Dee Flint wrote:

...
Too big a step in privileges and test material to go with just Tech and
Extra. If one must boil it down to two, then General and Extra would be a
better split.

Dee, N8UZE


Well, with smc and computer buses setting standards, most amateurs are
NOT going to be building their own equipment, indeed, none may (by this,
I mean not in the conventional sense of yester-decades.)

Amateur radio will go component and the case, most likely, will look
like the case of a custom built computer (indeed, at this time the
computer and communications radio seem destined to meld into the same
package), when as long as manufacturers obey standards these "component
cards" will plug in and interface with all other standard meeting
components manufactured by either the same manufacturer or any other
manufacturer. In other words, a sound card by one manufacturer with
mate up with any other manufacturers receiver, or receiver components.
Same with the xmitter and amp components.

A state of the art communication receiver will have "it works in a drawer."

The computer is the model and sets the standard communication equipment
must now come up to, to go state of the art. Manufacturers resist this
because proprietary equipment provides them more profit in such a small
market. Indeed, most manufacturers want to sell you the whole
transceiver so no other manufacturer can see part of the sales.

As soon as the standard is set by an innovative, bold and progressive
corp. the rest will see the light and fall into conformance.

In the long run should increase profits from communications sales
DRAMATICALLY! However, with the dyed-in-wool resistance this is meet
through monopoly communications manufacturers--this may still be a
decade away, amateurs suffer in the meantime.

JS
--
http://assemblywizard.tekcities.com