RADIO STATION KA1FCF

February 8, 1997

Operations are occasionally conducted on HF. DX is a lot of fun for me if I can actually hold a QSO with a Ham in a foreign country. The jump on - get an officially recorded QSL - then jump off is great for some guys, and might interest me in the future, but for now I am not interested.

Keeping track of my friends using 2 Meters is a very worth while operation for me. Friends are what it is all about.

Enjoyed 2 Meter Packet operations in the past, but things change. The World Wide Web is quickly replacing my need for Packet. In my opinion, today's Packet is only for business (the buying and selling of Ham gear). In the past there seemed to be some diversity of information on packet, but not now. Oh-well! Maybe the same thing will happen to the web and it will be on to something else.

The latest interest is APRS tracking. I have a slow start, but am picking up speed. We used the military version of APRS at work and it sparked my interest. I own a GPS with data transmission capability, but have not yet cabled it to the computer. This will soon be accomplished.

Up Date - 25 January 1998

Changing computers solved many of the problems I was experiencing with APRS operations. After I/O port setup and some learning pains with the APRS software all began to work. I am not transmitting regularly, but did transmit a bit to ensure that I knew now and that the system worked as it should. I can do almost anything I want now, but not yet familiar enough with the application program to fly through steps, but much progress has been made.

I have been operating VHF only and was greatly surprised by the coverage. Tracking was from Key West, FL to an east-west line just north of Orlando, FL extending to both coasts. Tampa to Cocoa Beach to Key West, not bad.

Up Date - 21 January 1999

The Ham Shack has been taken over by the multimedia computer system. Videotape editing capabilities (Studio 200) has been added, and that means more instruments and cables around the shack. Outside, the 2-Meter antenna is lying on its side on the sun deck. Between working too many hours and the time I spend on the Internet the Ham Shack is suffering.

Up Date - 9 August 2000

The primary effort now is to up grade to Extra. Should be done within the next month (I hope).

Up Date - 14 December 2002

A Philippic About The State of Ham Radio

I can no longer find the time to be active in local Ham Radio activities. It seems that the Internet has taken over much of my time. One insight into how this came to be is that several years ago I had the privilege of attending a Ham Fest in Orlando, Florida. The ARRL was well represented and when I tried to talk to one of the ARRL Representatives I was startled by a large red and white button he and the other ARRL Representatives were wearing. Printed on the button in large print were the words "SHUT UP AND LEARN THE CODE." That provided confirmation of what I thought was already apparent, the ARRL represents a few self serving people. My not being one of the few who rule made it useless for me to talk to the ARRL Representatives. A few rulers followed by a large tribe of intelligent, but thoughtless people. I believe that this is not good for Amateur Radio.

Packet operations were a part of my work, so I had a deep interest in the technique. Packet as Hams use the technique is limited and it appeared to me that all attempts to improve and widen the scope of Packet were beaten down by the old guys. To the rulers the only acceptable messages are business oriented messages, i.e., the buying and selling of second hand equipment. They are very careful in protecting the amateur status of Amateur Radio by stopping all experimentation and only allowing the promotion of second hand retailing on our frequencies. This seems convoluted to me. There was an effort made by some Hams to compact and send images on Packet. This would have greatly expanded the usefulness of the technique. But transmitting images did not meet the test of second hand retailing, so it was beaten down. At the same time the World Wide Web expanded in every possible way, especially in the area of image transmission. I believe that the easy transmission of images on the web moved the web from providing something only for the Technical Class to providing something for everyone. In terms of personal usage image transmission is the most important advancement on the web in several years. And perhaps it could have been so for Packet. But the rulers controlled the usage of the Packet System and the useful idiots followed. So, if a person is not selling something there is no reason to use Packet, and I am not selling any equipment, so I do not use it.

Another Packet problem is that some Hams control ham frequencies for personal un-interrupted use. A local example of this is a Packet Relay Station that has a computer program running that controls the length of time a user can use the relay station. There is an approved list of stations programmed into the relay to identify the approved stations, they can use the relay as long as they desire. All others are restricted to a short usage period. The method used to remove the undesired stations is to start a fake link complete with transmitted signals. This blocks further transmissions from the un-approved station. If the outsider continues to attempt to use the relay station the station will simply refuse to link for some preprogrammed (long) time period. This occurs 24/7. This discourages any Ham not on the list from using Packet. This creates a clear frequency for the right people to access the PBBS directly or through the relay station with little interference.

Stopping all efforts to advance the art and usefulness of ham radio in order to facilitate second hand retailing or discouraging other hams just to provide a clear frequency seems to not fit the published doctrine of The Amateur Radio Service. None of these activities square with the intent of the service as I understand it. Maybe the difference between Hams and CB'ers is the complexity of their subterfuge.

-- Frank