[Towertalk] The Ham Radio Business

[Chris BONDE]

Right on!

Awhile back it was the hams that did the inovations in the electronics 
arena.  Take packette, basic idea from Vancouver, BC then to Texas.  Cell 
phone already mentioned.  Sound card digital,  IRLP from University of BC 
ham.

What about all the small testing going on?  I see software for propagation 
being tested by hams, not to mention antenna modelling.  Then hams do the 
alpha, beta testing on a lot of things that then go comercial.

Maybe the big producers should use hams as the main testers like car 
manufactueres use racing and other vehicle sports to test out their components.

Hams are old hackers.  Radio then computers now.  Hey, hams hack too.

Chris opr VE7HCB



At 03:55 PM 2002-04-01 -0500, Bill Otten wrote:
>Well, I might toss my .02 in whilst everyone else is....
>Sure, ham radio isn't what it used to be. We've seen a fair bunch of people
>who might have made it into ham radio get lost to CB radio....once that
>service was formed many who MIGHT have given some thought to ham radio took
>the easy way out and many persist to this day running with illegal power and
>out of bands. Maybe losing this segment wasn't so bad after all. Then, we've
>had the internet where worldwide communications via voice, keyboard,
>pictures are all within easy grasp for the masses, no huge investment or
>study necessary. Cellular phones, an idea spawned from ham radio
>handi-talkies and repeaters, now make cross continental conversation
>easy..often with no long distance charges. So things have changed.
>
>I have also....in the past couple of years of my over 27 year history in ham
>radio I've expanded to the new digital modes, PSK31, computerized rtty, and
>many new modes. In the past few months I've begun making satellite contacts.
>There's still more to explore out there too....soon coherent cw and
>digitized voice will be available. And other new stuff too....I hear a daily
>group of fellows on 14.180 with tremendous sounding audio set ups. Yet
>another area to explore.
>
>Let's not lament the past, but work to expand our own operations.
>
>Bill
>KC9CS
>
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