[BC] Amatuer radio spectrum

[towers at mre.com]

Tommorrows technology is often generated within the amateur community as
someone tinkering either at home or the lab. I don't dispute there are
many technologies wherest the ability to transfer huge sums of data is
possible in a short period of time. Amateur radio is NOT one them and
hasnever been.

I think you're mixing things to the extent it blurs missions.  While
amateur radio has always been an incurbator for emerging technologies,
that's not it's sole purpose. Recall, propogation studies are still being
performed on most bands given their lower noise floors and cand be done
continiously using beacons.

And let's not forget the fact just about everything above 420 Mhz is
shared with the US government or Part 15 (902-928).  We make very good
neighbors except in a few places (like around Boston and the Navy's radar
on 449Mhz.)

Amateur repeaters are the next best thing to broadcast to get the word
out.  I suggested long ago that amatuers be included in the EAS program. 
There are MANY repeaters which have equal or better coverage than some
Class B or C stations.  I know of systems in every part of the USA which
would relay EAS/CAP messages. Especially those in areas without LP's in a
heartbeat.

I will agree that areas outside the major metro's sparsely use the
spectrum. However, there is a need for more spectrum in certain areas too.

MM

> I was a licensed amateur for many years (K1KLR, W3CBD)
> and in fact put the first ham television station on the
> air in the northeast from the top of Mt Tom at WHYN-TV's
> TV transmitter site...so I do understand that it hurts
> when technology changes.
>
> I got out of the ham-as-a-hobby stuff when I was devoting too
> much time to it and I found that the new breed that were
> nothing more than licensed CBers, where the OM or YL with
> the biggest pockets bought the best and most powerful rig,
> had nothing in common with me. That doesn't mean that
> I disowned my ham-radio buddies. Now, when I want to
> talk to them, I go over to their house often by airplane.
>
> When one talks about technology, one's perspective shouldn't
> enter into it. AM, FM, and CW are obsolete. We don't use them
> to communicate with the Mars lander, for instance, because
> they won't work. Although communications satellites
> still use obsolete communications methods like QAM as
> a customer requirement, for the most deep space communications
> use more modern technology.
>
> When you fire up your 2-meter 3-watt push-to-talk to doubly your
> spectrum pollution using your repeater, you just punched a 1-second
> hole in the spectrum that could have transferred the entire
> contents of your PC hard disk (if the disk had been fast enough).
>
> Simplex (push to talk) has the capability of being very efficient.
> when you press the button, what you say gets digitized and stored.
> At the instant you release the button, your message gets sent
> as a 800 nanosecond burst which gets automatically repeated
> until it gets through. That's tomorrow's technology.
>
> Cheers,
> Richard B. Johnson
> Book: http://www.AbominableFirebug.com/
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: towers at mre.com
>
> WHOAA to you Richard...
>
> You are clearly not a licensed amateur.  This is a hobby.  Not main stream
> communications like the interstate reference you cited.
>
>