AM Amateurs in Telcom Industry

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Sorry to hear it, but welcome to the real world.

[W4EWH]

I was a Transmission Engineer-Radio and Video for GTE up until the late eighties.  I served as the frequency coordinator and did all the FCC filings for the Indiana company.  Designed systems and coordinated projects for pt to pt microwave, IMTS, two-way maintenance radio, and paging systems.  I also was involved in provision of video pick-ups from sporting events, etc. for the national TV networks utilizing portable microwave systems and video cable systems. 

Jack,

I'd like to read up on microwave use for hams. Can you suggest an online tutorial that covers the subject from an amateur viewpoint?

TIA.

73, Bill W1AC

[Pete, WA2CWA]

I was a Transmission Engineer-Radio and Video for GTE up until the late eighties.  I served as the frequency coordinator and did all the FCC filings for the Indiana company.  Designed systems and coordinated projects for pt to pt microwave, IMTS, two-way maintenance radio, and paging systems.  I also was involved in provision of video pick-ups from sporting events, etc. for the national TV networks utilizing portable microwave systems and video cable systems. 

Jack,

I'd like to read up on microwave use for hams. Can you suggest an online tutorial that covers the subject from an amateur viewpoint?

TIA.

73, Bill W1AC

You looking for info on terrestrial microwave, EME microwave, or something else as it relates to amateur radio in the GHz region. A quick Google on "amateur radio microwave" turns up a wealth of links. A check on the ARRL Periodicals Index Search for "microwave" turned up 749 QST, QEX, and Ham Radio articles.

[WD8BIL]

It is good to see the Telcos and others trying to stuff everything and the kitchen sink into their services. More density means more power. More power means Bud has a job for a while.

If you guys remember the old Lorain Power plants of the past be comforted to know we're still around. No longer as Lorain Power. After a few owners we are now part of Emerson.

Our Legacy and Vortex plants are still in production and the new generation GBB (global building block) systems are really starting to pickup.

Why, just this week I finished EMC/RFI on our 10,000 amp plant. Where Vortex took the footprint of 8 Power racks and 4 distributions we now do the 10KA in 7 racks
neat schtuff... more power... STRAP !!

[KB2WIG]

  "  So I guess my question is, are these low benefits normal under AT&T plans? After almost 8 years of retirement bliss under my old BellSouth plans with no changes in coverage amounts paid, this is a bit of a shock for me.   "

" We don't care, we don't have to .... were the phone company.. " 

[Pete, WA2CWA]

" We don't care, we don't have to .... were the phone company.. " 

"The Phone Company", as many of us remember it, hasn't existed since January 1, 1984.

[KB2WIG]

Peter,

 Those are my ideas of baby bells .... ..

ex  Randolf 4-8537  or, actually  8537


klc

[W9GT]

Bill,

re: Amateur Microwave

Well, I guess Pete beat me to it, but I was going to suggest the ARRL.  Also.... lots of interesting stuff on the "net".  There is a fellow AMer here in the area who is very active and very knowledgeable in the Amateur UHF and Microwave area:  Bob, K9KFR.  I suggest that you email or call him.  I think he is also on this list. 

As for the cynical cracks about the phone company:
" We don't care, we don't have to .... were the phone company.. "

That couldn't be farther from the truth in today's competitive arena, at least with reference to consumers.

The question , or problem at hand, however, was referencing retiree benefits and how those benefits that we thought we had earned as part of our compensation over the years, may be slowing fading away....creating big concerns for a very large number of people.  Some of those health care costs and prescription costs are really big and frightening concerns.  We have watched our benefits get severely modified and our costs increase considerably recently, as well.

73,  Jack, W9GT

[W4EWH]

I was a Transmission Engineer-Radio and Video for GTE up until the late eighties.  I served as the frequency coordinator and did all the FCC filings for the Indiana company.  Designed systems and coordinated projects for pt to pt microwave, IMTS, two-way maintenance radio, and paging systems.  I also was involved in provision of video pick-ups from sporting events, etc. for the national TV networks utilizing portable microwave systems and video cable systems. 

Jack,

I'd like to read up on microwave use for hams. Can you suggest an online tutorial that covers the subject from an amateur viewpoint?

TIA.

73, Bill W1AC

You looking for info on terrestrial microwave, EME microwave, or something else as it relates to amateur radio in the GHz region. A quick Google on "amateur radio microwave" turns up a wealth of links. A check on the ARRL Periodicals Index Search for "microwave" turned up 749 QST, QEX, and Ham Radio articles.

Pete,

That's the problem: I'm not looking for a wealth of links, I'm looking for what other hams are doing!.

I worked with the New England TCP Association back in the 90's, to design TCP/IP links using microwave, but I found out that there aren't a lot of microwave paths between hams' houses, and in any case the Internet overtook us, so nothing came of it and I went on to other things. What I'm curious about is how hams are using microwave now, both for voice and data.

73, Bill W1AC

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Pete,

That's the problem: I'm not looking for a wealth of links, I'm looking for what other hams are doing!.

I worked with the New England TCP Association back in the 90's, to design TCP/IP links using microwave, but I found out that there aren't a lot of microwave paths between hams' houses, and in any case the Internet overtook us, so nothing came of it and I went on to other things. What I'm curious about is how hams are using microwave now, both for voice and data.

73, Bill W1AC

Most of the amateurs on microwave frequencies are into either terrestrial communications or EME communications. Many of the new weak-signal digital type modes are finding lots of use here. There is a rather large following of microwave enthusiasts at various frequencies around the U.S. and a number of other countries. Many of them are using converted commercial type equipment.