At 9/21/2007 07:02, you wrote: >Bob Dengler wrote: > > > Kenwood SkyCommand. 100s of "remote bases" in SoCal. I won't speak for > > other areas, since I'm not familiar with what operators in those areas > > consider their systems to be. Here, they're "auxiliary stations". Don't > > believe me? Consider that back in the early 70's when repeaters & > > auxiliary stations required separate licenses from the FCC, remote base > > owners had to submit detailed information to the FCC (block diagrams, > etc.) > > in order to obtain those licenses. Many licenses issued for what most > > people on this list consider "repeaters" were actually auxiliary station > > licenses, which IIRC used callsigns from the standard group D block (2x3) > > at the time (i.e. WA6BCD); repeaters had the special "WR" prefix. > > > > So if these systems that clearly "repeat" were "repeaters", why did the > > owners apply for auxiliary station licenses, & why did the FCC issue all > > those auxiliary station licenses to these "repeaters" after receiving the > > detailed paperwork clearly indicating the mode of operation? Because > these > > stations, by nature of their operation, were in fact auxiliary > > stations. Obviously they do "repeat", but if they operate within a > network > > of cooperating amateur stations, they can be classified as auxiliary > > stations. The definition as written is rather loose, but that is a debate > > for some other reflector. > > > > Bob NO6B > >You're right-the definition is pretty loose. Some of it is dependant on >the intent. A UHF 'repeater' that has a 'normal' simplex or half-duplex >base station tied to it, and whose primary purpose is to repeat the 2M >signals to UHF and the UHF signals to 2M, is a remote base, and in >auxiliary operation. But a UHF 'repeater' that most users transmit on >the UHF input and listen on the UHF output, and once in a while someone >brings up the 2M base, is only a remote base when that is on-line, so it >is normally in repeater operation, and in auxiliary operation only when >the remote base is enabled.
The licenses issued to the systems you refer to were simply "auxiliary station" licenses (FWIW, in the SoCal area many of these auxiliary station licenses were from the WB6Z## block). AFAIK no concurrent repeater license was issued to these stations, hence as far as the FCC was concerned they operated 100% of the time as auxiliary stations even when used only as a repeater. This is the foundation for the premise that auxiliary stations can exist as a superset of repeater operation. As far as the ARRL's involvement in the "what is D-Star" debate, after talking to our officials it's clear that their concern was simply the potential for interference from uncoordinated D-Star systems to other simplex modes of communication. TASMA's proactive stance in the matter appears to be well received, & I expect a positive closure to be forthcoming. Bob NO6B
