I am not a sailor nor do I have any experience "at sea". So as a layman, it is unfathomable to me that anyone would risk their life venturing out of port and rely on amateur radio for their communication needs.
Amateur radio for recreational use, certainly... a backup communication system, certainly... but IMO, it would be foolhardy to not have a primary safety system that reports location and status. The whole idea strikes me as penny wise, pound foolish. The USCG requires safety equipment. Isn't a primary communication system on that list? 73 de Bob - KØRC in MN ----- Original Message ----- From: Michael Hatzakis Jr MD To: digitalradio@yahoogroups.com Sent: Wednesday, December 26, 2007 1:02 PM Subject: RE: [Bulk] Re: [digitalradio] Questions on digital opposition <<Why to I want to try to send email via a slow speed serial stream when I have 100 meg Internet on the computer next to the rig? Ask a marine mobile station who may be far out at sea and when the band conditions stink, this is the kind of emergency where PACTOR 3 may be on the short-list of available modes of communication. This is not a theoretical scenario either. Happens all the time. A daily PMBO contact sends GPS info and allows others to track their whereabouts. Michael ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: digitalradio@yahoogroups.com [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of W2XJ Sent: Wednesday, December 26, 2007 10:53 AM To: digitalradio@yahoogroups.com Subject: [Bulk] Re: [digitalradio] Questions on digital opposition I think the whole thing is pointless. Why to I want to try to send email via a slow speed serial stream when I have 100 meg Internet on the computer next to the rig? I firmly believe that these systems are too organized to be dependable in an emergency. That is when you loose a lot of infrastructure. Simple systems, temporary installations all with some form of emergency power is what is required in an emergency. Modes should be those that can be supported station to station. Basically if it is not part of the rig, it is too complicated for an emergency. Now that CW is not an FCC requirement that is no reason to abandon it as a primary emergency mode. It is still the mode that permits one to accomplish the most with the least. Rud Merriam wrote: > This is meant as a couple of constructive, clarifying, questions for those > who express strong displeasure with Pactor. > > Would you decrease your opposition if Pactor III did not expand its > bandwidth? > > Could you accept wide band digital modes if they all operated in a fixed > bandwidth, i.e. not expanding or contracting due to band conditions? > > > Rud Merriam K5RUD > ARES AEC Montgomery County, TX > http://TheHamNetwork.net > >
