Tom,

TW>There is NO Skill or Chalendge to operating a Ham Radio over the
TW>Internet

  Unless you're talking about setting up and configuring the various
software programs...with a rig or not.

  However, in my situation, RF is PROHIBITED by the lease because:

1) Coaxial cables on the walls or across the floor is defined as a tripping
hazard, and the paths to all windows must be kept clear, due to fire code
regulations. With the monthly inspections (sometimes more than once a
month), they are very particular about things like that. And, I can't even
consider something like an attic antenna, as that area is OFF LIMITS...set
for "maintenance only".

2) Many residents out here (all are disabled) need medical devices of some
sort (oxygen tanks, power chairs, pacemakers, defibrillators, etc.) to keep
them alive. Combine that with the law of entropy, and RFI, and it could be
a bad situation. Nowadays, people will file a lawsuit at the drop of a hat.

  I live in H.U.D. subsidized housing for the disabled (I've been fully
disasbled since 2004, with over 50 medical conditions, and it has gotten
worse over the years). Some days, the health issues are so bad that it's
difficult to do things that are not ham radio related...never mind getting
ready to do nightly nets. It's true that "if one doesn't have their
health, they have NOTHING".

  I realize that when the internet is down, or if I have thunderstorms in
my area, I am QRT. But, more and more hams, through no fault of their own,
or in situations out of their control, are getting put into the
environments like mine with antenna prohibitions.

  If we are going to disqualify all of the hams like myself who have no
choice but to operate "internet radio" (I know the term makes the
"purists" cringe), there would be far fewer licensed hams.

  And, what about those hams who have a license, but don't even get on the
air...internet radio or otherwise, because of other committments, such as
family, job, etc.?? Plus, if you can't get on the air, WHY get licensed or
upgraded in the first place??

  To me, Ham Radio is a HOBBY, and it should NEVER take priority over
things like church, family, health, job, etc. A local TV meteorologist is
"inactive", even though he has his late father's callsign. But,
with his job with the "Arkansas Weather Blog", and doing
"Daddy Day Care", raising his two young sons, while his wife is
at work, he doesn't have time to get on the air.

  When I did a demo for a ham radio club at a local high school last year,
I had the laptop computer, a desktop mic and speakers, an external monitor,
a Wi-Fi card, and my DV Dongle. With that, I was able to show the students
things like "Packet Via Telnet", "Echolink",
"D-Star" and "D-Rats".

  In this regard, they don't have to worry about expensive items such as
rigs, power supplies, SWR meters, antennas, towers, etc. The kids were
impressed, and I think it motivated them to study to get their licenses.
Besides, the young people are the future of ham radio. If we don't
replenish those hams who are letting their licenses lapse, or who are
becoming Silent Keys, in time, attrition will kill the hobby...pun
intended. The amount of hams who are letting their licenses expire or lapse
is shocking.

  There was an article in QST back in 2006, talking about the bridging of
RF and VoIP with "The Six Meter Millenium Net". It ran both on RF
and on Echolink, but switched to Echolink only last year, due to the death
of its founder. Plus, in Oklahoma, on Monday nights, their VoIP Net I
believe takes checkins from RF, Echolink, and D-Star. I noted that even the
Quarter Century Wireless Association (QCWA) has a set of nets on D-Star,
and a separate division of their QSO Party on CQ100.

  In another QST article, a ham radio operator took his laptop, a desktop
mic and speakers, to a local hospital, and arranged "Echolink single
user setups" (no RF involved) between hams in the U.S. and the U.K. --
basically, "to take the loneliness out of the days of the

(Continued to next message)
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 * PDQWK 2.53 #5


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