[ARC5] "What's Old is New..."

[Robert Nickels]

On 8/8/2017 7:09 PM, Leslie Smith wrote:
>
> However, one problem with my argument is this:  That the equipment 
> (and training) needed to provide HF/SSB (or VHF/FM) is quickly 
> disappearing too ...
>
A number of suppliers would be surprised to know that.   A friend is a 
senior engineer for Harris and occasionally gets to put some cool new 
radios on the ham bands for testing.  With over 100,000 Falcon series 
radios in the field - they're not selling to hams! To get a sense of 
what a state-of-the-art military HF radio is capable of, take a look: 
https://www.harris.com/solution-grouping/tactical-hf-radios

Older-generation HF equipment has become available to hams due to the 
military's increased use of ALE and digital modes.  The US military 
HFGCS SSB network is still heard "5 by 5" although with continued 
consolidation the degree of remote control and automation has 
increased.  The military continues to buy and deploy HF comms gear 
because they require minimal infrastructure and can be rapidly deployed.

Anyone interested in discussing or using military or commercial HF gear 
is welcome to join the nightly net at 0200Z, presently on 7296 USB, 
where a variety of non-amateur gear ranging from manpacks to 100+ tube 
TMC stations can be heard on a regular basis.

73, Bob W9RAN