[Elecraft] D-Star

[Don Wilhelm]

Gary,

That is "sort-of" OK, but until they offer it at no cost, I an not going 
to "buy".  Even a $20 discount for what ought to be free is not 
appealing to me.

OK, you did not say it was ham radio software, nor did you say it was 
some proprietary codec, and that is OK with me (it does not interfere 
with my ham radio operation).  Software authors who want to make a 
profit from their work are OK with me - I like to make a profit from my 
efforts too, but those who develop ham radio protocols and want to 
protect them with patents and copyrights just does not rest well with me.
The spirit of amateur radio is sharing.  You see what I share here on 
this reflector and the QRP-L reflector - that is my view of how amateur 
radio should be - one ham helping another.  Where I was introduced to 
ham radio, that fact was the "glue that binds"  I am deeply indebted to 
those hams who helped me along in my beginning years.  Their efforts 
helped me with my homebrewing efforts (age = 15), and with my sense of 
what ham radio was all about (Google W8GMM for information about this 
unique club).  This was in a town in Ohio with only 5000 residents, but 
over 20 of them were hams.  Those hams taught me that whatever 
information that existed in ham radio circles was something free to 
share.  Proprietary code does not mesh with that concept that I learned 
very early in my ham career.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 4/28/2012 10:54 PM, Gary Gregory wrote:
> *There are also many digital signals that require the purchase of the
> decode software and I do not support these also.
>
> Downloaded some software just the other day, found out it would cost 29.95
> to make it work. So I went to remove it and guess what?....yep, a message
> popped up saying sorry to see you go, however, as a special incentive you
> can have it for 9.95...Hmmmmm...ya gotta wonder.....
>
> After all, it is only a hobby for the majority of amateur's?
>
> 73's
> Gary
> *
> On 29 April 2012 12:13, Sandy<ebjr37 at charter.net>  wrote:
>
>> Amen, amen!  Ditto for the Proprietery PACTOR III !!!!  Or anything else
>> "Proprietary" PERIOD!
>>
>> This isn't what ham radio is all about!  Can't agree with you more Don!
>>
>> 73,
>>
>> Sandy W5TVW
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Don Wilhelm
>> Sent: Saturday, April 28, 2012 8:42 PM
>> To: Greg Troxel
>> Cc: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
>> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] D-Star
>>
>> I agree fully, despite the article in the May issue of QST which glosses
>> over the proprietary nature of D-Star.
>>
>> I am opposed to the use of proprietary protocols in ham radio.  Ham
>> radio to me is free radio.  I have passed my license requirements, and
>> should be able to use whatever modulation techniques are authorized by
>> the FCC.  The thought of paying for a license (even though that payment
>> may be bundled with a transceiver purchase) is foreign to my views of
>> ham radio.
>>
>> Certainly, I buy computers with Windows loaded, but I do not buy Icom
>> transceivers with D-Star loaded.  That is what is foreign to my view of
>> ham radio.
>>
>> Until someone comes up with an open source and free to use substitute
>> for the AMBE Codec that is owned by Digital Voice Systems, Inc., I will
>> not be using D-Star.
>>
>> 73,
>> Don W3FPR
>>
>> On 4/28/2012 9:17 PM, Greg Troxel wrote:
>>> I would hope that Elecraft would not add D-Star support; I think it's
>>> against the spirit of amateur radio, and particularly contrary to the
>>> kit culture, to have an on-air specification that an individual amateur
>>> is precluded from implementing without obtaining a patent license.
>>>
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