[TowerTalk] Chicago Tribune news: Ham radio tower has the OKsignal

[Jim Lux]

At 07:07 PM 9/23/2004 +0000, Rob Atkinson, K5UJ wrote:
>Further, it should be noted that Wheaton is the town where the late Grote 
>Reber made history when he assembled, in his backyard, the world's first 
>parabolic dish radio telescope, which is now on permanent display at the 
>American National Radio Astronomy Observatory.  Reber, who may be turning 
>over in his grave now, probably didn't have neighbors putting NO RADIO 
>TOWER signs on their front lawns.
>
>Rob/K5UJ
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com
>[mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Dan Bookwalter
>Sent: Friday, 24 September 2004 5:39 a.m.
>To: Rob Atkinson, K5UJ; towertalk at contesting.com
>Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Chicago Tribune news: Ham radio tower has the
>OKsignal


Rob makes an excellent point.  All this talking about emergency 
communications is fine and well, but, realistically, public safety folks 
are relying on hams less and less, because the technology available to them 
is getting better and cheaper, and because the folks with the money are 
more willing to spend it on comms.  I'd venture to say that public safety 
repeaters have battery backups, etc.  Certainly, the California OES (Office 
of Emerg Svcs) HF links have battery or generator backup. Not to mention 
that for long distance comm, satellite phones (which are in the few $K 
range) have a ground infrastucture that is not particularly vulnerable.

As the wireless industry grows, and sees the advertising value of providing 
free services to public occasions (parades, etc.), the need for amateur 
radio in this situation will decrease. (The Rose Parade is a fine 
example... NEXTEL provides their walkie-talkie phones to all the staff, 
which they find much more convenient than having to relay through a pair of 
ham "shadows" on 2m HTs).  Amateur radio will probably always find a place 
in low budget activities without much public exposure (long distance foot 
races like the Angeles Crest 100, for instance).

Amateur radio has many aspects, and emergency comms and public service is 
but one of the 5 enumerated in 97.1 . The "advancement of the radio art" 
(97.1(b), (c))is equally (if not more) important, in my opinion.  An 
amateur radio licensee "serves the public good" as much by developing and 
testing new antenna technology and modulation schemes with that tower as by 
providing potential emergency comms.  Likewise, such work "expands the 
reservoir of trained operators, technicians, and electronics experts". 
(97.1(d))

To hang all the arguments for towers on the emergency communications thing 
is doomed to eventual failure, because we won't be able to make a credible 
and believable case for its necessity.  It's especially hard because of 
basic optimism: that disaster won't happen here, so why would we need this 
capability to deal with it.

On the other hand, the U.S. has a long and honored tradition of garage 
tinkering.  The Wright Bros are a century old example, as are other early 
automotive inventors. Hewlett and Packard are more recent, and more 
directly relevant to the electronics field. Bill Gates is even more recent. 
What's important is not necessarily the shining stars that emerge from such 
tinkering, but that thousands have contributed as well. Some succeed, most 
don't, but the trial and error process lives.