Re: [AMRadio] Broadcast stuff
Yes, it's laughable, Bill - they had only two field engineers for the entire southeast U.S.A. back in the 1990s! Those two guys had to cover the entire spectrum from DC to daylight for all services - broadcast readio, TV, AM, FM, marine, amateur, CB, RC, business. What a joke. From: BILL GUYGER > There was talk last week on the broadcast trade websites that there > is a > move under way to appoint a staff engineer for each FCC > commissioner. The > facts are that there are very few engineering types left at the > FCC. -~ø¤º°º¤ø~-"ßrÿ in FLÕRÎÐÁ"-~ø¤º°º¤ø~- __ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Post: AMRadio@mailman.qth.net To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-requ...@mailman.qth.net with the word unsubscribe in the message body. This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [AMRadio] Broadcast stuff
There was talk last week on the broadcast trade websites that there is a move under way to appoint a staff engineer for each FCC commissioner. The facts are that there are very few engineering types left at the FCC. This has been an issue for some years now for the AFCCE engineers who are certified to submit the documentation the FCC for new station licenses or mods to an existing license. A very good friend of mine who is a long time member of the AFCCE talks all the time about the GS12's (or what ever level they are) are not concerned about the laws of physics, just the law that says the info on line such and such must be thus and nothing else. Bill AD5OL From: Brett Gazdzinski To: Discussion of AM Radio in the Amateur Service Sent: Sat, March 20, 2010 7:38:35 PM Subject: Re: [AMRadio] Broadcast stuff . With under 2000 people, the FCC is hardly going to be able to enforce anything. I wonder if Europe gets the same treatment? Brett - Original Message - From: To: Sent: Saturday, March 20, 2010 12:27 PM Subject: Re: [AMRadio] Broadcast stuff > And you thought the old geezers who are hanging onto their '57 Chevies > with > Elmac AF-67/PMR-6 and > PE-103s were nutz! When the big one comes, they will be the only ones > driving around and able to communicate on AM! And in the rare case that > the > Chevy breaks, you can find the engine, fix it and get going again without > having to have an ASE degree in automotive electronics! > > I haven't found the Chevy yet but I have all that nice Elmac gear and a > couple of PE-103s ready to go. > > 73, > > John, W4AWM > __ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Post: AMRadio@mailman.qth.net To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-requ...@mailman.qth.net with the word unsubscribe in the message body. This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Post: AMRadio@mailman.qth.net To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-requ...@mailman.qth.net with the word unsubscribe in the message body. This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [AMRadio] Broadcast stuff
Well, unless you are using points, the car is unlikely to run anyway. Even tube stuff usually has some diodes in it. You wont be able to get gas for the car, generators wont run, no water, no gas, no electric. I am NOT into the modern stuff, I think its bad for people to be on the phone or texting while driving all the time, but you will be able to buy a wifi radio receiver, or get pod casts, or whatever, without the need for broadcast stations. These little gizmo's use chips that can null out interference, so qrm wont be very important. Think satellite radio without the satellites. You might not want to admit it, but almost no one under 40 years of age listens to AM radio as their primary way of hearing anything. My son is 26, not into the computer thing, but watches 'TV', movies, gets his music and books on his laptop. Open up a lot of modern stuff and see that the factory has left most of the noise filters out to save some money. With under 2000 people, the FCC is hardly going to be able to enforce anything. I wonder if Europe gets the same treatment? I have someone with a plasma TV close by that takes out the AM window, the FCC let it happen in the first place, and wont do anything to correct it. I cant believe they pay any attention at all to anything to do with ham radio. Or QRM generators. Brett - Original Message - From: To: Sent: Saturday, March 20, 2010 12:27 PM Subject: Re: [AMRadio] Broadcast stuff > And you thought the old geezers who are hanging onto their '57 Chevies > with > Elmac AF-67/PMR-6 and > PE-103s were nutz! When the big one comes, they will be the only ones > driving around and able to communicate on AM! And in the rare case that > the > Chevy breaks, you can find the engine, fix it and get going again without > having to have an ASE degree in automotive electronics! > > I haven't found the Chevy yet but I have all that nice Elmac gear and a > couple of PE-103s ready to go. > > 73, > > John, W4AWM > __ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Post: AMRadio@mailman.qth.net To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-requ...@mailman.qth.net with the word unsubscribe in the message body. This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [AMRadio] Broadcast stuff
The FCC sure needs to add some technical expertise from what I have seen over the years. They should not have to run on a shoestring budget and be run like a nonsensical "profit centre" like everything else is these days. From: Robert Nickels > I applaud all efforts to that > end, including those like the recent approval for adding technical > expertise to the FCC staff to help them do a better job of > regulation > and policy-making. -~ø¤º°º¤ø~-"ßrÿ in FLÕRÎÐÁ"-~ø¤º°º¤ø~- __ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Post: AMRadio@mailman.qth.net To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-requ...@mailman.qth.net with the word unsubscribe in the message body. This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [AMRadio] Broadcast stuff
On 3/20/2010 11:08 AM, sbjohns...@aol.com wrote: > > But I'm worried that in the future the hams will be greatly inhibited > by the rising noise levels. > True, but it's not just hams who are affected - elevation of the noise level affects all services, including digital ones. Already the "QRM" in the ISM bands, including 2.4 ghz is often the reason for users to move elsewhere, which usually means even more frequencies ultimately become unusable. Rational and proactive steps to address these issues will be far more effective in the end. I applaud all efforts to that end, including those like the recent approval for adding technical expertise to the FCC staff to help them do a better job of regulation and policy-making. Spectrum pollution isn't much different than any other form of pollution, and I'm reminded of the popular bumper sticker when I lived in a Mississippi River town: "We can't all live upstream!" 73, Bob W9RAN __ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Post: AMRadio@mailman.qth.net To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-requ...@mailman.qth.net with the word unsubscribe in the message body. This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[AMRadio] Broadcast stuff Must Read!
