On Thu, 12 Apr 2007 22:18:54 -0700, Dick wrote:

On 12 Apr 2007 10:16:15 -0700, "Nobody" wrote:

Actually, no that is not a bad thing for the masses. . . . .


73, Dick - W6CCD

I'd have to agree with most of your observations...

I am in the southern california area, so yeah I see the lack of packet
and even APRS use. In the real world for day to day use, it
apparently has no value. Why should I care were some guy I don't know
is driving? Do I need to know where there hams are in a disaster? I
can just ask them on the radio.

I can basically dump any kind of data I want (voice, telemetry,
messaging, file transfers, remote control) on the internet. Heck, I
was instant messaging and watching myself on google earth via gps in
literally the middle of nowhere, Wyoming last summer (nothing but
freeway and a few cows) via Verizon 1xRTT/EVDO. I don't see 1.5MB
speeds on ham radio at the moment I have Verizon's EVDO in my
laptop, a Sprint EVDO card from work (talk about dual-band!), and a
cell phone from Cingular. Oh and an old-school 2-way pager. Other
family members have Verizon cellular, and 1 has a 2-way pager on a
different carrier than mine. Our main house has 2 electric feeds (#2
to a guest house) on reasonably seperated ciruits and 2 phone lines, 1
with DSL. I maintain a generator/UPS for my computers, refrigerators,
microwave oven, and of course radios. We also have a vacation house
80 miles away with its own DSL. That is the only place not covered by
simplex ham radio. We'd have to rely on repeaters and quite a distance
at that... Or get some HF stuff, but why bother...

So why do I need a ham radio????

Well, cause I expect 80% of that stuff to fail when we have our next
large siesmic event. I have a mobile 2/440 unit in my car and the
other two have $99 cloned 2m HT's programmed both for repeaters and
simplex. So amateur radio does serve as the last backup in case that
long list of things all crap out.

However, our family expects to be out of communication during a large
event. Our need to communicate really will just be for "health and
welfare", just to see how everyone is. I don't expect to have anyone
listening on the other end if stuck under a building. One of us will
be working at the hospital, one at home, and myself will either be in
school (at a different hospital) or at the local police dept.
(volunteer) as soon as I can get there. We know to stay off the
phones. "Yes dear, we all felt the same earthquake!"

Our local city fire dept does have a team of amateur radio operators,
organized at the county level, which is the only way to go if u want
to be successful. They have been used in the past in real conditions.
During the fires in so cal, they used them mostly for fire watch
patrols in the arson prone canyons around here. During a disaster,
they're primary purpose will still be "eyes and ears". There is an HF
station at our EOC for talking to "the state OES" but I dunno how that
would really be used. They also have sat phones, so unless the
chinese shoot us down, I guarantee you the emergency officials will
pick that up first. Our local 800mhz trunked system is very robust
with multiple sites for each system, with the abillity to run local in
failsoft at each repeater site in case the main controller goes away.
And don't forget everyone has a "Nextel" lol.

So yeah, I still see ham radio as the last resort. But honestly, I
don't expect to use it much during a disaster. I will be doing my
job/volunteer work. But I still keep everything charged and tested
just in case!!!

As for the future of the hobby, yeah, keep getting kids interested in
it. Since they all have cell phones now, it will be a challenge
however to find some reason to use these "antique CB radios". I heard
a QSO on the winsystem the other day between a local and a guy from
Australia and then one from Japan a few minutes later. via IRLP of
course... It's this kind of integration with other services that
*might* keep the hobby alive. You more creative types out there may
have to some up with something new! And no, showing up to a modern
school with a dirty t-shirt, greasy beard, Yeasu hat, and 6 radios,
speaker mics, and oversized antennas hanging off of your beer gut will
not inpress the kids. (Yes, I've seen this!!) One suggestion is to
integrate with local public safety and present the hobby in this
light; as an adjunct to police and fire. I wish I had more ideas as I
think we can still be a valuable resource, but it may not be in the
traditional sense that's been the "standard" for the past 50 years.

OK, enough ranting... back to the real world.....

Joey