N2EY wrote:
In article . net, "KØHB"
writes:


I believe that ARRL is wasting our money
trying to be a political force,


I disagree, Hans. Without some political action, ham radio will simply be
legislated out of existence - eventually.

We haven't gotten everyhting we wanted in the BPL fight. Neither did the BPL
folks get everything *they* wanted.


and (MORE IMPORTANTLY) that I think that
the same money would be better spent on efforts which renewed the
Amateur Radio reputation for technical innovation.


Why can't there be money to do both?

More important:

What, exactly, should we hams be doing to renew that reputation?


Funny you should ask!

I have started to put together a "Near Space Science" group. I made
initial calls for interest a few months ago, and made my pitch at our
club meeting this week.

The response was excellent, both at the meeting and afterward in
private. At the moment it looks like we are going to make this happen.

The likely scenario is that we will be working with local schools and
other interested parties as well as among fellow Hams to launch
experiments - both ARS and Educational - to the shores of space at
around 100,000 feet above the earth, and then return them safely.

This is a ripe field for experimentation and innovation. There are
groups that are already doing this, and I see many innovations to be
made, and improvements in technique that may be possible.

The efforts are a public relations windfall if they are done correctly.
It is a great way to get our name out in the community, both locally and
nationally.

This can all be accomplished for a surprisingly low cost. It is also a
cross-interest project where people of many different interests and
disciplines can contribute. It isn't just Hams.

Outside of a gvt/university environment, Ham radio is the most
practical way to go. We have licenses, methods, and applicable
frequencies to use.

Don't know if any of you folks in the PA and local area are interested
in getting involved, but if so, we can discuss it here or by private email.

So there you are Jim. A way to innovate, experiment, and have fun at
the same time. Also a great P.R. effort that gets our message out to the
public in a way that they can understand as a "hi-tech" endeavor.

- Mike KB3EIA -