[Elecraft] K3/0

[Keith Heimbold]

I thought this topic was terminated. Personally I'm tired of reading about it. 

Keith
AG6AZ

Sent from my iPhone please excuse typos

On Jan 17, 2012, at 6:34 AM, "Mike" <nf4l at nf4l.com> wrote:

> I like what you said, and how you said it!
> 
> 73, Mike NF4L
> 
> On 1/16/2012 8:33 PM, Joe Subich, W4TV wrote:
>>> Joe said it "smells" and I'm just really curious why.
>> 
>> You misquote me ... I said that argument that remote operation was a
>> necessary answer to HOAs/other antenna restrictions and the only way
>> to get on the air did not pass the smell test.
>> 
>> As far as I am concerned, remote operation changes the character of
>> amateur radio from over the air "amateur radio" to "landline based
>> commercial communication" at least in part.  When the operator is not
>> present at the station (transmitting/receiving site) the "radio" part
>> of the communications path can become infinitesimal - nothing more
>> than a hand-held link to the nearest access point.
>> 
>> That eliminates everything that makes amateur radio unique.  Taking
>> that one step further ... if the mode is digital, one might as well
>> be using keyboard chat on the internet.
>> 
>> In my career as an amateur I've seen repeaters go from something
>> built in the garage/shack to multi-site, statewide linked, trunked
>> communications systems.  I have watched packet radio go from a random
>> network of individual stations to nothing more than the equivalent of
>> wireless access points linked by commercial wired networks (internet).
>> 
>> I don't want to see HF devolve to the point that "amateurs" will need
>> to pay for membership in and access to a series of "mega stations" in
>> northeast Maine, southern Florida, northwest Washington and southern
>> California to have the best shot at DX ... or even worse Radio Arcla
>> class facilities all over the world just to be able to "chat" with
>> any amateur, anywhere without regard to propagation, local conditions
>> and time of day.
>> 
>> I've already seen evidence of individuals working a DX contest from
>> KP2 or other locations in the Caribbean while setting at home in New
>> York or Boston or San Francisco, etc.  I'd rather *never* work a P5
>> than "work" someone operating a multi-band remote transmitter located
>> on the roof of a PyongYang hotel (or cell-phone factory) with operators
>> in Oakland, Atlanta, London, Berlin and Helsinki.
>> 
>> Is remote technology "fun"?  Is it an engineering challenge?  Yes.
>> Is it appropriate for amateur radio?  Not in my book (even though
>> that opinion may be contrary to my own bank account before long)!
>> 
>> Remote operation/remote technology offers a huge opportunity for
>> regulators and those commercial interests (primarily messaging
>> and remote sensing companies) who would like to acquire amateur
>> spectrum to argue that "amateur radio" can be accommodated entirely
>> on-line rather than continue to occupy more than 15% of the spectrum
>> below 30 MHz.
>> 
>> 73,
>> 
>>     ... Joe, W4TV
>> 
> 
> 
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