The "What's For Dinner?" Net

[WA3VJB]

Hey Paul,

     Where did the feed come from for this recording.

Curious in Manhattan.

Icom PCR-R1500 receiver site,located in rural area of Northwestern Connecticut between NYC and Boston, MA.
Streamed through globaltuners.com.

[W2VW]

Tnx Paul.

[Steve - K4HX]

Makes sense. Most sigs sounded kinda PW compared to what I was hearing.

[W2VW]

Makes sense. Most sigs sounded kinda PW compared to what I was hearing.

I noticed it had the VJB proven reduced RF gain setting and thought it strange. I guess the global tuna connection let's you do it all.

[k4kyv]

I talked to an AM station a couple of nights ago,  but don't recall who it was.  He told me he has a website where he streams the audio going to his transmitter whenever he gets on the air.  That way, if his signal becomes difficult to read, all the other stations in the QSO have to do is download the audio on their computers for perfect copy.

I suppose that could come in handy in the event of something like a major slopbucket battle, but otherwise it would seem to take the fun out of over-the-air contact.  To plagiarise a phrase I have often seen/heard regarding QRZ dot com, "the internet isn't amateur radio".

I recall speculation a couple of years ago that the SSB group in Florida that tried to stake claims on 3889 was doing just that so they could get the message through when there was AM traffic near 3885.

Wonder how long before that becomes SOP for major DXpeditions (if it hasn't already).

[WA3VJB]

Yes, Don, it's very useful for settling "strap contests," too.

---
Actually, I use the internet-based "virtual" receiver nodes primarily to check reception in regions where I hope to make a contact.  Key up, hear myself, pot it out and get on the air.

The other late night when you were on with Ralph, W3GL, I couldn't hear him at all on my home receiver.  But by the time I found a site where I could have heard him, time had passed.  

Instead I found how well you were doing into the Oregon receive site, plus my receiver in Maryland, and one in Connecticut.

Whirl wide, dood

It's also interesting to find other people joining me on a given node to listen, and I can explain to them in a text message box what it is they're hearing.  Sometimes I've recognized them on the air, much like we did with SWLs from years past.

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

To plagiarise a phrase I have often seen/heard regarding QRZ dot com, "the internet isn't amateur radio".

Or the AMfone version "you're either online or on the air" ala 'ZRF and others.

I keep the two separate not for lack in interest in the newer technology, but rather to enjoy each. The 'net has been indispensable in getting answers and information quickly to aid and supplement my AM operations. But I also look at my on air time from the perspective of the past: I always found people to talk with just fine in the past, they either heard me or didn't. The internet won't change that, it'll just burn more of my radio time investigating the 'what ifs' rather than actually doing it.

Being neck-deep in the IT world for nearly a decade and a half certainly has some influence, too. I don't find much new on here with respect to communication, just different ways of accomplishing the same things we were doing in 1997 or 2000. High speed does make many of them more practical and enjoyable, but it still doesn't make them 'radio'. Though there are a lot more sites and lots mo' purty pictures!

[WB2EMS]

Actually, I use the internet-based "virtual" receiver nodes primarily to check reception in regions where I hope to make a contact.  Key up, hear myself, pot it out and get on the air.

On Simon's SDR-radio discussion group where he's developing the software, there has been recent comment that some of the contesters are logging onto the remote receivers for hours on end during a contest, and using the remote receivers to hear things that they can't hear from their home QTH. I guess this may have been an issue on a recent 160 meter contest. The contesters were requesting that he program in a 1-2 minute delay in the SDR output to discourage such use.    He basically told them it wasn't his job to police their fellow contest operators.

I've also thought of the idea of having an echolink group or other network based conference in parallel to the on the air stuff during the nasty turf wars. It would allow one to simply copy through the chaff and never lose anything so one would never have to respond to QRM, just ignore it till it gets boring and they go away. A net based version of strap and ignore, available even to PW'ers. 

[Pete, WA2CWA]

There are a number of nets that stream their audio over the internet. They not only take over the air check ins but also internet check ins. The integration of amateur radio and internet type activities has been growing over the last several years. D-Star, EchoLink, and a host of others, make the integration easy.

[k3zrf]

I have used internet receivers over the years having been on the road and just wanting to tune in to some familiar voices from time to time not being able to carry along a receiver and erect an antenna. Great stuff, however, when I am home and able to get on the air I want to do the experience with the gear I have acquired, built or modified. Why did I go to all the effort to build a station erecting antennas so I can hear all that may hear me. I have worked very hard to get my receivers tweaked to get the maximum signal that I may get. As far as hearing myself I'll let that up to the station I am in QSO with and if I am lucky that station may record and playback or send me an MP3 of my radio. If I want to hear myself (unsolicited recordings) or anyone else on the internet I'll go back on the road.

My experience with internet radio while home has been some using them to see how well they are QRMing my signal and those folks know who they are

How's that for $.02 worth?

To plagiarise a phrase I have often seen/heard regarding QRZ dot com, "the internet isn't amateur radio".

Or the AMfone version "you're either online or on the air" ala 'ZRF and others.

[kg8lb]

Rolled a recording on the last few mins as all the tall ships prepared to weigh anchor and float further down the airwaves.

  "Tall" is a relative term. Perhaps image and reality are at times divergent ? 

[WA3VJB]

Gary/INR used to call the AMers the "wide bodies" so maybe this is what he was thinking.

[WD8BIL]

"wide bodies"

A walk through any hamfest would explain that one!

[W2VW]

Actually, I use the internet-based "virtual" receiver nodes primarily to check reception in regions where I hope to make a contact.  Key up, hear myself, pot it out and get on the air.

On Simon's SDR-radio discussion group where he's developing the software, there has been recent comment that some of the contesters are logging onto the remote receivers for hours on end during a contest, and using the remote receivers to hear things that they can't hear from their home QTH. I guess this may have been an issue on a recent 160 meter contest. The contesters were requesting that he program in a 1-2 minute delay in the SDR output to discourage such use.    He basically told them it wasn't his job to police their fellow contest operators.

It would make one heck of a good gag to put some content up for those cheaters to make them think they can't hear anything.

[Steve - K4HX]

I've heard some lamers on the bands using these Web RXs to work stuff the could never hear on their own stations. There are tell tale signs. They think they are fooling everyone. But they are only fooling themselves, because they are missing out on the fun or testing their own skills and the capability of their station. Instead of improving their receiving capabilities, they dial up a Web RX. Weak.