Mark Kramer wrote:
In article ,
Michael Coslo wrote:
I still want a PSK31 HT.

My God, why? APRS has a texting mode. The technology is in place and
well-defined.

APRS texting isn't terribly convenient, and you have to put up with the
rest of the squacking to get it.


A two-second burst of 1200 baud packet, even assuming a 500 ms
TXDELAY, has more text than a standard SMS. That's more than 50 seconds at
PSK31.

I'm not talking about sending data, or long messages, just ones similar
to what is sent in cell phone text messages.

This is about getting people interested and using Ham radio. It isn't
necessarily about getting something that you or even I would buy.
Younger folks, high school kids, would likely buy into something like that.

Who's going to install the PSK31 digipeaters?

What I envision would be likely simplex. Although a repeater could come
into the picture somewhere, it wouldn't need to be a digipeater.


Who is going to develop
the technology to determine that a PSK31 signal that is 100Hz off the correct
frequency should be digipeated while one that is 50Hz off should not? (1kHz
error in an FM HT is common. 1kHz error in PSK31 is a completely different
QSO.)

These are all pretty minor technical problems. I imagine that a person
might be able to differentiate between signals in an old school manner,
by tuning them in.

Oh yeah, while we're at it, I don't know if that HT with the camera is
still being produced

Ever try sending an image at 1200 baud?

I've sent SSTV images in a fairly short time. They aren't large images,
but along with the texting I speak of, make a fun little gadget for
people to play with. Might even be of some emergency use.

I have to say that I probably would never buy such a device. That
doesn't make it a dumb idea though. If there was one thing I would like
to counsel Hams on , it is the idea that whatever you or I are into at
the moment is not what everyone is into, and it shouldn't be either.
Some modes such as IRLP or Echolink, I don't even consider "radio", but
hey, a lot of people like them a lot, so I won't argue.



As much as I prefer regular transceivers, SDR radio would be a pretty
interesting way to go. Big hint to the mfgr's: Sell something usable
that isn't a kilobuck+. I saw the ones out at Dayton, and a better price
point is advised.

Volume means low price. High price means no volume. Yeah, a $100 SDR HT
would be great. It also has more than $100 of parts in it. That $0.10 diode
detector is replaced by a $30 DSP chip.

I've seen a lot about the new Digital voice and data modes such as
D-Star. Lots of investment needed there, and although the transmission
of data is kinda cool, I have concerns about multipath.

But you're the guy who wants texting via PSK31? D-STAR texting, bad. PSK31
texting, good?

I don't declare D-Star Texting "bad", but I do declare the PSK31
texting pretty darn good. PSK31 has a huge advantage in that it is
pretty cheap, and not proprietary. D-Star is decidedly not cheap, and is
quite proprietary. Wanna use D-Star? Get out the plastic and go
without something else for a couple years.


D-Star might need a big kick start, such as emergency groups purchasing
repeaters,

Sorry, but at $10,000 starting, our emergency group isn't going to be
buying one. The fact we have no open repeater space, and the cost of a
D-STAR radio, makes it certain that D-STAR is a non-starter here.

I think that what would be needed is for local governments to do the
actual purchasing, then hand it over to the Hams. The Hams are going to
have to have regular access to the D-Star repeater, or else they won't
buy-in.

My honest opinion however is that this is one of those technology
solutions that just add too much technology to the mix. One of the big
complaints from emergency responders is that they can't talk to each
other. This is due to the introduction of too much structure upon the
system. With D Star, we do the same thing with Hams.


people who want to put up a digital repeater (note, not a digipeater)
might be going to a lot of expense to talk to one or two friends.

I thought I'd like to buy an ID-1 when it came out. At $3000 (one for me,
one for someone to talk to) I said "no thanks".

Yup. And the big problem as far as Amateurs go is that they can't get
into the system. Whereas you or I can build a CW, SSB, FM, or PSK31
radio for most any application we'd like, we can't do that with D-Star.
So unless those prices come waaaay down, D-Star is going to be a very
low volume mode, probably used only by emergency groups. Of course if
that is the case, they shouldn't be operating it on the Amateur bands,
because they can get more use out of it on their own frequencies, which
won't have Amateur reestrictions.

- 73 de Mike N3LI -