Come on guys, please don't inject personality into the discussion. It is easy to slip up and everyone does it from time to time. 73 Jim/W5JO Moderator - Original Message - > That sort of attitude, while understandable, reflects the "me first" > mode of modern America. __ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Post: AMRadio@mailman.qth.net To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-requ...@mailman.qth.net with the word unsubscribe in the message body. This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [AMRadio] Broadcast stuff
> When you think of it, what is up with ham radio, two guys trying to work > each other with qsb, qrm, using expensive equipment, big antenna's, > towers,etc, when you could do voice and video over the internet on a cheap > laptop or an I phone...on the beach, in the den, on a train, anyplace... > > Brett That's what makes it interesting. Ham radio communication, particularly on HF, is uncertain, and largely governed by Mother Nature (T-storm QRN, ionospheric propagation, etc). People enjoy communicating via ham radio and sometimes spend tons of money on their hobby for the same reason that others enjoy hunting, fishing and gardening, despite the fact that commercially prepared meat, vegetables and seafood are more easily and usually more cheaply available at the local supermarket. There is a certain aspect of sport and anticipation of the unknown whenever you fire up the rig just as there is before a hunting or fishing trip or anticipation of the harvest when you plant the veggie garden in the spring. That is the "magic" that creates the excitement. Plus most hams find magic in our toys, just as hunters find magic in their favourite guns and fishermen find magic in their boats, along with the one-upmanship we sometimes enjoy as we spar with our fellow hobbyists. It would be extremely boring if every QSO were 100% reliable, noise free, and all signals had a prescribed set signal strength. That's why Skype and some of the so-called virtual ham radio web sites have so far met with so little success. Don k4kyv ___ This message was typed using the DVORAK keyboard layout. http://www.mwbrooks.com/dvorak/ http://gigliwood.com/abcd/ __ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Post: AMRadio@mailman.qth.net To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-requ...@mailman.qth.net with the word unsubscribe in the message body. This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [AMRadio] Broadcast stuff
Selfishness has nothing to do with it. I don't doubt you would help you neighbors if it meant putting yourself at risk. I doubt you'd do that if it meant putting your family, especially your children, at risk. Risking oneself for another is much easier than risking your family for another. Mark K3MSB On Sat, Mar 20, 2010 at 12:16 PM, wrote: > > I was thinking that if something really happened, I load my family > >into the van and get out of Dodge, not worry about manning my EMCOM > post. > > That sort of attitude, while understandable, reflects the "me first" > mode of modern America. I have a different view: I don't think it is > in the best interests of everyone, me included, to be selfish. I > prefer to help my neighbors, even if it puts me in danger at some > point. There's more to life than just living. > > In a very small way, that's why I embark on my various enthusiasms for > causes in the amateur community. I care about the IARU bandplan, the > growing environmental noise issue, etc for the sake of everyone > involved. And I will benefit if we all do. > > Steve WD8DAS > > sbjohns...@aol.com > http://www.wd8das.net/ > > Radio is your best entertainment value. > > > > > > > -Original Message- > From: Mark K3MSB > To: Discussion of AM Radio in the Amateur Service > > Sent: Sat, Mar 20, 2010 7:40 am > Subject: Re: [AMRadio] Broadcast stuff > > > Go read the book "One Second After". > > The thrust of EMCOM, in my opinion, is to be able to provide emergency > communications from one's one home to support your neighbors and local > area > when, not if, a disaster strikes. I say "when", not "if", as the more > fragile our telecommunications infrastructure becomes the more easier it > will be to cause massive disruption. > > I live about six air miles from a nuke plant. A few years ago I > participated (for our club) in an EMCOM drill in the area.What to > do if > a radiation leak occurred, or similar. I was thinking that if > something > really happened, I load my family into the van and get out of Dodge, > not > worry about manning my EMCOM post. Not surprisingly, I found that > most of > the EMCOM people there felt the same way. So, what were we doing > there? > Checking the box? I didn't bother again. > > To me, it's more important to be able to establish reliable emergency > communications for my neighbors and local area from my home, not > someplace > ten miles away. > > I refuse to get rid of my land-line telephone as I get "Service Not > Available" quite a few times. Not a lot, but with kids at home, a > wife > with epilepsy, etc, I never want to see that message when I or the kids > need 911. > > 3G/4G are nice things, and I look forward to their deployment. But > they are > fragile. > > 73 Mark K3MSB > > > > On Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 11:40 PM, Bruce wrote: > > > Hello, > > > > And when the disaster strikes, and the power fails, and the laptops > > and cell phones do not work anymore??? > > > > 73, Bruce WA8TNC > > === > > > __ > Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net > AMRadio mailing list > Searchable Archives: > http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ > List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html > List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio > Post: AMRadio@mailman.qth.net > To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-requ...