The important question to me: is Internet use good or bad for ham radio
(IRLP, Echolink, WIRES, DVDongle/DVAP, remote HF control, etc.)
My answer is "Yes."
On the good side
The Internet is a useful tool. Just two examples:
-How often will I have a leisurely chat with a ham in Hawaii, Australia or
South Africa on HF? I CAN talk to them on HF, but it's almost always going
to be "KN4AQ 59 QRZ." (Or, in my case, "KN4AQ - I think I got that right.
You're pretty weak, QRZ"). There are no pileups on the Internet connected
modes, and stations seek each other out across the world for conversation.
-Do we have any way to link lots and lots of repeaters nationwide or
worldwide using just RF in the ham bands? Obviously, we don't, and aren't
likely to in the foreseeable future.
Beyond that, Internet-enabled Amateur Radio is one of the few things that
can attract young technologists to our avocation. They may later embrace
our heritage, but we have to get them in the door first.
On the bad side
Reliance on the Internet can cause us to lose or fail to develop the RF
tools we want and need, individually and system-wide.
We do need RF capability - lots of it - just to maintain our distinct
character. We need it to back up our claim of being "unstoppable" -
communications anywhere, anytime, off the grid. As far as I know, nobody's
linked any D-STAR repeaters by RF yet. Can we get D-STAR communications out
of a disaster area with a hop or two of RF, then fully connected to the
Internet?
We want RF because, well, because we love it. It's more than our heritage,
it's our reason for being hams. RF poses challenges that are interesting to
learn about and overcome. The rest of the world wants only consistency and
reliability in communications. We want it all.
In the middle
For many hams, especially new hams but also plenty of us old curmudgeons,
the Internet is woven into the fabric, and it's not going away. We like it.
We probably use Skype, Yahoo or AIM (and hams who dismiss this technology
would be better off knowing it, if not embracing it). Ham radio still has
its own character.
In the end
The "talking about planes" example is interesting. It isn't flying, but it
is aviation. I think we have the same distinction.
Some Internet enhances us. Too much diminishes us.
73,
Gary KN4AQ
ARVN: Amateur Radio//Video News
Gary Pearce KN4AQ
508 Spencer Crest Ct.
Cary, NC 27513
<mailto:[email protected]>[email protected]
919-380-9944
www.ARVideoNews.com
