[SCCC] Sky-is-Falling E-mail Will Soon Follow

[Richard J. Norton]

On 3/24/07, H Lawrence Serra <hlserra at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> Dick-
>
> Could you briefly explain to us, based on your investigation of WINLINK, why
> the expansion of the WINLINK digital mode to all amateur HF frequencies
> (except phone bands) is nothing to worry about?

It was in my initial post. To repeat -

>It would make no sense for Winlink stations to operate on
> frequencies where there are other operations. Winlink stations operate
> today in other countries with no government-imposed mode or bandwidth
> sub-allocations, and have minimal impact on the bands.

In other words, if they tried to use frequencies used by contesters or
DXers, they wouldn't link and they wouldn't win.

> Isn't this the first time digital modes have sought to be allowed across the
> entire HF CW spectrum?

They are already allowed to be anywhere in almost every country of the
world. They don't try to operate on frequencies where their system
would almost not ever work.

> What are the details of the reasonably good job WINLINK users have done to
> be compatible with other amateur services?

See www.winlink.org

> I don't doubt the importance of WINLINK as an amateur communications method,
> but I don't look forward to having them all over the HF CW bands during
> contest weekends.

There is not the slightest reason to imagine that they will ever be
"all over the HF CW bands during contest weekends." You can find the
frequencies they operate on on their website, www.winlink.org . There
is no reason to believe they will explode. There isn't enough
interest.

Whereas I as a contester, might think the world would be better if all
non-contesting radio amateurs were silent at all times I might want to
pursue my niche of the avocation, I don't in any way think government
regulation should be used to accomplish such a goal.

In essentially every contest I operate, I experience interference from
other hams. The interference may mean I will not be able to complete a
contact, or even may mean I get pushed off a frequency I have been
using for some time. It's part of using shared spectrum.

Winlink's positive accomplishments override the few times their
stations may interfere with me. They deserve to share the spectrum
with the rest of us.

73,

Dick

> "Richard J. Norton" <richardjnorton at gmail.com> wrote:
> As SCCC president, I get the unpleasant task of occasionally approving
> proposed posting to the SCCC E-mail reflector. Note that I have tried
> to get someone else to take
> over the presidency, but have failed, and continue to do the job. Grumble.
>
> I have another Amateur Radio job, that of ARRL Southwestern Division
> Director. It produces an adequate amount of work in itself.
>
> You are about to receive a posting on this SCCC reflector from K6XT.
> It is essentially a forwarding of a posting made to another reflector
> from an individual who appears to have dedicated a significant portion
> of his recent life to bad-mouthing Winlink and the ARRL.
>
> Although the posting only impacts contesting peripherally, I have
> decided to allow it rather than get accused of censoring.
>
> I operate mostly CW. I do not use Winlink, nor do I ever expect to use
> Winlink. However, as part of my job as an ARRL Director, I did
> investigate Winlink. It appears that the Winlink folks have done a
> reasonably good job of making their operation compatible with that of
> other users of the bands.
>
> The
> world-is-coming-to-an-end-and-Winlink-stations-will-be-QRMing-all-the-ham-bands
> nonsense that emanates from Mr. Teller, KH6TY, is simply that,
> nonsense. It would make no sense for Winlink stations to operate on
> frequencies where there are other operations. Winlink stations operate
> today in other countries with no government-imposed mode or bandwidth
> sub-allocations, and have minimal impact on the bands.
>
> Contesting and CW are not in danger from anything the League is doing.
> In fact, note that six of the League officers and directors were
> active in the last CW Sprint, a contest for heavyweight CW ops.
>
> If you want to hear more on this or any issues, I regularly speak to
> radio clubs.
>
> 73,
>
> Dick, N6AA
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