From Newsgroup: alt.ham-radio.packet
On Sun, 27 Nov 2011 08:14:33 -0800, John <
john_a_ireland@hotmail.com> wrote:
No Body wrote:
On Sat, 26 Nov 2011 18:00:23 +0000, lugh@eternal-flames.gov
<lugh@eternal-flames.gov> wrote:
On Sat, 26 Nov 2011 00:30:29 -0500, Mike G <oilpan@optonline.net>
wrote:
I think for both usenet and packet it boils down to the fact you need something to connect to. A lot of ISPs have dropped usenet and people
have not searched out the free providers. Also, so many people have put their packet gear up on the shelf and turned it off that there is not
much out there. I find i don't have the time to ham in big chunks that
i used to which has hurt my efforts to get a linux based packet BBS back
on the air. It is difficult to get too inspired for all the work when
there are no packet stations on the air that I can hear.
A lot has changed. Who wants a text schematic when you can get a PDF
with schematic and photos and text all together. My first packet
station was a TNC and a terminal. It used to be so cool to get home from class and find messages waiting (30 years ago). Not sure where i would
find the room for a big old terminal in the house anymore, but I guess i could hook my TNC to my netbook. :-) Maybe if we could get n app to do packet on an Android there would get to be a bit of life in the mode. :-)
john AD7EV
Two other things that have, in my opinion, killed off packet, are D-Star and ARES/RACES.
ARES/RACES has become a ghetto of a very few self-selected hams who have decided that emergancy services in the ham community is their domain, alone. They have seen to it that it takes "special credentials" and "background investigations" before you are allowed to play in their sandbox. And they intend to exclude the vast unwashed ham population from the emergancy
services relm entirely. This is aided and abetted by the metality of
the communities that they "serve", in codifying those "requirements".
D-Star has played a role in this. D-Star is expensive. As a result many of
the HAMS that have them are either wealthy, or so dedicated to the "cause" that they will spend what it takes, or are, in some cases, supported by
grants administered by those same self-selected "leaders" mentioned above.
As a result, they have created both voice and data networks, separate from
the main ham community, around D-Star. This will, in my opinion, come to
a tragic end. In our area, the main technical proponant of D-Star, and
the "designer" of a horribly complicated, is now in place.
Due to the poor econonomic conditions, this one person has been forced to leave the area to seek employment elsewhere, leaving the network without
it's key designer/ administrator. The local ARES leadership can't even
set up their own D-star mobile rigs to particpate in the network,
without his help.
Additionally, the data network is being used to do such things as bridge e-mail from served agency to another. This email isn't reviewed by the
amateur radio operator who is injecting it into the network. One day,
we will discover that the messages sent were the equivelent to
"a pizza order" violating our amateur regulations.. and reducing the
role of the amateur radio operator to "common carrier"; a role
that we are specifically prohibited.
When a serious emergancy occurs, the few hams that ARE willing to put
up with the rigamarole may or may not be available; and the overly
complex network they have created will crumble. It will fall back
to the "old" hams to take up the slack.
The other thing I object to is the concept that D-star is "open source"..
it is, up until you come to the codec chip.. and this is proprietary.
It's why you don't see any competition for D-star and no open source implementations. I'd like to see Icom buy the intelectual property in
the codec and release it to the public, for free. When they do, I'll
consider buying a D-star radio.. and not before.
I too was one of the old packet operators... using an ADM3 and a stand alone TNC on a crystal controlled 2m radio... it's gathering dust someplace.
Steve
P.S. I have nothing against "knowledge" or "credentials" or "background checks", and I would probably pass every one of them in a flash. What I
object to, is that these things are the price of entry for a volunteer service. I have a ham ticket and the willingness to help. That
should be sufficient.
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2