[CQ-Contest] RM11708 and the Future

[Ward Silver]

 > Winlink (which to me is not even ham radio - more like VOIP or SKYPE).

There are a lot of things in ham radio that don't particularly float my 
boat but I am willing to consider the use of our allocations by licensed 
amateurs to be "ham radio."   I don't want to start off an argument 
about hybrid network-RF operating - it's something we do via ham radio 
and that is sufficient for me.  I happen to think it's pretty cool that 
hams have created a world-wide network to exchange messages using 
sophisticated digital protocols that in some cases, such as WINMOR, were 
developed non-commercially.  You are entitled to your preferences, of 
course.

 > What is gonna happen in an emergency when the Winlink's are all down.

Tom, I think you should educate yourself about the *current* Winlink 
system and its ability to handle traffic without any Internet 
connectivity.  There have been a number of advances in the last decade 
to make the system a lot more robust and enable individual RMS stations 
to operate in a standalone mode.

 > I participated for years in traffic nets and the fun was always in 
the proficiency of these guys to pass traffic on CW with great 
efficiency. A
 > LOT of these guys are now the ones I now work in the CW contests. 
Think most of the good ones came from traffic nets.

Yes, it was and yes, we did.  Thanks :-)

73, Ward N0AX