@mailman.qth.net with > the word unsubscribe in the message body. > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > > > __ > Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net > AMRadio mailing list > Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ > List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html > List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio > Post: AMRadio@mailman.qth.net > To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-requ...@mailman.qth.net with > the word unsubscribe in the message body. > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > __ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Post: AMRadio@mailman.qth.net To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-requ...@mailman.qth.net with the word unsubscribe in the message body. This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [AMRadio] Broadcast stuff
And you thought the old geezers who are hanging onto their '57 Chevies with Elmac AF-67/PMR-6 and PE-103s were nutz! When the big one comes, they will be the only ones driving around and able to communicate on AM! And in the rare case that the Chevy breaks, you can find the engine, fix it and get going again without having to have an ASE degree in automotive electronics! I haven't found the Chevy yet but I have all that nice Elmac gear and a couple of PE-103s ready to go. 73, John, W4AWM __ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Post: AMRadio@mailman.qth.net To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-requ...@mailman.qth.net with the word unsubscribe in the message body. This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [AMRadio] Broadcast stuff
> I was thinking that if something really happened, I load my family >into the van and get out of Dodge, not worry about manning my EMCOM post. That sort of attitude, while understandable, reflects the "me first" mode of modern America. I have a different view: I don't think it is in the best interests of everyone, me included, to be selfish. I prefer to help my neighbors, even if it puts me in danger at some point. There's more to life than just living. In a very small way, that's why I embark on my various enthusiasms for causes in the amateur community. I care about the IARU bandplan, the growing environmental noise issue, etc for the sake of everyone involved. And I will benefit if we all do. Steve WD8DAS sbjohns...@aol.com http://www.wd8das.net/ Radio is your best entertainment value. -Original Message- From: Mark K3MSB To: Discussion of AM Radio in the Amateur Service Sent: Sat, Mar 20, 2010 7:40 am Subject: Re: [AMRadio] Broadcast stuff Go read the book "One Second After". The thrust of EMCOM, in my opinion, is to be able to provide emergency communications from one's one home to support your neighbors and local area when, not if, a disaster strikes. I say "when", not "if", as the more fragile our telecommunications infrastructure becomes the more easier it will be to cause massive disruption. I live about six air miles from a nuke plant. A few years ago I participated (for our club) in an EMCOM drill in the area.What to do if a radiation leak occurred, or similar. I was thinking that if something really happened, I load my family into the van and get out of Dodge, not worry about manning my EMCOM post. Not surprisingly, I found that most of the EMCOM people there felt the same way. So, what were we doing there? Checking the box? I didn't bother again. To me, it's more important to be able to establish reliable emergency communications for my neighbors and local area from my home, not someplace ten miles away. I refuse to get rid of my land-line telephone as I get "Service Not Available" quite a few times. Not a lot, but with kids at home, a wife with epilepsy, etc, I never want to see that message when I or the kids need 911. 3G/4G are nice things, and I look forward to their deployment. But they are fragile. 73 Mark K3MSB On Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 11:40 PM, Bruce wrote: > Hello, > > And when the disaster strikes, and the power fails, and the laptops > and cell phones do not work anymore??? > > 73, Bruce WA8TNC > === > __ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Post: AMRadio@mailman.qth.net To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-requ...@mailman.qth.net with the word unsubscribe in the message body. This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Post: AMRadio@mailman.qth.net To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-requ...@mailman.qth.net with the word unsubscribe in the message body. This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [AMRadio] Broadcast stuff
