[FADCA] Anyone want to take exception to this?

Mon Jul 11 18:41:58 EDT 2005

I think those reasons are only valid if you strictly view this as a just a
new "mode" or an attempt to replace internet email instead of a tool for
emergency communications.   

As probably the youngest ham on here at 24 and after about a two year
absence from  amateur radio and packet, the biggest draw for me IS the
ability to help out in an emergency, followed by the fun of just playing
with new technology and ideas.  Like the coolness factor of tracking on APRS
or the idea future high speed digital links, if it wasn't for some of these
new technologies and services being brought online then I don't think I
would have gotten back involved in amateur radio.  Sure, I look forward to
upgrading and doing some CW work and operating the existing modes, but at
least for people my age, just being able to talk over a radio to someone
across the country or typing at a command prompt isn't going to raise much
excitement.  

I think everyone on here has made some valid points and just from sitting
back and observing some of the threads that have gone on here and on other
lists that I'm a part of, it's a little disheartening to see some of the
decisiveness that has occurred over what to me seem like small things.  

I'm sure I've gotten off-topic here and have rambled but I look forward to,
at least for my own sake, continue improving the service we provide to our
community through whatever mode or technology gets that job done.

Nick
KF4BYA

-----Original Message-----
From: fadca-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:fadca-bounces at mailman.qth.net]
On Behalf Of Bill West
Sent: Monday, July 11, 2005 5:32 PM
To: Florida Amateur Digital Communication Association
Subject: RE: [FADCA] Anyone want to take exception to this?

Dave:

I think the ARES people were under the assumption that
once Winlink was introduced, most packet users would
switch to it and love it.  It seems only those
involved in EMComms and ARES are going full ahead with
the WinLink plan.

Anyone want to guess why the "average" non-ARES packet
user does not show excitement about EMAIL over Amateur
Radio?

(I'll get things started...)
1: The average amateur operator is involved with
Amateur Radio because they LOVE RADIO COMMUNICATION. 
When they want internet, they will jump on DSL or
Cablemodem and have a much better experience then
Amateur Radio+Internet could ever come close to giving
them. (HHmm.. I wonder how may ShortWave listeners
have turned off the radio and switched to Internet for
DXing shortwave...)

2: The average Amateur looks to Amateur Radio for 
ENTERTAINMENT.  APRS is entertaining.  BBSing and
roundtables is entertaining. Calling CQ on a distant
node is entertaining. Sending EMAIL is NOT
entertaining.  (I might be wrong, there MAY be an
Operator out there that after a hard day of work,
checks his AOL EMAIL then sets aside a couple hours to
sit on his packet station and send Amateur EMAIL.)

3: Anyone???

4: Anyone??

- Bill

--- David Calder <n4zkf at n4zkf.com> wrote:

> Just goes to show not everyone is in love with
> Winlink.
> 
> 73 Dave
>  
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: fadca-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> [mailto:fadca-bounces at mailman.qth.net]
> On Behalf Of bud thompson
> Sent: Saturday, July 09, 2005 6:59 PM
> To: fadca at mailman.qth.net
> Cc: DICK K4FUY SEM CO EC; Fred KF4VRS VOL EC
> Subject: [FADCA] Anyone want to take exception to
> this?
> 
> FADCA -  Anyone want to take exception to this? (I
> would welcome that, but I
> doubt anyone will!)
> 
> The Winlink 2000 (WL2K) coordinator Steve, K4CJX,
> asked me a poignant
> question regarding 'readiness' for WL2K e-mail over
> ham radio to support
> Dennis, hurricanes, etc.. in Florida.  Read Steve's
> question and my
> response.
> 
> bud
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "K4CJX" <k4cjx at comcast.net>
> To: "'bud thompson'" <budt at cfl.rr.com>;
> <N5SN-8 at Winlink.org>
> Sent: Saturday, July 09, 2005 13:43
> Subject: RE: bud and Sally's Hurricane Preparedness
> - Test#1
> 
> 
> > Bud,
> >
> > How is the Winlink system usage for the potential
> stricken area?
> >
> > Steve
> >
> 
> Hi, Steve-
> 
> Hard to tell - but the only thing WL2K in an
> organized fashion in the state
> are the four Full-featured PMBOs.
> 
> We still don't have much ARES/RACES WL2K activity
> anywhere in the state.
> The Seminole County group I work with is the most
> promising, and it could
> not get five people mobilized in three hours ready
> to go with Paclink and/or
> Airmail.  It is really slow coming.
> 
> I don't know what it is going to take to get a fire
> built under anyone from
> an organized standpoint.  I'm concentrating on
> getting the packet network
> filled in and adding support for Telpac nodes.  That
> is coming along at a
> snail's pace but much more promising than ARES/RACES
> folks getting on
> Paclink en masse.  I just picked up two new helpers
> in the past five weeks
> who are really into technical stuff, including
> LINUX.  There is more
> activity in the networking group to get LINUX FPAC
> working (to replace DOS
> FPAC) than any other activity.  We are holding
> another FADCA Technical
> Conference in Tampa August 20th.  Much of that will
> be LINUX FPAC status and
> higher tech stuff than the one I set up April 30th.
> At least I don't have to
> organize that one.. just attend and make a couple of
> presentations.
> 
> I should have all my immediate networking tasks
> finished by the middle of
> August - which will put the network from
> Jacksonville through to Melbourne
> in good shape along the east coast, much of the
> backbones 9.6kb.  Then I'll
> probably start another campaign to get more ARES
> leaders (ECs) fired up to
> get their folks on Paclink.  Once the Melbourne
> switch is back up I'll
> probably give a club meeting program there.
> 
> I believe the most rewarding advance will come from
> getting a served agency
> or two fired up to be able to use E-Mail over Ham
> radio - and if such served
> agency(s) would supply their own ham radio Paclink
> AGW station in their
> office/mobile van, etc. the ECs would find people to
> support that.  We will
> likely get that far with the new Altamont City EOC
> as we start putting ham
> gear into it in August.
> 
> Meanwhile 90% of the ARES/RACES planning here is to
> simply have hams with
> 2M voice radios assigned to shelters to handle NTS
> messaging between the
> shelters and the EOC.
> 
> Really discouraging that folks seem so comfortable
> staying in the middle
> ages.
> 
> later
> bud
> 
> 
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> 
> 
> 
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