No!
Rent a station is NOT ham radio. Argue all you want; but ham radio is
about RADIO, even if it's just owning and using an HT because that's all
you can manage.
You may as well log cell or Skype phone calls or EchoLink contacts (or
IRLP, DMR, DStar etc) as use remote stations that are not yours; they
have equal merit; none, zilch, nada, nil. Only a few even have a radio
involved; the rest is internet links; not ham radio.
EVERY entry in my log is from MY gear, a station assembled by ME
(sometime with help building etc), a result of MY best efforts at THAT
point in time. It's a matter of pride and is a moral imperative to my
standards. Yes, it means I don't make EVERY contact or work every DX
when I want; I have to wait for propagation, then hope I've done
enough. Yes, I've put money into equipment to own, use and maintain;
not someone else's pocket to rent. But I EARNED every log entry.
I pity you some; you've lost your compass. Yes, you can get DXCC in an
afternoon, moving sites to best apply propagation <<yawn>>. It's NOT
your station, it's not worthy of your log; it has no value, because you
purchased your log and awards instead of investing your time and
efforts. It's your ego being stroked by your wallet.
Ditto using remote receivers to augment your own; your station can or
cannot; it's THAT simple.
You have ZERO emergency preparedness without a radio; one of the tenets
of ham radio. You can't be prepared if you don't own a radio; if the
systems are down, you have nothing. An HT can at least saturate the
neighborhood to check on others around you.
If you are so HOA bound that nothing outside can grow as an antenna (has
NEVER been totally exclusive; stealthy has a market); build a club
station where you can; drive there to operate it and log from that. If
it is an emergency and there IS still access, then use the remote if you
have nothing else. At least own and learn to use a portable radio (KX3,
dual band HT, SOMETHING).
Yes, I operate a station remotely; MINE. And if done well, no one knows
where you really are at the time of the contact.
But you won't ever sell me that not owning a radio at all and to rent
and operate remotely is even CLOSE to being a ham. For pity's sake,
hand the man an HT!
Harsh, perhaps. But it's also one reason to escape the blasted HOA
world too to make your own decisions. HOA is an infestation, a virus
that allows others to make choices for you, even if you don't like their
decisions.
/rant off; hot button; this arena gets old fast/
73,
Rick NK7I
More curmudgeonly every year it seems, ain't nuttin wrong with old
school, it's just not as popular
On 6/28/2021 8:41 PM, William Levy wrote:
Gents,
Let me remind all of you in an HOA that you don't need to put up antennas.
You can join remote ham radio dot com and use giant antennas all from your
website. Much better stuff than most of us ever dreamed up HOA or not.
I live in NYC. I don't even have a Walkie. But I am full on remote HF
24/7/365.
It's a great world. Think of it as a resource. It's a NETWORK resource. And
you don't have to manage it.
Bill N2WL
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