This is an interesting debate. Anyone who builds a repeater finds satisfaction when it attracts a community of users - "A warm heatsink is a happy heatsink." But many users seem to favor repeaters with little traffic, allowing unobtrusive monitoring for their friends.
Low usage is a time bomb in an age of growing demand for bandwidth. IRLP could be one answer, but the reflectors seem to attract lots of chatter which isn't very interesting to hear. I've turned the rig off many times when I heard hams swapping S-meter reports. IRLP could be really neat for special interest nets. I've often thought it would be great to have something equivalent to the old ECARS 40m net for mobiles. I'd welcome the company when driving long distances at night. I suppose APRS will have to become more fully developed before we'll be able to easily find nets while transient. Perhaps this will be the real "killer app" for D*. A mobile net that utilizes automated frequency-hopping to work like satellite broadcast radio on long drives would be awesome. 73, Paul, AE4KR ----- Original Message ----- From: John J. Riddell To: [email protected] Sent: Wednesday, December 17, 2008 4:32 PM Subject: Re: [Repeater-Builder] Amateur Radio Repeater Usage - what are you going to do about it? Benjamin, The sparse activity seems to be everywhere.....One suggestion is to add IRLP to your repeater. When there is no local activity there always seems to be someone listening on the various reflectors all over the world and you can chat with them. Some time back, I was driving to pick up my wife from work at 7 PM here in Ontario, and I came across a fellow Ham in Japan who was also driving but it was 7 AM in the morning there. IRLP activity would certainly be of interest to anyone listening to our Ham repeaters on a scanner and it may just be the "spark" to get them interested in becoming a Ham. The inventor of IRLP is a Canadian Ham and is a member of this list, VE7LTD 73 John VE3AMZ (A Ham for 50 years) Waterloo, Ontario ----- Original Message ----- From: "Benjamin L. Naber" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, December 17, 2008 5:47 PM Subject: [Repeater-Builder] Amateur Radio Repeater Usage - what are you going to do about it? > So after reading a few messages, I began to think, what is each person > who gets these messages now going to do about it? > > I guess you have a few options. > > Sit on your butt in front of the idiot box like 90% of all Americans and > not do anything but complain. > -Or- > Do something about like going attending club meetings and begin public > service events. The ARRL has a lot of getting involved with amateur > radio. I read it about five years ago and to this day I still do what I > can which my military time consuming job allows - I still go on the air, > even if it's on the rid home.. > > Read my article in June/July 2004 QST. > > Unless you have a positive thing you are going do, then never mind this > post and do not reply. > > ~Benjamin, KB9LFZ > > > > > > ------------------------------------ > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > >
