Mal is dead right! Amateur radio is about exchanging information in real
time. The rest of it, e.g. beacons QRSS etc are useful adjuncts thereto,
but they are merely that.
I was first attracted to 500kHz by hearing the GI4SPE beacon. I then
thought I would hear other stations and " real" QSOs, but I've heard
NIL. OK so my antenna is pretty poor, but if I can hear and copy GI4SPE
at about 539, why can't I hear anyone else? I am frankly not motivated
to improve the antenna when there is no real time activity
I am exhorted to get some QRSS software and read the CW off a screen.
This to my mind is rather like watching paint dry. Without real time CW
readable by human ears the band is of little interest and imo will die.
73
Clive
GW3NJW
Rik Strobbe wrote:
At 10:07 6/11/2008, you wrote:
I thought amateur radio was about exchanging information in real time
by sitting at a radio.
Others think beacons and email or telephone reporting is amateur
radio !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is difficult to justify the continued allocation of 500 khz to
the radio amateur service.
G3KEV
Mal,
I was involved in the process of getting a 500kHz allocation in Belgium.
I can tell you that "exchanging information in real time by sitting at
a radio" was not an argument to get this allocation.
Why would we need 500kHz to do that, we already have plenty of other
frequencies where we can make QSO's.
We asked for a 500kHz allocation (and got it) because:
- it gives us the opportunity to study the propagation in the lower MF
range
- it gives us the opportunity to develop small antennas and optimize
their efficiency
- it gives us the opportunity to develop and test new transmission
modes adapted to QRN/QRM levels and limited output power on this
specific band
Bottom line: there is nothing wrong with making QSO's on 500kHz, but
it is not the main reason for our presence here.
Whenever we have to justify the 500 kHz allocation facts like G3XIZ's
beacon transmission being copied by W1TAG will count, not the number
of G-stations worked by G3KEV.
73, Rik ON7YD - OR7T
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