Date: Sat, 1 Oct 94 04:30:07 PDT From: Ham-Policy Mailing List and Newsgroup Errors-To: Ham-Policy-Errors@UCSD.Edu Reply-To: Ham-Policy@UCSD.Edu Precedence: Bulk Subject: Ham-Policy Digest V94 #472 To: Ham-Policy Ham-Policy Digest Sat, 1 Oct 94 Volume 94 : Issue 472 Today's Topics: Get Over It Glass houses and those who live in them Send Replies or notes for publication to: Send subscription requests to: Problems you can't solve otherwise to brian@ucsd.edu. Archives of past issues of the Ham-Policy Digest are available (by FTP only) from UCSD.Edu in directory "mailarchives/ham-policy". We trust that readers are intelligent enough to realize that all text herein consists of personal comments and does not represent the official policies or positions of any party. Your mileage may vary. So there. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 30 Sep 1994 21:04:35 GMT From: swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!convex!news.duke.edu!eff!news.kei.com!yeshua.marcam.com!charnel.ecst.csuchico.edu!olivea!news.hal.COM!darkstar.UCSC.EDU!nic.scruz.net!cruzio!brettb@@ihnp4.ucsd.edu Subject: Get Over It To: ham-policy@ucsd.edu ------------------------------ Date: 30 Sep 1994 20:32:52 GMT From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!library.ucla.edu!csulb.edu!nic-nac.CSU.net!charnel.ecst.csuchico.edu!olivea!koriel!male.EBay.Sun.COM!engnews1.Eng.Sun.COM!engnews2.Eng.Sun.COM!usenet@network.ucsd.edu Subject: Glass houses and those who live in them To: ham-policy@ucsd.edu In article brunelli_pc@delphi.com writes: >Why is there no discussion on proposed rule changes? .... >How about a proposal for a band plan that would keep HF digital healthy >and protect QRPers, and other brass pounding types (myself included). Given the current FCC sub-band set up, I don't see much room to wiggle. The digital modes are getting more popular, so they are naturally going to spread out. They can't spread up from where the are -- they'd hit the voice bands, from which they are prohibited. They can't (or at least shouldn't) spread down from where they are -- they'd hit the QRP frequencies. The QRP'ers, being largely rockbound, can't move. If the digital stuff hops over the QRP frequencies and goes down farther, they'd soon wipe out all the CW bandwidth outside the Extra sliver. So to try to come up with a solution, it looks to me like we need to either knock down the voice vs. data barrier, or let the "yahoos" into the the Extras' remaining preserves . While I hate slippery slope arguments, it sure seems to me that moves like that would basically be the end of "incentive licensing". I personally don't think that would be a bad thing, but it's sort of scary to think about proposing it.. Rich -- Rich McAllister (rfm@eng.sun.com) ------------------------------ Date: (null) From: (null) Perhaps I'm *lazy* or merely uninspired, but I really would prefer to spend my limited time learning modern digital modes, both radio and landline, than CW. I would really love to learn more about VHF/UHF/Microwave though. It does seem a little *peculiar* to me to spend hour upon hour learning to tap out morse digital at 20wpm so I can exchange "Hi, I use a <> and a <> and I am located at <> and am a <> and my call is <> and so forth"; "communications" that is restricted in terms of content to remarks of a "personnal or technical nature". Especially in the context of being able to use the Internet for world-wide communications with all the abilities of mail, chat, newsgroups, gopher, WWW and so forth with virtually no restrictions as to content. It seems to me that with the predominance of no-code techs and the competition of the Internet that it would be in the best interests of the ARRL and its "elmer" system to provide an upgrade path that parallels in VHF/UHF/Microwave what the CW/HF folks are doing in their end of the spectrum. I'm really not all that concerned (at least at this point) in "horning in" on the HF bands at least as long as the primary hoop to leap through is high speed code... after two years of communications electronics through CIE (graduated Alpha Beta Kappa, no biggee but it does show some interest and application) I AM interested in learning modern modes and expanding my abilities in the "higher reaches" and would like to see an organized "upgrade path" in that direction. I know I can pass the written tests through extra (at least I've scored over 90% over every computer-generated test I've taken at the keyboard for the last two years ;@} and I take at least one in every license class a month to keep myself in gear, just in case. ;@} ) but what I'd like to see is training manuals and testing and perhaps certification through the ARRL that would show knowledge and ability in the various modern modes and techniques in the frequencies allotted to tech class hams. This would benefit the largest group of new hams, advance the state of radio art, preserve the bands for amateurs from frequency-hungry communications providers (no one is using CW I know of) and provide operators for emergency communications (here in California during the Loma Prieta Earthquake aftermath, it was NOT CW that "saved the day" but, as written up in all the major newspapers, it was "portable packet"--HT's and laptops-- that did the important radio work. At the local Junior College, the Red Cross was NOT asking for CW operators in the emergency but telecommunications and database -proficient computer operators.) Until the "amateur ranks" (and they seem to be exemplifying the worst aspects of the title "amateur" in their rationalization of the CW dominance in terms of testing) "get over it" and join the rest of the communications world in terms of priorities, I think I'll spend my time increasing my typing speed instead, a parallel and more essential skill in today's real world. In terms of communications technology, I'll be studying Novell and upgrading my Internet skills. I wish Ham radio provided more training in modern radio communications. If such an "upgrade path" exists, I'd welcome any information you can provide. With all the cutbacks in the military, you'd think that there would be an infusion of trainers, equipment, and materials into ham radio, as after WWII, but I haven't seen anything like that, am I looking in the wrong places? THX de KC6UPU, grid CM86XX. -- Brett Breitwieser (brettb@cruzio.com) Clinical Hypnotherapist (Certified by the National Guild of Hypnotists) Director, Axis Mundi: *Axis Mundi* as the Image of *Proto Phallos* Member, Therapists for Social Responsibility ------------------------------ End of Ham-Policy Digest V94 #472 ******************************