>When disaster strikes and there is no electric power, cell phones, land lines >(cell phones use land lines too) no internet of any kind, HAM radio still works. But I'm worried that in the future the hams will be greatly inhibited by the rising noise levels. This will discourage folks from being active in the hobby, and reduce the capabilities of those who remain. Steve WD8DAS sbjohns...@aol.com http://www.wd8das.net/ Radio is your best entertainment value. -Original Message- From: Brian Zwiener To: Discussion of AM Radio in the Amateur Service Sent: Fri, Mar 19, 2010 11:03 pm Subject: Re: [AMRadio] Broadcast stuff When disaster strikes and there is no electric power, cell phones, land lines (cell phones use land lines too) no internet of any kind, HAM radio still works. --- On Fri, 3/19/10, Bruce wrote: From: Bruce Subject: Re: [AMRadio] Broadcast stuff To: "Discussion of AM Radio in the Amateur Service" Date: Friday, March 19, 2010, 10:40 PM Hello, And when the disaster strikes, and the power fails, and the laptops and cell phones do not work anymore??? 73, Bruce WA8TNC === Brett Gazdzinski wrote: > > When you think of it, what is up with ham radio, two guys trying to work > each other with qsb, qrm, using expensive equipment, big antennas, > towers, etc., when you could do voice and video over the internet on a cheap > laptop or an Iphone...on the beach, in the den, on a train, anyplace... > > Crazy world... > > Brett __ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Post: AMRadio@mailman.qth.net To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-requ...@mailman.qth.net with the word unsubscribe in the message body. This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Post: AMRadio@mailman.qth.net To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-requ...@mailman.qth.net with the word unsubscribe in the message body. This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Post: AMRadio@mailman.qth.net To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-requ...@mailman.qth.net with the word unsubscribe in the message body. This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [AMRadio] Broadcast stuff
On Sat, Mar 20, 2010 at 9:47 AM, Mike Sawyer wrote: > Someone also mentioned, > I think it was on this board, about the fact that the government was holding > on to Collins KWM-2As for that expressed purpose. That was true, though I'm not sure it is anymore, Mikey. They actually had a bunch cleaned up and ready to go for the first Gulf War in 91 when the new SS rigs proved to be a weak point due to the fine sand in the Middle East which caused everything from clogged air filters to static zappage galore. IIRC, Dennis Brothers was selected to go through and prep a bunch of the FRC-93 packages. The war ended before they made it to the theater, and shortly thereafter a bunch of them were surplussed through a company in California called Davilyn I think. R-390As were also called up but met a similar fate. They apparently ran another run of cabinets for them as well, which were showing up until recently. Though I wouldn't doubt that there are still some sets tucked away in a dark warehouse corner somewhere (that shot from the end of Indian Jones comes to mind), my guess is that much of the stuff was surplussed or run through Cap'n Crunch back in the 90s. Fortunately for the world, enough 'nutty' ham types hung onto theirs. ~ Todd, KA1KAQ/4 __ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Post: AMRadio@mailman.qth.net To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-requ...@mailman.qth.net with the word unsubscribe in the message body. This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [AMRadio] Broadcast stuff
Actually that happened during Gulf War 1 (Desert Shield). For a few weeks during that conflict, the US military had to pull its KWM-2As out of mothballs, to use in the Middle East at bases, due to the fact that the static electricity caused by the frequent sandstorms that area gets, was zapping out their microprocessor controlled radios. So, until they could come up with some EMD/EMP hardened gear, they used the KWM-2As. 73, Ellen - AF9J - Original Message - From: "Mike Sawyer" To: "Discussion of AM Radio in the Amateur Service" Sent: Saturday, March 20, 2010 8:47 AM Subject: Re: [AMRadio] Broadcast stuff > > Some how I feel compelled to comment here. >Since we as a group tend to be 'tube' oriented, (no offense to those > running 'sand devices'), I recall an issue that came up when that Russian > pilot flew the MIG-25 to Japan. The USSR, (as it was called at that time), > ultimately got the plane back, but not after our country's 'crack' > specialists got to look it over. I got a chance to talk to one of the > people > involved with that investigation. He said, "You know, we poured all over > the avionics of that aircraft. One person chuckled at the fact that > everything was designed with 'slow moving' tubes as opposed to integrated > circuits that we had been using. One enterprising fellow spoke up and > opined, 'What if they meant to do that?', prompting questions from > everyone > else. The fellow elaborated on the ability of tube technology being able > to > withstand EMP from a nuclear explosion. We then took a closer look at our > technology and have started to re-design with that in mind." Now this was > in > the late '80's so I don't think our (rice-box) radios have been desiged > with > that feature. I'm not trying to be an alarmist here, but should the > country > ever survive a nuclear attack. It may be those of us with the boatanchors > that 'carry-the-day' with regards to communications. Someone also > mentioned, > I think it was on this board, about the fact that the government was > holding > on to Collins KWM-2As for that expressed purpose. >These are just my musings and passing along some information from > 'brain-cells' long ago. > Mod-U-Lator, > Mike(y) > W3SLK > > > __ > Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net > AMRadio mailing list > Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ > List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html > List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio > Post: AMRadio@mailman.qth.net > To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-requ...@mailman.qth.net with > the word unsubscribe in the message body. > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Post: AMRadio@mailman.qth.net To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-requ...@mailman.qth.net with the word unsubscribe in the message body. This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [AMRadio] Broadcast stuff
