"And I listen to people bitch and complain 40 hours a week at work (police dispatcher)... I damn sure dont want to listen to it in my free time."
Then a scanner isn't your cup of tea either. (;->) When I had antennas I encountered pretty much the same thing on the 2M repeater scene, samol samol radio religion you can set your watch by, same with certain portions of HF especially 75M SSB. For a time the Yay Emmers had a goof on them going, the Piss And Moan Net that WA1HLR on his Radio Timtron Worldwide show on WBCQ simulcast until they ran out of piss except to feed his Slimatron that converts it to pissolene. That BTW is a story in itself, funny as all hell, something described on the AM Fone website as "an unclassified substance somewhere between hazmat and nuclear waste". Also a warning was given; "when the pissolene turns black evacuate the area immediately, the Slimatron is about to explode". That goes back to New Year's Eve 1970-71 and the funniest WA1 Henry Yell Arr broadcash on 3885 ever but I digress.
That brings me around to the AM Gangstas you'll find in the various AM windows and the most popular is on 75M where you'll find the radio version of Misfit Hams, a really nice bunch if I ever heard one. I know a few personally so I can say get on and make yourself heard, you just might find yourself one of the herd. Sure, there is a BIG difference on HF and the closest thing you'll find "upstairs" are the weak signal modes and 70cM repeaters, it's nothing like the 2M CB you've encountered. BTW you'll love it when the bands open, there's plenty of DX to be had AND they don't call 6M the magic band for nothing.
The bottom line is you're a General so take advantage of it, there's more to ham life than 2M CB repeaters. Believe me I know what I'm talking about and can agree with the others completely except for the stay away from 75 phone comment, the poor bear just hasn't seen the other side of the mountain. (Inspired by an obscure old political campaign song.) I've been an SWL since the late '50s and have operated the bands from one end to the other under the watchful eyes of control operators so I speak from personal experience, most of it delightful, the rest had me ROTFLOL questioning their sanity.
One last note, never mind AM on one of those newfangled radios, carrier inserted SSB or DSB isn't real AM and sounds like shit. Get yourself a boat anchor plate modulated transmitter and trick it out or as Timtron would say; de-yellowfy it to get rid of that telephonium audio and put a good mic on it, they appreciate hi-fi. You'll find the Gangstas on the AM Fone web site along with plenty of information on how to build a broadcast station out of boat anchors, Tim(tron) WA1HLR is an engineer and expert on the subject. Remember, you can do it with a scratchy Apache but happiness is a big Johnson.
As I use do say in my CB daze; seventy fleas but don't scratch all of them, save a few for when I see you later. One last thing, take a good look at who the old lady is pointing at and notice the callsign.
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