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Mike Coslo · March 18th 07, 12:32 AM posted to rec.radio.amateur.moderated

wrote in
ups.com:

On Mar 17, 2:19�am, "Dee Flint" wrote:

My question on this is why would we be sending large amounts of data
on amateur radio? *

I can think of a couple uses for it, Dee.

First there's emergency/public service comms. The served agencies
are used to being able to send emails with sizable attachments through
the usual networks. A mode that would let them do that via amateur
radio
when the usual networks are not available would be a really good tool
in the emcomm toolbox. IMHO it's the thinking pushing WinLink.

Second, there are plenty of times in an ordinary QSO when it
would be good to be able to send a picture, station description,
article, a sound clip, etc. directly by radio, and have it in digital
format at the other end. In the past, such modes as SSTV have
gained limited acceptance because they required lots of extra
apparatus, but with the widespread acceptance of PCs today
the big limitation is software, not hardware.

I think that emergency comms might make use of large amounts ot data
transmission, but the average ham needs to use the modes in order to
have the modes available during those emergencies. IOW, it's a matter
not of what I get for emergencies, but what Joe Ham is going to get
along with me so we can use it when there isn't an emergency. Otherwise
it isn't of a whole lot of use.

And then there is that old bugaboo of bandwidth. HF really isn't
the place for wide bandwidth modes.

...

I disagree. One of the big problems is that such development
tends to be protected by the developers, and *not* made
open-source. PSK-31 and Linux are exceptions, not the rule.

Our "hamness" tend to make us gravitate towards those open source
modes. And it isn't just my ceap tendencies. I've tried most of the
digital modes at least once. That would not have happened if I had
to pay for every mode.

The "bell-the-cat" question is still *who* is going to develop
such new modes and then just give them away for free.
Groups that have tried (TAPR and the spread-spectrum idea)
have taken years without much to show.

Often people will wonder why Hams don't run to every new mode that
comes along. Some assume that we are not adaptable as a group. I
would say it has a lot more to do with simply having someone on the
other end to talk to. We need an early following to get the ball
rolling, then there needs to be a good reason to use the mode. The
difference between say Spread spectrum and say PSK31 is that PSK
apparently serves some purpose for a growing number of Hams, and SS
doesn't.

- 73 de Mike KB3EIA -