I'd have to agree with both Mark and Larry, We've had severe weather here, where the cell service has been disrupted a few times - so much for the touted benefits counting on your cellphone, anytime, or anywhere. Also, don't forget that cell systems can just plain be defective. What do yo do then? I have a friend, who lives out of state, and is also a ham. Occasionaly we'll chat on the phone if radio condx. just aren't there for the QSO. She called me last night. Since the long distance charges are cheaper for her cell phone, she uses her cell for long distance, and has no landline long distance phone call plan. Lately my friend has been getting dropouts while using her cell phone. Last night she called me, and we experienced no less than 6 dropouts, while she was at home (not walking in a hilly area, were her signal could be blocked)! In every case it took several minutes to re-establish the connection. G! My friend has contacted her cell provider numerous times about the issue. This past week, the cell provider finally sent some techs to check out the problem. My friend was lucky to catch the cell phone techs finishing their service checks, while she was returning home from running errands, so she asked them what they'd found out. What they told her surprised her, and infuriated her. They "tested" the cell system by making phone calls with 3 different cell phones (no, my frined's provider is not Verizon ;) ). Since they were able to connect using the 3 different cell phones, the "system was in order, and it had to be my friend's cell phone that was the culprit." As I said above, my friend was infuriated, by the tech's findings. You see, not only is she a ham (an Extra), she has a huge background in RF electronics, having worked as an RF tech, on commercial radio systems, and an RF engineering tech for a defense contractor (some of the RF communications systems she's worked on, and helped develop, are still classified), and an Associates Degree in electronics. She's forgotten more about electronics, and RF related technology, than I know. She'd still be working as an RF tech. if her worsening eyesight (she was born with a rare form of cataracts, and has been dealing with the aftereffects of surgery done to remove them, when she was born - she's been legally blind her entire life) hadn't made it difficult for her to continue working as an RF tech or RF engineering tech (she still can do the work [as a matter of fact, she's starting the restoration of a Kenwood R-599], it's just that her pace is slow, due to her very poor eyesight). So, when my friend found out what "testing" had been performed by the cell techs, she got on their case for not running diagnostic tests on the system. They told her that they normally don't do in-depth diagnostic checks, and don't even carry the kind of equipment (which my friend used to work with, when she was a commercial RF tech), needed for doing in-depth checks. So, my friend is back to square one with her wonderful cell provider. She will let her cell provider replace her phone (although in her opinion, that's not the problem), and will have to do more investigation into the problem herself. Thanks to her contract,she can't drop her provider for another 6 months. So, getting back to the ENCOMM topic - would you want to count on your cell, if you have to deal with a crappy cell system, like my friend has? Not me. I'll stock to my radios, thank you Also, like Mark said, Amateur radio is best used as local communications support - not in some whackerish "I'm going to save the day" manner. 73, A very long winded Ellen - AF9J - Original Message ----- From: "Mark K3MSB" To: "Discussion of AM Radio in the Amateur Service" Sent: Saturday, March 20, 2010 7:40 AM Subject: Re: [AMRadio] Broadcast stuff > Go read the book "One Second After". > > The thrust of EMCOM, in my opinion, is to be able to provide emergency > communications from one's one home to support your neighbors and local > area > when, not if, a disaster strikes. I say "when", not "if", as the more > fragile our telecommunications infrastructure becomes the more easier it > will be to cause massive disruption. > > I live about six air miles from a nuke plant. A few years ago I > participated (for our club) in an EMCOM drill in the area.What to do > if > a radiation leak occurred, or similar. I was thinking that if something > really happened, I load my family into the van and get out of Dodge, not > worry about manning my EMCOM post. Not surprisingly, I found that most > of > the EMCOM people there felt the same way. So, what were we doing there? &
Re: [AMRadio] Broadcast stuff
