[CQ-Contest] Feb 04 QST op-ed article

[Michael Keane, K1MK]

At 01:55 PM 1/18/04, W. Wright, W5XD wrote:

>Emergency and public service communications seem to be the thread of the 
>article.

That what it purports to be. I have a slightly different take on it. Things 
like ARES emergency preparedness and NTS traffic nets simply don't operate 
on 20m. The nets that infest the upper reaches of the 20m phone band are 
things like the "Maritime Mobile Service Network" which the author of the 
QST OpEd piece mentions in his the article  and with which he notes his 
affiliation.

 From the limited times I've listened to them, the primary "public service" 
the Maritime Mobile net provides would seem to be gratis HF comms for 
wealthy yachtsmen who should be making use of commercial communications 
services. Otherwise their primary purpose seems to be to stand guard and 
keep a 20 frequency occupied 24/7. To each his own...

One tidbit gleaned from the MMSN's web page clearly shows how spectrum 
sharing and 97.101(b) is viewed:

"NOTE - On Saturdays, the Maritime Mobile Service Network does not begin 
until 1300 Eastern Time. The Network has donated 1 hour to the XXXX Amateur 
Radio Net..."

Gee, The Network "donated" an hour of air time on "their" frequency. How 
magnanimous of them.
Yeah right... next!

73,
Mike K1MK

Michael Keane K1MK
k1mk at arrl.net