At 01:07 PM 6/27/2008, you wrote: >Matt, > >Since its inception, the "Internet" has never gone down. There are >places where access has been unavailable, but the Internet has never gone down. >Except for the last mile, most Internet connections are highly >redundant. In the middle of Katrina, in the middle of the biggest >California Earthquakes, the Internet has been available.
That's what I've seen as well. As I have said previously, the single biggest cause of VoIP links in the past has been lack of standby power at the site(s). D-STAR would be subject to the same issues. >But that's not to say that the Internet will always be available at >all locations. > >D-STAR is primarily another tool in the tool belt. At its best, it >provides capabilities that haven't been readily available. If it >loses the Internet connection, it can still act as a repeater, it >can still send data, and it can still relay position reports. Exactly. I like to have as many tools as possible. Even HF can go down - I have had HF nets (80 metres after dark when the band should be good) where's we've had to QSY to VHF and UHF, because HF wouldn't go more than 10 miles due to unusual ionospheric conditions. Nothing is 100% reliable, but the more options we have, the better odds that at least one of them will work on the day. >D-STAR doesn't replace any technologies, it only gives us a better >opportunity to solve problems. Diversity is our strong card, and D-STAR enhances that. 73 de VK3JED http://vkradio.com