Some how I feel compelled to comment here. Since we as a group tend to be 'tube' oriented, (no offense to those running 'sand devices'), I recall an issue that came up when that Russian pilot flew the MIG-25 to Japan. The USSR, (as it was called at that time), ultimately got the plane back, but not after our country's 'crack' specialists got to look it over. I got a chance to talk to one of the people involved with that investigation. He said, "You know, we poured all over the avionics of that aircraft. One person chuckled at the fact that everything was designed with 'slow moving' tubes as opposed to integrated circuits that we had been using. One enterprising fellow spoke up and opined, 'What if they meant to do that?', prompting questions from everyone else. The fellow elaborated on the ability of tube technology being able to withstand EMP from a nuclear explosion. We then took a closer look at our technology and have started to re-design with that in mind." Now this was in the late '80's so I don't think our (rice-box) radios have been desiged with that feature. I'm not trying to be an alarmist here, but should the country ever survive a nuclear attack. It may be those of us with the boatanchors that 'carry-the-day' with regards to communications. Someone also mentioned, I think it was on this board, about the fact that the government was holding on to Collins KWM-2As for that expressed purpose. These are just my musings and passing along some information from 'brain-cells' long ago. Mod-U-Lator, Mike(y) W3SLK __ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Post: AMRadio@mailman.qth.net To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-requ...@mailman.qth.net with the word unsubscribe in the message body. This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [AMRadio] Broadcast stuff
Go read the book "One Second After". The thrust of EMCOM, in my opinion, is to be able to provide emergency communications from one's one home to support your neighbors and local area when, not if, a disaster strikes. I say "when", not "if", as the more fragile our telecommunications infrastructure becomes the more easier it will be to cause massive disruption. I live about six air miles from a nuke plant. A few years ago I participated (for our club) in an EMCOM drill in the area.What to do if a radiation leak occurred, or similar. I was thinking that if something really happened, I load my family into the van and get out of Dodge, not worry about manning my EMCOM post. Not surprisingly, I found that most of the EMCOM people there felt the same way. So, what were we doing there? Checking the box? I didn't bother again. To me, it's more important to be able to establish reliable emergency communications for my neighbors and local area from my home, not someplace ten miles away. I refuse to get rid of my land-line telephone as I get "Service Not Available" quite a few times. Not a lot, but with kids at home, a wife with epilepsy, etc, I never want to see that message when I or the kids need 911. 3G/4G are nice things, and I look forward to their deployment. But they are fragile. 73 Mark K3MSB On Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 11:40 PM, Bruce wrote: > Hello, > > And when the disaster strikes, and the power fails, and the laptops > and cell phones do not work anymore??? > > 73, Bruce WA8TNC > === > __ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Post: AMRadio@mailman.qth.net To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-requ...@mailman.qth.net with the word unsubscribe in the message body. This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [AMRadio] Broadcast stuff
Larry, you forgot to add. Number 5. 5. I can go to my junk box and in three hours or less I can build a transmitter with enough output to work the world on a few battery's Personally I love all this new wireless stuff, I just got the new Droid by Motorola and I love it, but at the same time when that big storm comes or Iran starts using their new nukes I will be the first one laughing at at all the fools that just can't understand why their 4g stuff and all the rest say "No Service" on the hand set. Dave W9WRL Larry Szendrei wrote: >> When you think of it, what is up with ham radio, two guys trying to work >> each other with qsb, qrm, using expensive equipment, big antenna's, >> towers,etc, when you could do voice and video over the internet on a cheap >> laptop or an I phone...on the beach, in the den, on a train, anyplace... >> >> > > Four things (at least): > > 1. The challenge of communicating under uncertain/difficult conditions. > > 2. The communications systems we hams use are generally simple enough that > we can understand and engineer them ourselves. It's an appropriate level > of challenge - difficult enough to hold our interest, and yet not so > complicated that it's impossible for an individual to accomplish. > > 3. No dependance on infrastructure except (for those without emergency > power) AC power. > > 4. The nostalgia/romantic factor of older technology. > > Modern technology is amazing and wonderful, and under most conditions, the > most practical when you are trying to just communicate. But I suspect > that's not why most people on this list are in amateur radio. > > 73, > -Larry/NE1S > > __ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Post: AMRadio@mailman.qth.net To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-requ...@mailman.qth.net with the word unsubscribe in the message body. This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [AMRadio] Broadcast stuff
Not "any place" --- On Fri, 3/19/10, Brett Gazdzinski wrote: From: Brett Gazdzinski Subject: Re: [AMRadio] Broadcast stuff To: "Discussion of AM Radio in the Amateur Service" Date: Friday, March 19, 2010, 10:32 PM Well, looking at how things have gone, I expect everything to be wireless and IP based a lot faster than people think. I have been installing stuff at customers that is 3g based, routers with antenna's. Soon, maybe a LOT of old (and not so old) broadcast rigs will be avalable. This hoses up a lot of things, cable TV, sattelite radio and TV, broadcast anything. When you think of it, what is up with ham radio, two guys trying to work each other with qsb, qrm, using expensive equipment, big antenna's, towers,etc, when you could do voice and video over the internet on a cheap laptop or an I phone...on the beach, in the den, on a train, anyplace... Crazy world... Brett __ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Post: AMRadio@mailman.qth.net To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-requ...@mailman.qth.net with the word unsubscribe in the message body. This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Post: AMRadio@mailman.qth.net To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-requ...@mailman.qth.net with the word unsubscribe in the message body. This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [AMRadio] Broadcast stuff
