Last time I checked, there are Amateur radio allocated frequencies in the 900mhz band. 902-928mhz (USA). If one does a little snooping around online, one will discover that the 900mhz band is in extensive use commercially, and that there are a host of devices capable of speaking data at rates up to 128kb/s. Yes we might have to realign our band plans, so what?
Young people aren’t interested in talking around the world on finnicky HF bands with 5w or less on CW anymore. Why? HF is not reliable communication, just because I talked to Croatia the other day (which I actually did, it was great fun!) doesn’t mean I’ll be able to get back there today. Also, because we can send a text message anywhere in the world in 1 second, or pick up our portable “HT’s” (a.k.a) cellphones, and give a call to the other side of the country, or the world, there’s no need for HF voice or ::shudder:: 300 baud data. Yeah yeah, when the cellphone system infrastructure is borked, THEN it comes in handy, ok fine, granted that we hams are a great backup when the infrastructure fails, such is ONE FACET of this wonderful hobby!
Let me illustrate what I’m talking about: Sentry unlicensed device, but capable of operation in the 900mhz band. Think of the possibilities! Or a different form of data radio
NOTE: I am not endorsing or supporting “calamp.com” or any of their products, I was just surprised by how much is possible so close to frequencies that we use!
There are others that can push high-speed data. even 64kb/s is sufficient, but what on earth are we doing at 9600bps, or 1200bps??? Sitting on our bums while the state of the communication art passes us by and leaves us wondering what our place is in this world. Back in the early days of radio, hams were on the absolute bleeding edge of what could be done. If you want to interest youth in ham radio once again, offer them a cost-effective way to run high-speed data off the trunk of their car. Not to replace the internet, or provide a ‘backup’ in the event that the internet is shut down, (though that would be a nice side-effect, dozens of data equiped amateurs providing a communication ‘backbone’ while the wires are down) but to interlink with internet and use its amazing capabilities. Linking my data radio with voip = echolink or IRLP on steroids.
I also realize we call it D-star in ham radio, but whaa?? only one company is producing a device such as the ID-1. Pick a modulation/packet standard that is IDENTICAL to commercial devices (yeah, pay the stupid fee for the use of patented modulation systems and whatever), and give us VFO equipped data radios, capable of interfacing and interlinking to installed commercial systems (which are channel restricted) in an emergency.
Think about that for a second, the communication infrastructure in your city is kaput. Most of the police department’s 900mhz data radios are still working, but their link to somewhere (the base station connected to the internet that took a lightening strike perhaps?) is MIA. A ham does a little antenna rigging, brings up the generator (if necessary, i mean sheesh we can run these things off of our cars for quite a while) a few clicks of a mouse on their little data radio, kicks on the amp and BAM everybody is talking again like they usually would.
Legal issues, and problems with people abusing the technology for malicious interference purposes would be similar to what we experience today on voice.. deal with them accordingly.
note»Incidentally, if you’re interested in this sort of thing and have experience with embedded computing and/or data modulation, it would be well worth putting together some sort of focus group to get people talking and thinking along these lines. There are plenty of engineers interested in radio, and it would likely be possible to get YaeComWood to put out some compatible digital radios.
Great Idea! Will need some people with $$$$ to cover the patented fees or whatnot, but it will interest more new hams into the art.