Charles Brabham wrote:
What we've been doing wrong with digital ham radio - and how to get
back on
track.

http://www.uspacket.org/plan_a.htm

Nice piece Charles, you obviously put a lot of thought and effort into
it.

However I'll be very surprised if any of it gets off the ground for
several reasons. First it would be in competition with the Internet
which has all but killed wide-area ("long range") VHF packet
"multicasting" a decade ago. What you're actually proposing is an HF
version of the same basic technical approach which already died. I
dunno . . !

Another one is the very dicey reliability of long-range HF comms due to
the vagaries of propagation vs. the volume of QRM which would be
involved particularly when the spots count is down. We don't need any
more unmanned Pactor-style mailboxes chirping away on the bands.

A problem I have with it might just be me but what sort of content
would be involved? What files about what would get shipped around for
what puposes? Who would get what out of it that they can't get by
existing means? Successful implementations of new ham radio HF digital
comms is not just about the technology, it would also have be accepted
and used by the general market too. Particularly since what you're
propsing will require a significant number of collaborators to pull
off. What are the marketing plans?

Charles, N5PVL

w3rv