that radio.
Some knuckle head broke the window out of my car and ripped it and the mount off the tunnel.
The Magnum amp was bolted under the drivers seat , they did not get that.
I replaced it with a President Lincoln, but sure missed that radio.

73
Jeff

 

[sunbulls]

I was on 16 LSB a fair part of the day today. No contacts on that channel, even though I kept zero beating a ton of AM carriers in hopes of hearing someone answering my calls. North and South Carolina were very strong all afternoon here in Western, NY. I went briefly up to 39 and made 2 quick contacts into South Carolina. Of course, I'm only running barefoot on my Rat Shack TRC-451. I'll keep trying as time allows. CQ DX SUNBULLS 300 (3 Zero Zero).

 

[Rick330man]

I was on 16 LSB a fair part of the day today. No contacts on that channel, even though I kept zero beating a ton of AM carriers in hopes of hearing someone answering my calls. North and South Carolina were very strong all afternoon here in Western, NY. I went briefly up to 39 and made 2 quick contacts into South Carolina. Of course, I'm only running barefoot on my Rat Shack TRC-451. I'll keep trying as time allows. CQ DX SUNBULLS 300 (3 Zero Zero).

Years ago, my dad bought a motor sailer. I convinced him that it made more sense to set up a CB on the boat and at the house than to keep paying a small fortune to VHF marine radio-telephone operators for phone-patched calls home. When he finally agreed, I installed a TRC 451 in the boat with a Radio Shack marine 102" whip. The TRC 448 I mentioned before was set up as a base with a Turner +3 base mic. I spent lots of time out on the water and on land rag chewing on LSB 16, LSB 38 and a few AM channels.

I'm guestimating we're about 250-300 miles apart as the crow flies. With these summer storm conditions you'd be surprised at how many times I make short-hop skip contact with folks across the I-4 corridor and parts near there. I'll try catching you this week-end.

 

[Low_Boy]

Sounds like a fun Idea.

 

[Jay Mojave]

Yeah all good stuff. In the late 1960's Dear ol Dad bought a WWll army crash boat, converted into a tuna fishing boat. It had old WWll radio equipment and such, loran, automatic direction finder, manual direction finder and more. Some of this stuff was old and wore out. Dad replaced the manual df radio antenna with a 2 element quad antenna, as the antenna was turned by a wheel in the wheel house that has a compass direction indicator.

The radios used was General Radiotelephone MC11A, Johnson 350 SSB radio, and a Palomar 150 linear amplifier.We made contacts all over the US and other countries.

The fishing fleet would use the CB called mickey mouse, instead of the marine HF radio. To not alert other fishing boats if someone was on great fishing area. With the 2 element quad antenna and close watching of the S meter you get the direction and ball park distance they were from us. It put us in the hot fishing areas many times. More later... Jay in the Grate Mojave Desert

 

[Holydvr]

I have been running older rigs lately. I will keep checking in, though skip has been nearly non existent the past few days in Az.

 

[Rick330man]

I have been running older rigs lately. I will keep checking in, though skip has been nearly non existent the past few days in Az.

I don't have any old 23 channel units left. However, I am using a Realistic Navaho TRC 490 (with a Turner Super Side-kick) that I bought new in 1981, a Cobra 148 GTL made in 1992 and a Uniden PC 122 that is a late 80s/early 90s vintage. A friend gave me an old Johnson 4740 SSB that he had used for about 30 years. It lasted another 10 with me before going to the big CB repair shop in the sky. When out on my boat, my CB of choice has been a Cherokee AH-100 SSB walkie-talkie. It is probably close to 30 years old now.

In contrast, I more recently had a Uniden Bearcat 980 that worked beautifully for 6 months and then fried the finals. No power on my end; no crazy SWR or line shorts; nothing: just dead finals. I got my $ back and went back to using the old radios I mentioned.

I've not made many AZ contacts, but just this past Monday I made contact with 105. He reported his location as 35 miles SE of Phoenix.

Hoping to pull in you stations out west a little more often - both on LSB 16 and LSB 38.

 

[Holydvr]

When skip has been in, I have been hearing quite a bit of Florida at times. I have many of the radios you have. Good taste! I run a PC122 in the mobile for nearly two years now.

Received a 4740 week before last. Had a rotten mic cord, so I had to repair that before I could try it this last week. I quite like it.

I go by 1776 on sideband. Outside of Kingman AZ. I am usually listening quite a bit from Sunday through Tuesday. Maybe we can catch some of you all out there.

Tony

 

[sunbulls]

I made contact with 420 in GA earlier around 7PM EST on 16 LSB. He said that he could hear me great at times, but that I was unintelligible for the most part. Thing is, I believe he was on AM and I was simply riding alongside someone else’s carrier. While listening on SSB that is loaded with AM carriers, it’s sometimes difficult to distinguish the mode others are on unless you switch back and forth between modes or move the clarifier off frequency (I rarely move an unlocked clarifier once a contact is made). This reminds me of my days when I only had a single receiver and an AM transmitter. If an AM station was weak with heavy QRM I soon realized that it was more advantageous to receive them in SSB mode. More selectivity with far less noise....