> The focus of increasing participation on the higher bands needs to be
> on finding an inexpensive, plug and play way of getting the large
> number of guys with IC-706's, FT-100's and all the other HF-VHF/UHF
> rigs on SHF+. The guys who can build transverters themselves and the
> scrounger/modifier are probably already on these bands. What is left
> is a big pool of people who need a way. Telling them to shell out
> $400+ for a transverter and then a few more hundred for feed line,
> relays, etc, doesn't make sense to them. They probably only spent
> $500-1000 for a rig that does HF-UHF. Why does it cost almost as much
> to add one SHF band? Why bother? The stats show it is not even going
> to help their score much. Where does ERP classes provide an incentive
> to add more bands? If anything it might move some of the existing SOLP
> into SOHP which may not make them too happy.
...This is EXACTLY my feeling.
There's no doubt I'd probably add bands if I had the money. As a new Rover'er,
I'm the IC-706 guy with Deed Restrictions that felt it might be fun to Rover
instead of operating from home. Over time I've added more power to my ABD
setup, and recently added 220 (FM only) to my rover station.
What next? Possibly 1296, since there's probably more 1296 activity than
903Mhz. Again, it would likely be FM due to costs (10w mobile). Would I be on
the microwave bands on Non-contest weekends? Heck no. It's WAY too much
effort to put antennas up in the yard (keeping watch for the Homeowner Assoc.
Nazis) to "casually operate". And it's probably unlikely I'd have all this
stuff just sitting in my minivan while I take the family around town shopping
or driving the kids to school (My wife would refuse to ride with me).
Therefore, *IF* I were to do higher bands, there are quite a few barriers to
entry, and the expense and effort *TODAY* is not worth the 2 or 3 Qs I might
make during a contest weekend.
So, when Y'all are talking about getting the IC-706s and FT-100s on the air,
that's ME. (W00t! I fit the profile!)
So what *WOULD* it take? I can tell you!
For me, adding a new band would need to reach the $99 price point. Give me a
Plug-N-Pray black box for $99 that I can put inline between my IC-706 without
having to pull the cover off and find the IF, and gives me 5w in at 28Mhz and
1/2w to 1w out at 903 or 1296 or 2304. Maybe not today, but someday electronic
components will be cheap enough to mass-produce these devices using stripline
techniques and no frills. Just attenuation, 12v input, a mixing IC / crystal,
and some MMIC amplification. I guarantee if someone built it, we would come,
and I know there's someone out there that is smarter than I who can do it. You
could even offer the Cheap box for $99, then have a more elaborate setup with
more features (knobs and buttons)and more power for $400. Give us something
cheap as an entry to the band, then give us the chance to upgrade later on.
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