The AM Forum

At the ARRL New England Division Convention August 26-27, League President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, said Amateur Radio has a notable history of riding out stormy weather..........."There is no one cure-all for whatever you think is wrong with Amateur Radio," Harrison asserted.......
For the rest of the story, go here:
http://www.remote.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/08/29/4/?nc=1 (http://www.remote.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/08/29/4/?nc=1)[/color][/size][/font]

ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, addresses the New England Division Convention banquet in Boxboro, Massachusetts.
(http://www.remote.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/08/29/4/Boxboro-W5ZN-Banquet1.jpg)

Let me be the first to say: Yea, the ARRL sucks. I hate it. QST sucks too. I wouldn't line the bottom of my bird's cage with it (if I had one). They're all evil. The world is soon going to end.

Damn it, Steve! You beat me to the punch again!! ;)

Membership expires Aug, 31, 2006 (Membership number: 1000120584)
Edward P Keyes, KB1HVS (G)

Don't know that I would go that far. ARRL's performance in radio politics has been dismal in recent times, much in the same manner as the two major parties in national politics, but it still has some redeeming value, as for example, Ed Hare's work on the BPL front.

I think this is part of a national trend - no, a worldwide trend - and not just limited to ARRL.  Just listen to national and world news these days.  How many local, regional, national or world "leaders" can you name right now who don't have their heads stuck firmly up their arse?

I recall that Joel Harrison and David Sumner took our side, as opposed to Johnny Johnston and henchmen, during the AM power debacle.

Now I totally agree that QST sucks.  Since 99% of the in-depth technical stuff has been moved to QEX (at extra expense to members) and the pages in QST filled with nauseating drivel, it has evolved into a worthless rag.  The pages are too slick, so it's not even useful for toilet paper.

See Jimmy Carter's 1979 "malaise" speech.
He also missed the point as to where the problems are.
As one analyst put it --
It was not his policies that were to blame.
The problem was the American people, who had suffered an inexplicable "crisis of confidence."

Amateur Radio is fine.

Yea, the ARRL sucks. I hate it. They are idiots. QST sucks too. I wouldn't line the bottom of my bird's cage with it (if I had one). They're all evil. The world is soon going to end.

Steve said:
You're no longer facetious Steve.

Amateur Radio is fine.  The world is soon going to end.

(http://www.thetalentshow.org/images/Nagasakibomb.jpg)

6 meters: High Speed multimedia looking to cut up the band
10 meters: has lots of unlicensed domestic and foreign operators at the low end
20 meters: now has continuous foreign music stations
40 meters: foreign stations trying to grab more of the frequencies
75 meters: lost its way for civility years ago
160 meters: where "yawn" is the word
BPL trying to crawl everywhere across the HF bands
Packet/Racket stuff trying to creep in everywhere

Amateur Radio is fine.

I really mean it Mike. The word will end soon. Watch and see. And when it does, you'll thank me.

I can do that on 6 meters.

And my rigs don't have windows.

Pete,

I'm piss beat. Just got in from a 200' climb putting up eight stacked 6M Yagis today. Then I read this... :o

What do they have in mind?   I must admit that the wasteland from 51-54 mhz is hardly used, but hope they aren't planing to carve up 50-51?

T

I guess you haven't heard. Ya got to get off that tower now and then and suck up the news.
Snippets from the HSMM Group:
We have been granted an FCC Experimental License (WC9XLP) to conduct HSMM experiments on the 6M Band.  We are using off-set frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) modulation with up to 200 kHz bandwidth signals.....the ARRL may petition the FCC for use of up to 200 kHz bandwidth in the VHF amateur band. The current petition for “regulation by bandwidth” requests 100 kHz maximum bandwidths on the VHF bands.....It authorizes emissions with a bandwidth up to 200 kHz in the band 50.3-50.8 MHz....Specifically, in those band plans, the segment 50.3-50.6 MHz is designated for “all modes” and the segment 50.6-50.8 MHz is designated for “nonvoice communications.” The STA authorizes 1.5 kW peak, a 200 kHz maximum bandwidth and 384 kbps maximum data rate.