When disaster strikes and there is no electric power, cell phones, land lines (cell phones use land lines too) no internet of any kind, HAM radio still works. --- On Fri, 3/19/10, Bruce wrote: From: Bruce Subject: Re: [AMRadio] Broadcast stuff To: "Discussion of AM Radio in the Amateur Service" Date: Friday, March 19, 2010, 10:40 PM Hello, And when the disaster strikes, and the power fails, and the laptops and cell phones do not work anymore??? 73, Bruce WA8TNC === Brett Gazdzinski wrote: > > When you think of it, what is up with ham radio, two guys trying to work > each other with qsb, qrm, using expensive equipment, big antennas, > towers, etc., when you could do voice and video over the internet on a cheap > laptop or an Iphone...on the beach, in the den, on a train, anyplace... > > Crazy world... > > Brett __ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Post: AMRadio@mailman.qth.net To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-requ...@mailman.qth.net with the word unsubscribe in the message body. This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Post: AMRadio@mailman.qth.net To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-requ...@mailman.qth.net with the word unsubscribe in the message body. This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [AMRadio] Broadcast stuff
> When you think of it, what is up with ham radio, two guys trying to work > each other with qsb, qrm, using expensive equipment, big antenna's, > towers,etc, when you could do voice and video over the internet on a cheap > laptop or an I phone...on the beach, in the den, on a train, anyplace... > Four things (at least): 1. The challenge of communicating under uncertain/difficult conditions. 2. The communications systems we hams use are generally simple enough that we can understand and engineer them ourselves. It's an appropriate level of challenge - difficult enough to hold our interest, and yet not so complicated that it's impossible for an individual to accomplish. 3. No dependance on infrastructure except (for those without emergency power) AC power. 4. The nostalgia/romantic factor of older technology. Modern technology is amazing and wonderful, and under most conditions, the most practical when you are trying to just communicate. But I suspect that's not why most people on this list are in amateur radio. 73, -Larry/NE1S -- Pay a visit to my amateur radio web page at: ne1s.rfburn.org __ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Post: AMRadio@mailman.qth.net To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-requ...@mailman.qth.net with the word unsubscribe in the message body. This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [AMRadio] Broadcast stuff
Hello, And when the disaster strikes, and the power fails, and the laptops and cell phones do not work anymore??? 73, Bruce WA8TNC === Brett Gazdzinski wrote: > > When you think of it, what is up with ham radio, two guys trying to work > each other with qsb, qrm, using expensive equipment, big antennas, > towers, etc., when you could do voice and video over the internet on a cheap > laptop or an Iphone...on the beach, in the den, on a train, anyplace... > > Crazy world... > > Brett __ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Post: AMRadio@mailman.qth.net To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-requ...@mailman.qth.net with the word unsubscribe in the message body. This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [AMRadio] Broadcast stuff
Well, looking at how things have gone, I expect everything to be wireless and IP based a lot faster than people think. I have been installing stuff at customers that is 3g based, routers with antenna's. Soon, maybe a LOT of old (and not so old) broadcast rigs will be avalable. This hoses up a lot of things, cable TV, sattelite radio and TV, broadcast anything. When you think of it, what is up with ham radio, two guys trying to work each other with qsb, qrm, using expensive equipment, big antenna's, towers,etc, when you could do voice and video over the internet on a cheap laptop or an I phone...on the beach, in the den, on a train, anyplace... Crazy world... Brett __ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Post: AMRadio@mailman.qth.net To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-requ...@mailman.qth.net with the word unsubscribe in the message body. This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [AMRadio] Broadcast stuff
