This explains what I've been predicting for a few years, that
ultimately, ham radio on HF and 160 at least, will become a hobby for
the well heeled who have a lot of land in rural areas only. Complicit
with RFI are all the antenna restrictions in more populated areas.
It also explains the futility, in my opinion, of QRP. Sure, you can
backpack to some remote location, but the only hams who will hear you
will be other hams in remote locations. And I might CQ on top of you
because I don't hear you. Sorry, but you have to put an audible
signal into my QTH for me to realize the frequency is in use. Finding
noise sources and eliminating them, a time consuming losing battle in
cities and towns, and noise reduction methods, get you only so far.
Apart from decent antennas, about the only thing a ham can do is run
high power. It becomes a courtesy to other operators. I believe the
US legal limit should be doubled or tripled, or done away with.
Shocking? Not really, because very few hams will run crazy high
power. That's because the money and knowledge to do that are limited,
along with the cost of electricity and availability of 3 phase
service. But many hams will bump up to maybe 4 or 5 KW. It's the
only immediate way to overcome the noise floor. But relax, the
chances of FCC raising the legal limit are slim to none.
As for me, I will continue to operate. Once in a while I get bitched
at in an email by some piss weak ham because I CQed on top of his QSO.
Too bad; get some power and a decent antenna. I will refuse to let
appliance RFI take away my license to operate, especially on 160 m.
because some ham wants to run 100 w. and a dipole 20 feet high.
73
Rob
K5UJ
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