The Hinternet refers to High Speed Multimedia (HSMM) Amateur Radio networking. The goal of the Hinternet (and the ARRL HSMM Working Group) is to bring amateur digital communication into the 21st century with RF networks that handle lots of data—everything from text to video—at high speeds.

But, not to worry, with all those antennas and power you can be a worldwide 6-meter digital clanker/clinker. See if Chuck can top that.

Amateur Radio is fine.
The world is soon going to end; Steve said so because he has a very big crystal ball.

(http://www.vad1.com/photo/stock/a141-36-3.jpg)

Pete,

OK, I see.  I thought it was a new threat from a commmercial proposal, but it's the same ham 200khz wide digital we started discussing last time before the 6M thread got busted up.

I laughed when I saw your 160M comment....  :D   

BTW, where are you hearing the music stations on 20M?

73,
T

See below: From the http://www.w4uvh.net/dxlatest.txt Great source of shortwave listening information. Some of the same data below is also covered in The ARRL Letter, dated 8/18/06, http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/06/0818/

"All we are very sure the source of Jamming (Jammer) from Southeast of
CHINA.

BV6HJ (southern Taiwan) reported everyday in last 10 days. The RS
report as same as my. Both we using Yagi (+WARC Bands) and Dipole.

New frequency 18180 kHz start from Aug 28 (Same BC music program )
We will continue monitoring on the bands. Thanks to All (Paul BV4FH)
 
Aug 17 2336 14050 59+20 db 275-280 sp
Aug 21 1307 14050 59+30
            17330 59+30  ?
Aug 22 0511 14260 59+30
            17330 59+30 59+10 LP
Aug 23 1206 17330 59+40 275-280 sp
Aug 24 0022 17330 59+40  ?
Aug 27 1424 14050 59+40  ?
Aug 28 0050 14050 59+40
            17330 59+40
            18180 59+30  ? (via Uli, DXLD)

Dear fellow Intruder Busters, thank you for your report. Well, we
already know that at least one jamming station is on Hainan Island off
the PR Chinese Mainland. Also the Music (Firedragon-) Jammer on 14050
kHz is not the only one. There are many on QRGs outside the hambands.
However at least 3 ham bands are/were involved in the jamming (30 m -
10135 kHz) -  (20 m - 14050, 14260 kHz),  17 m (18080, 18160 kHz).

So we know the jammer(s) are in PR of China. But what is the reason of
jamming? The reason is to WIPE out unwanted NEWS from "HOSTILE"
stations outside P. R. of China.

During the "listening breaks" from full hour to + 5 minutes, when the
jammer carrier and modulation are off, here at my QTH in southern
Germany I often can hear a weak carrier on the frequency.

This was the case yesterday: The Firedrake was jamming from 1206 to
1246, then I left the shack. From 1518 - 1735 there was a slight
carrier on 14050.075 kHz. It was carrying a Chinese program also with
spoken voice. But, of course, this was NOT the Firedragon Jammer.

At 1837 till 2056 UT (at least!) the Firedragon Jammer was back again.
At 2001, during the listening break of the Firedragon Jammer, I could
again hear a carrier on 14050.070 kHz. Of course it was "wiped out"
when the jammer returned."

I've only heard the music broadcast around 14.260 MHz.

So, to say Amateur Radio is fine, is probably only true if you narrow in on a very small segment and don't step back to view the bigger Amateur Radio picture.

Ah, they're crystal now.

Guinness can do that.

Hitler only had one .......

Why does the arrl think that high speed multimedia is the answer to amateur radio's "woes" ? Why do we need broadband over 6  meters ? So those  slick gossypages in qst can have some new stuff to advertize ?
 

.