Another approach is the "Who's on the Air?" database, which is under development. See
http://www.wotadb.org/ 73, Dave, AA6YQ --- In digitalradio@yahoogroups.com, "expeditionradio" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > For communication between two ham radio stations to exist, > some type of starting point is required. > > In ham radio, the importance of this fundamental initial > starting point has gradually been lost, while heavy emphasis > has been placed upon the body of the communication or the > technique of the radio medium itself. > > This has resulted in an entire ham radio culture built upon > varying degrees of random communication. A random > communication has great value as a hobby pursuit, a playful pastime, > an exploration, or a curiosity. Many hams have never known > anything but this randomness and are therefore content with it > or have accepted it as status quo. > > Hams are by and large, traditionally most familiar with the starting > points of random communications, characterized by the most famous > starting point, the CQ. The operator can turn on the radio, call > CQ, and possibly start up a random communication if another ham > happens to be randomly listening on the same channel or dialing > the VFO. The longer the CQ, the better the chance of the random QSO. > > A non-random or less-random communication however, requires a > more definite and intentional starting point. Many hams are > interested in non-random communication. There is a need to > further the state of the art for initiating communication > between specific hams and groups of hams. > > Hams traditionally have employed some less-random techniques to > generate a more intentional or controllable starting point for > less-random communications. Most of the common techniques use > manual monitoring of some kind: > > 1. Dial up a specific frequency or channel or repeater, and roll the > dice that the other ham is manually listening to the radio speaker > at that moment on that channel for your call. > > 2. Regularly scheduled QSOs: Get on the air at a pre-determined > channel and pre-arranged time every day. Call and monitor it. > > 3. Regularly scheduled nets: A larger group of hams gets on the > air at a pre-determined channel and pre-arranged time every day. > > The ARRL was founded upon a relay network of hams using > some of the above techniques. For the ARRL network, Maxim placed a > good deal of importance on inititating non-random communications > through regimentation of operators and standardizing techniques. > > There are other techniques that some hams have been using to > achieve non-random communication starting points. We can explore > these in future postings and discussion on this group. > > Bonnie KQ6XA > > > > . > Need a Digital mode QSO? Connect to Telnet://cluster.dynalias.org Other areas of interest: The MixW Reflector : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/themixwgroup/ DigiPol: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Digipol (band plan policy discussion) Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/digitalradio/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
