Re: Announce: new EchoLink Howto
On Saturday 20 September 2003 00:23, Hamish Moffatt wrote:
> On Fri, Sep 19, 2003 at 01:41:40AM +0200, Michael Renner wrote:
> > EchoLink is software which allows Amateur Radio stations to communicate
> > with one another over the Internet, using voice-over-IP (VoIP)
> > technology.
Moin,
> So why would this be of interest to amateur radio?
well, it is a software, exclusive made for radio amateurs. Only radio amateurs
can use it, others won't get an account. So where is the borderline for the
definition? Software for amateur radio? Software for radio amateurs?
> Come on Michael, you were asking for this one :-)
Yes, I saw the discussion, but I was to lazy to participate. It seems that we
start the discussion again.
> I can tolerate IRLP because it's strictly RF-Internet-RF, but when one
> end is purely Internet (or both) that's not ham radio, imho.
What is ham radio for you Hamish? Why should somebody become a radio amateur?
Just to be a radio amateur? I don't think so!
In the 'good old days' before the internet and affordable computers there
where several reasons to make the license. Maybe sombody was interested in
electronics, in communication, in self-construction or in radiowave
propagation.
But only the last reason in my list remains! You do not longer need a license
if you are interesetd in technics, to communicate with others, make your own
electronic boxes (PCs). You need no license for this, because the
communications ressources (IP-Adresses, TCP/IP-Ports) are unlimited, no need
for a artificial limitation of the participants due the ressources
(frequencies) are finite!
So, is it correct to limit activitations only (!) to radio communication? If
we do this the hobby is convicted to death! There are no youngsters any more
intereseted in RF. They have a PC. 20 years ago they where radio amateurs,
but today, they write applications, e.g. for KDE oder gnome.
I think the world develops, and we (the radio amateur) should follow such
processes. To make it clear: I agree with you that 'ham radio' must still
regard somthing with RF, but in my mind it is enough that a software is for
radio amateurs or only usable for them (maybe like a logbook application).
And you can, of cause, connect your two way radio to your EchoLink computer
(but I havn't tried this yet, there is no need for me to do this).
I hope I was able to point out why I belief that EchoLink is ham radio
software. My motivation to write the HowTO is a other thing: To use bought
amateur radio equipment (such people are called 'Steckdosenamateuere' in
Germany) or 'out of the box' windows applications is quite the same. To be
interested in building your own TRX and using/developing a free operating- or
desktopsystem is even the same. So I try to pave the way for some people!
DD0UL, licensed since 1986
--
|Michael Renner E-mail: michael.renner@gmx.de |
|D-72072 Tuebingen Germany ICQ: #112280325 |
|Germany Don't drink as root! ESC:wq
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