Jeff,
Perhaps I should retrench in my comments, as I do not disagree with you. My entire ham radio experience "is" that challenge. I am an engineer and what "we" do is design and build. EME and Microwave provide that. Satellite, also, but to a lessor level...it is my "desert after the meal".
I have a dear friend that absolutely refuses anything dealing with IRLB or Echolink. But I feel they serve a purpose and do provide a service. There is no incentive to build, except to the folks that provide the service. That is how I look on repeaters. They are handy for talking over. They do not "excite" because that is what I do professionally (repeaters are work, not fun). At work I have 7 remote bases to maintain.
So in the back of my mind I was thinking that the IRB or IRLB linking for running a remote base is merely a utility...same as leasing a phone line. Just a piece of the station (like a microphone). Setting up a remote base can be ham radio fun (like repeaters are for many). But if you are merely accessing a public remote base then its like buying long distance telephone service (yawn). But if your living situation prohibits direct participation in a facet of ham radio (apartment restrictions, not enough money) then it is a way to experience some of the fun (sort of like hanging over at the neighbor ham's super station). Whether this will become an incentive to get involved in at a "personal" level is a question. I think that is like anything else one comes in contact with in their life. Some do, some don't.
But I am "FOR" new ideas, and new ways. Keeping it "new" is FUN. Why I am now getting into MW listening on 500-KHz. Its new and still falls under the big umbrella called "weak-signal". BTW DX began as a "weak-signal" activity, but on HF-DX (mostly) has become a sport (competition). Satellite and QRP now provide much of the fun of the early HF DX...discovering how far one can push the envelope!
73's Ed - KL7UW 0.5 - 10,368 MHz, sat, eme, m/s, radio astronomy, SDR's, ...no end in sight ;-)
At 02:31 AM 4/27/2007, Jeff Davis, KE9V wrote:
On 4/26/07, Edward Cole [email protected] wrote:
We have seen this debate here in Alaska with the '"diehard" (read this also as the super pro-CW) ham disliking anything dealing with marriage between the Internet and ham radio.
I don't think my position could be considered "diehard" and as the operator of IRLP node 4212 I have no problem with the "marriage between the Internet and ham radio." In fact, I think it serves a great purpose and I use it daily. I wish we had a weekly AMSAT Net via Echolink or IRLP so we could use such technologies to further discuss the future of ham radio in space (anyone want to join me?) without the vagaries of HF propagation.
But I think that there are certain facets of the hobby, like satellites and EME and probably others, where folks get involved specifically for the technology. Would a homebrewer without access to a soldering pin be content to watch others build equipment on a live video feed? Would there be a thrill in logging on to a super station on another continent from your laptop and working moonbounce?
Unless one is a skeptic that this sort of thing (EME) actually takes place and just needs some proof, I think we all believe that with the right equipment the deed CAN be done, but the challenge is in doing it.
So I have no problem with remote bases linked by IRLB, echolink, or like technology. As long as any records, contest entry reflects the actual radio transmitter QTH.
The amateur satellite world has a unique problem. It doesn't work well without satellites and those cost money to build and to launch. If we were to setup a dozen super stations around the world, all fully accessible via the internet -- and few built their own stations anymore, will those Internet users financially support future AMSAT projects?
If your entire investment in amateur radio is the laptop that you already own, are you as inclined to support costly future projects as the operator who has invested perhaps thousands of dollars and hours of labor in assembling and building a world class groundstation?
I think there is some evidence that they do not...
20 years ago there was a very popular idea that AMSAT should focus on EZ-Sats because that would get more people involved with amateur satellites since all they would need to operate them was a handheld transceiver. Soon, we had all kinds of new operators using the flying FM repeater satellites but curiously, AMSAT membership took a nose dive from which it has yet to recover.
Perhaps making everything as "easy" as just logging on to a remote station isn't such a good idea either?
Jeff, KE9V _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
73, Ed - KL7UW ====================================== BP40IQ 50-MHz - 10-GHz www.kl7uw.com 144-EME: FT-847, mgf-1801, 4x-xpol-20, 185w DUBUS Magazine USA Rep [email protected] ======================================
On Fri, Apr 27, 2007 at 06:43:23AM -0800, Edward Cole wrote:
But I am "FOR" new ideas, and new ways. Keeping it "new" is FUN. Why I am now getting into MW listening on 500-KHz. Its new and still falls under the big umbrella called "weak-signal". BTW DX began as a "weak-signal" activity, but on HF-DX (mostly) has become a sport (competition). Satellite and QRP now provide much of the fun of the early HF DX...discovering how far one can push the envelope!
