In article , Mike Coslo writes:

N2EY wrote:
In article , Mike Coslo
writes:

I think all of the technical problems could be solved but the cost would be
astronomical.

Sounds like the good way to do it.

Of course it's not the only way, and just a layman's view.

Mars is a different proposition than the moon because it's so much farther
away. And unlike earth orbit, there's no escape nor quick resupply.

I have a confession to make....I actually have a vacuum tube
transmitter...and
what's worse - I still use the thing, and even worse....I *enjoy* it...

And that is great. Tubes were pretty much out of the mainstream when I
got involved in electronics, so it isn't a Electro-Luddite thing for me.

I entered EE school in the fall of 1972, and I think tubes were mentioned
exactly once in the coursework of all 4 years. The philosophy was that they
were similar enough to FETs that if you ever needed to know about them, you'd
be pretty close thinking of them as high-voltage FETs.

They are simply cool.

Yup.

how we live by "standards of the 1930s",

Whatever that is.

It means actually using Morse Code on the air, and thinking it's useful.

Its all good.

Exactly. But I think that really bothers some folks.

73 de Jim, N2EY