2 Sep
2017
2 Sep
'17
11:21 a.m.
While I applaud Ron's experiments, it would have a
very long road to
becoming something practical for the masses. Heck I can say the same
for the NWDigital radio. They have been trying for quite some time to
make the thing happen. I fear by the time either would come to
fruition, the whole market / tech landscape could be different. (I.e,
56k is not as appealing at the price point as it was 10 years ago when
they started, etc)
I'm all for working on FCC rule changes. History shows that if you go to
them with a real problem and a real solution, they will bend. In other
words, let's get a viable commercial product out there that hams can use
throughout the US. In other words, demonstrate that there's a need for more
than just a few experimenters. Until then, it's just an academic exercise.
Here in Silicon Valley, a "medium" speed data radio would have far wider
appeal (and sell far more units) than a high speed streaming radio. It
would be a much more compelling use case because far more people could make
use of it.
GHz frequencies and Mbps speeds suffer from line of sight and multi-path
problems. With so many locations around here surrounded by trees and or
other buildings, it's a problem. Case in point: we had to move a packet
system out of a 2-story building with a 30 foot tower on the roof. Due to
trees in some directions and new apartment buildings in another, it had no
line of sight to any of the surrounding mountains! Most locations here in
the valley have a similar problem.
A lower bandwidth radio on UHF (70cm) would provide much better coverage,
allowing many (,many) more people to participate.
Case in point: We have lots of packet users -- many, many times more than
we have WiFi or mesh users. (User group of 230, with 30-50 active weekly).
Because it's on VHF, it works from virtually anywhere with just a roll-up
J-pole. And, because we have a packet-to-email gateway, it provides a
relevant, useful service from literally anywhere in the county (and beyond).
But it's obviously very limited in functionality due to 1200/9600 baud.
Plain text only, no attachments -- not because we can't, but because it's
just too slow for that.
Those same people and locations could benefit greatly from a 56k to 128k
radio on 70 cm. It provides enough speed to allow functional IP
connectivity for mass appeal applications like standard e-mail (standard
POP/SMTP clients, rich text formatting, reasonable-sized attachments), while
maintaining close to ubiquitous coverage. It's a ubiquitous application
with near ubiquitous coverage. That equates to many more radios sold.
And, most important, it would be an viable solution that could be run at 56K
under the current rules and then used as a proof point to the FCC that the
rules need changing. Then, turn up the speed when the rules are changed.
That's why I've been excited for the NWDigital UDRX radio. But ... well ...
They say they're still working on it. But that story grows less and less
believable each passing month and year.
Michael
N6MEF