Not long ago the AM community was getting very excited about the the new band plan that the FCC had approved back in early November of 2006.  Many conversations on the air centered around the fact that the phone bands where going to be expanded on 40 meters and 80 meters, with 80 meters getting the greatest amount of expansion. 

AM operators seemed to be overjoyed with the opportunity to be able to move down to the newly expanded Advanced and Extra segments of the new 80 meter band plan.  There now would be all this room to spread out and operate AM without the usual mess that most operators were experiencing at their camp ground (3880 kHz - 3885 kHz) in the AM Ghetto. 

The big day arrived on December 15, 2006 at 12:01am.  The usual cast of AM characters were present, not wanting to be left out of this very important event.  After all, they could now operate phone were AMer's from the United States had never been previously allowed to operate.

We heard all kinds of talk from these AMer's about how they were going to upgrade from General and Advanced, to Extra class, so they could make use of the wide open frequencies between 3600 kHz and 3700 kHz.  And those AM'ers that already had their Extra class license were now going to be hanging out in this new part of the 80 meter phone band. 

During the first months that the new band segment was open, there were a few stations that made a point of operating between 3600 kHz and 3700 kHz, hoping to encourage more AM activity in this section of the band.  Unfortunately this did not happen. 

Instead of more AM stations, we heard more ssb stations taking advantage of the new frequencies.  After five months into the new band plan, it is unusual to hear an AM station in the new extra portion of the 80 meter phone band.

What we do hear is more of the same of what we have heard in the past in the AM Ghetto.  That is, a group of stations camping out on a few select frequencies, now in the advanced portion (3705 kHz and 3715 kHz)  of the band, with many stations on one frequency.  Has anyone ever heard of the Buffalo Kilowatt Bookends "four and no more rule?"

 Many of these same stations hold an Extra class license, and could move down into the Extra class segment of the phone band.  They seem to prefer to park on "their" frequency and then complain about any ssb station that gets too close.  They did the same thing when they operated at 3880 kHz.  They have all kinds of open band space available to them below 3700 kHz, but they continue to operate in the thick of things in the Advanced portion of the band, instead of moving to a clear frequency.  Just plain bullheaded!

And for those AMer's who were going to upgrade to the Extra class license, we rather doubt that this will ever happen.  Just plain lazy!

So, as we see it from the Bookend Home Office, the thrill is gone.