Talking Over The Internet Isn't REAL Ham Radio.

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Hit_Factor

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Two licensed hams talking to each other via their computers and no radio is not amateur radio.
If the topic is geriatric health or medical procedures would that make it amateur radio?

Seriously, I think talking about amateur radio is amatuer radio regardless of the transmission type.

4 hams at a VEC administering testing is amatuer radio.
 

N4KVE

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When 2 hams can communicate on HF where a signal leaves one antenna, & arrives at the other antenna halfway around the world, that’s an accomplishment. But when a ham uses a Baoturd to talk to a hotspot 3 feet away, & communicates with a ham around the world using the same setup, that’s a joke. Might as well grab a phone, punch 11 numbers, & start a QSO that way. “Hey bud, I’m in NYC, where are you”? Sure, linked repeaters are convenient to talk to friends, but there’s no sense of accomplishment.
 

K9DWB

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Since this seems to be the conversation of it isn't ham radio if internet is involved, then I suppose when I use my cellphone to answer a Google account phone number call, it's not a call.

73s anyway from over here in the middle of internet anonymity, sized extra medium.
 

N4KVE

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Since this seems to be the conversation of it isn't ham radio if internet is involved, then I suppose when I use my cellphone to answer a Google account phone number call, it's not a call.
Ham radio is a hobby where we use our ham radios to communicate. We study, & take a test to get our ham radio license. But using a cellphone is not a hobby. It’s a paid for service, where there is no licensing, or testing.
 

n5ims

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I remember when hams complained that SSB wasn't REAL ham radio. Only AM and CW were used by REAL hams. When repeaters started going on the air hams complained that wasn't REAL ham radio either. