[Boatanchors] Radio Australia dropping their shortwave service.

[COURYHOUSE at aol.com]

Sad to see the shortwave stations going away . . 
In my youth in the 60s  SWL was a fun part of
my life.   Looking at all the  kids at school though
I was very much in the minority  with this hobby.
 
I used to really enjoy broadcast band DX also and 
had a wonderful ARN-7 with a converted power supply
for  60 Hz that  was converted and  given to  me by
John Alexander K6SVL (now SK) of  Palos Verdes Calif.
 
Today,  with computers and the internet as a means of
distributing information and of course out right propaganda, 
doing  so by radio  has taken a back seat  to IP information  distribution.
 
The other day I played with an RADIO GARDEN which
allowed me to listen to on air an IP  stations  around the  world.
Something new....
 
I do miss hovering over my stack of glowing receivers on a cold
winter's night as I did on my youth....
 
Ed #   KF7RWW
Archivist at  SMECC
_www.smecc.org_ (http://www.smecc.org)  
 
 
 
In a message dated 12/27/2016 8:00:23 A.M. US Mountain Standard Time,  
w5jo at brightok.net writes:

From:  Robert Bethman
Sent: Monday, December 26, 2016 11:38 PM
To: 'boatanchors  (boatanchors at mailman.qth.net)'  
<boatanchors at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: RE: [Boatanchors] OT:  Radio Australia dropping their shortwave 
service.

Some of us have  had serious issues with antenna systems and other issues 
that have kept us  quiet.

I don't believe SWBC stations dropping out are any sort of an  indicator 
for 
Amateur Radio.  Neither do I believe that the FCC  database is accurate in 
its count!  Try a lookup on WB2FCN as one  example.  It is still in the 
database, yet shows no renewal as of May  2016.

I find that most operators are getting into the digital modes  along with 
operations up in the 1200 - 1300MC region.

2m FM is now  being cross-fed with 440MC in my area, and work is constantly 
being done  on our repeaters in the Manassas Area.  They have just recently 
put  up new antenna systems and new cavities.

There has been a push to get  on DSTAR on those higher frequencies and 
digital modes.

That would  be just my observations.  It may well be a little different in 
other  regions.



-----Original Message-----
From: Boatanchors  [mailto:boatanchors-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf 
Of 
Donald  Chester
Sent: Monday, December 26, 2016 8:32 PM
To:  boatanchors at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] OT: Radio Australia  dropping their shortwave 
service.

> > -----Original  Message-----

>> I really feel that the demise of short-wave  broadcasting is
>> depressing the market for our beloved  general-coverage boatanchor 
>> receivers.

> This  development is sad, but maybe this will be an opportunity for
> hams  worldwide to petition for additional frequencies.

> Jim  W5JO

Sometimes I wonder what would be the point.  Activity on the  ham bands is 
dwindling alongside SWBC stations.  Despite the  widely-touted 700,000-plus 
licensees in the  current FCC data base,  activity on the lower bands 
160-80-40 has dwindled the past 2-3 years to  the point that we may have a 
static-free weekend night and still, at peak  prime-time operating hours 
there are wide swathes of unoccupied  frequencies on those bands.  Used to 
be, that under such condx you  would have to hunt patiently hoping to find 
a 
clear spot to call CQ.   From what I hear from others, the situation on 2m 
FM 
isn't any  better.  Repeaters are still up and running, but no-one is using 
 
them.

Is it just because the propagation has gone long as sunspot  numbers head 
down, or is this the new normal?

If it's the latter,  the only way we could justify expanding our existing 
bands is that nobody  else is using them, but would that fly with the FCC 
and 
other countries'  regulatory agencies, who would probably just as soon see 
amateur radio  disappear altogether so they wouldn't have to bother with 
"administering"  licences, regulating the "service" and enforcing the rules.

Don k4kyv  

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