[aprssig] Re: D-STAR video on YouTube

[Stephen - K1LNX]

Well looks like I started a nice firestorm over this one. Everyone has
different views and have passionately expressed them.

I'm in the same boat as Ray Wells, I simply can't afford D-STAR, and even if
I could, I would honestly rather spend my money elsewhere. I live in an area
where they haven't even discovered what APRS is or can do yet, if ever,
nevermind adopting a brand new digital voice/data protocol. I like all the
shiny new radios Icom is producing, I am especially enticed by the
1.2ghzone, specifically the 128kbps data speed.

I have 2 problems with that however, the first one is as others have pointed
out, we don't need proprietary codecs being transmitted over the air that we
aren't free to duplicate or implement without a license. I think this is
very bad for a hobby, this isn't the commercial sector where money/politics
flow freely. Some have to make financial decisions for the enjoyment of
their hobby, because it is indeed that, a hobby. I really think people take
this hobby way too seriously at times, myself included.

The second issue I have with it is my own speculation that the average joe
blow ham who gets this high speed digital data radio thinks it's going to be
an internet access device. I have no problem with the internet being
intertwined with ham radio (I think , but I also don't want to see our
spectrum turned into a common carrier either.

D-STAR may evolve over time, I do not wish it's demise or it's success, I am
more or less neutral on the issue. I don't think hams will embrace it enough
for it to become a true standard. Too many old repeaters out there and too
many old mentalities, some people just resist change alltogether.

Let's hope their can be a competing open standard come out instead and the 2
of them can operate together to keep everyone happy. That's wishful thinking
anyhow.

Time to hit the coffee pot.....

73
Stephen
K1LNX



On 9/24/07, Ray Wells <vk2tv at exemail.com.au> wrote:
>
> Mark Fellhauer wrote:
>
> > At 12:04 AM 9/24/2007, Ray Wells wrote:
> >
> >> Let's not overlook affordability when it comes to adopting new
> >> technologies.
> >
> >
> >
> > And we've covered that before.  No new technology would ever come the
> > way of ham radio if we adopted that as a standard.    I first set foot
> > in the Phoenix HRO in 1984.  It was 10 years later that I felt I was
> > in the financial situation to actually buy an HT.    That's life.
> > You have to choose what's important.    I've always liked firearms and
> > was raised around them.  As an adult I didn't actually commit the cash
> > to buying a pistol until I was assaulted in a parking lot by 4 thugs.
> > A police office friend chastised me for being unarmed.  I bought a
> > pistol just like his the next day.  I started going to the shooting
> > range every Sunday.   That costs money.
>
> Affordability is an individual thing and no matter how brilliant the new
> technology may be, if you can't aford it, you can't afford it, and
> therefore, you cannot adopt it. It's simple economics.
>
> New technology in packet is nothing new. Look back to the 1990's to see
> the multitude of articles on higher speed packet - 4k8 HAPN, James
> Miller's (and others) 9k6, 19k2 with the same modem, WA4DSY's 56kb
> modems, articles in QST on 10GHz 2MB links (N6GN & N6RCE). Take a look
> at the ARRL publication Packet: Speed, more speed (1995).
>
> Look at how many built Baycom modems to save the cost of a TNC. Look at
> how many are now using soundcard modem, again to save money.
>
> The technology to do bigger and better things has been there for a long
> time but only a select few could afford it.
>
> Ray vk2tv
>
>
>
>
>
>
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>



-- 
Stephen Brown - ARS K1LNX
Johnson City, TN EM86uh
"I use FOSS daily to keep my boxen clean!!!"
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