>I looked it up, less then 2000 people work for the FCC. > The number has been going down for a while.Most seem to deal with legal > issues... A sprinkling of good news may be on the horizon: Two Congressional bills are being introduced, each termed the "FCC Commissioners' Technical Resource Enhancement Act." If one of the bills is passed, the Act will allow each Commissioner the opportunity to appoint an electrical engineer or computer scientist to liaise between the Commission leadership and OET. This is just the beginning of something long overdue at the Commission: the re-appointment of real engineers to facilitate engineering matters rather than a cadre of attorneys who generally choose easily-attained baccalaureate degrees in political science rather than pursue tough degrees in engineering and/or the sciences. I am an attorney, electrical engineer, and computer science major, so my biases against my primary profession are justified. > My company has stopped the fios builds and will likely switch to wireless. > You can get something like 340Mbps over wireless now. > That is a lot of bandwidth, with almost no infrastructure, no cables on > poles, no fiber, no high power broadcasting. The inevitable will slowly occur over time. The current broadband wire-line models are no longer cost-efficient to deploy and it makes little sense to simultaneously distribute 500+ digitally encoded video signals to each household when any household likely will not be watching more than a couple programs at any given moment. Narrow-casted wireless on micro-networks will eventually rule the content and communications world. The Achilles heel in the world of today's AM/FM/TV broadcasting environment is the lack of an interactive back-channel from the consumer to the station -- except through alternate media like the web -- and that just drives people away from the core broadcasting medium. Broadcasting needs its own interactive service and that will come when all the high-power RF is shut down and content streams through robust wireless networks. Content delivery has always been, and will continue to be "king," only the delivery method will change. I rarely have a liberalism moment, but this is an area where I strongly believe the federal government could/should step up to the plate and subsidize the entire cost a national broadband plan -- to an even greater extent than recently announced by the FCC earlier this week. Looking at the big picture, deployment and maintenance of a national wide-bandwidth wireless network is inexpensive to the government when you compare that cost against pre-existing retirement entitlements for the nation's largest employer, national health care benefits, and the national defense budget. Turn it over to private enterprise, let it compete against the existing wire-line services, and let the laws of "survival of the fittest" take over. Paul, W9AC __ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Post: AMRadio@mailman.qth.net To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-requ...@mailman.qth.net with the word unsubscribe in the message body. This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [AMRadio] Broadcast stuff
I looked it up, less then 2000 people work for the FCC. The number has been going down for a while. Most seem to deal with legal issues... http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d1079.pdf Brett - Original Message - From: "Brett Gazdzinski" To: "Discussion of AM Radio in the Amateur Service" Sent: Friday, March 19, 2010 8:42 PM Subject: Re: [AMRadio] Broadcast stuff >I think it will go away faster then most people think. > The 4G and above stuff is going to replace fios, cable, and dsl. > My company has stopped the fios builds and will likely switch to wireless. > You can get something like 340Mbps over wireless now. > That is a lot of bandwidth, with almost no infrastructure, no cables on > poles, no fiber, no high power broadcasting. > Almost every station on the air streams the programs on the web, and most > younger people listen/watch that way. > I think the FCC is a VERY small department of the government, and likely > does not care about anything as long as nothing interferes with mil > traffic > or cell phone stuff. > > We are just seeing the start of devices that will receive radio and TV > shows, like the iphone and so on > > Brett > > > __ > Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net > AMRadio mailing list > Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ > List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html > List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio > Post: AMRadio@mailman.qth.net > To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-requ...@mailman.qth.net with > the word unsubscribe in the message body. > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Post: AMRadio@mailman.qth.net To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-requ...@mailman.qth.net with the word unsubscribe in the message body. This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [AMRadio] Broadcast stuff
I think it will go away faster then most people think. The 4G and above stuff is going to replace fios, cable, and dsl. My company has stopped the fios builds and will likely switch to wireless. You can get something like 340Mbps over wireless now. That is a lot of bandwidth, with almost no infrastructure, no cables on poles, no fiber, no high power broadcasting. Almost every station on the air streams the programs on the web, and most younger people listen/watch that way. I think the FCC is a VERY small department of the government, and likely does not care about anything as long as nothing interferes with mil traffic or cell phone stuff. We are just seeing the start of devices that will receive radio and TV shows, like the iphone and so on Brett __ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Post: AMRadio@mailman.qth.net To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-requ...@mailman.qth.net with the word unsubscribe in the message body. This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