All excellent points Ed, thanks for sharing them. It's always nice (and often refreshing) when we actually talk about satellites and technology here on the -BB.
BTW, I really am interested in using Echolink or IRLP for a new AMSAT net.
Anyone else interested?
73,
... My entire ham radio experience "is" that challenge. I am
an
engineer and what "we" do is design and build.
I love those words. It is an addiction!
A lot of people don't understand that an Engineer is an artist. He visualizes something in his mind and just has to try to create it in tangible form.
And like a lot of art, the medium is the message...
I changed the topic name so as to not be making a commitment either way to the original topic.. Bob
On 4/27/07, Robert Bruninga [email protected] wrote:
A lot of people don't understand that an Engineer is an artist. He visualizes something in his mind and just has to try to create it in tangible form.
Yesterday I found a fortune cookie outside a conference room at my office. I taped the fortune to the top of the bezel on one of my monitors:
"Choosing what you want to do, and when to do it, is an act of creation."
-- Margaret Stephanie Leber CCP, SCJP, SCWCD http://voicenet.com/~maggie AOPA 925383 - Amateur Radio Station K3XS - ARRL 39280 - AMSAT 32844 "The art of progress is to preserve order amid change and to preserve change amid order."-A.N.Whitehead
It depends where you work, but some of us are starving artists!
----- Original Message ----- From: "Margaret Leber" [email protected] To: [email protected] Cc: [email protected] Sent: Friday, April 27, 2007 2:53 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Engineering and Ham radio...
On 4/27/07, Robert Bruninga [email protected] wrote:
A lot of people don't understand that an Engineer is an artist. He visualizes something in his mind and just has to try to create it in tangible form.
Yesterday I found a fortune cookie outside a conference room at my office. I taped the fortune to the top of the bezel on one of my monitors:
"Choosing what you want to do, and when to do it, is an act of creation."
-- Margaret Stephanie Leber CCP, SCJP, SCWCD http://voicenet.com/~maggie AOPA 925383 - Amateur Radio Station K3XS - ARRL 39280 - AMSAT 32844 "The art of progress is to preserve order amid change and to preserve change amid order."-A.N.Whitehead _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
At 06:56 AM 4/27/2007, Jeff Davis wrote:
It's always nice (and often refreshing) when we actually talk about satellites and technology here on the -BB.
BTW, I really am interested in using Echolink or IRLP for a new AMSAT net.
Anyone else interested?
Jeff,
Yes, kind of refreshing. Recently I proposed a coordination and scheduling net for VHF+ weak-signal enthusiasts to be held on IRLP. It would provide a bridge between Alaskans and hams in the Pacific NW that share an interest in long-distance VHF/UHF/Microwave modes between us. But I guess the idea was before its time as it was met by indifference and the few the replied were split on liking the idea.
Your ideas of an Amsat IRLP Net is an excellent use for IRLP.
73, Ed - KL7UW ====================================== BP40IQ 50-MHz - 10-GHz www.kl7uw.com 144-EME: FT-847, mgf-1801, 4x-xpol-20, 185w DUBUS Magazine USA Rep [email protected] ======================================
BTW, I really am interested in using Echolink or IRLP for a new AMSAT net.
Anyone else interested?
There is the Florida AMSAT net held Thursday nights at 730 PM local that is available on Echolink through KG4YZY-R, Echolink node 4429, as well as several wide area repeater systems in Florida including NI4CE, N4HHA, and others.
73, Drew KO4MA
On 4/28/07, Andrew Glasbrenner [email protected] wrote:
There is the Florida AMSAT net held Thursday nights at 730 PM local that is available on Echolink through KG4YZY-R, Echolink node 4429, as well as several wide area repeater systems in Florida including NI4CE, N4HHA, and others.
Thanks for that info Drew, I had no idea. Looking forward to checking in next Net.
73, Jeff KE9V
participants (7)
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Andrew Glasbrenner -
Edward Cole -
Jeff Davis -
Jeff Davis, KE9V
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Margaret Leber -
Robert Bruninga -
Tyler Harpster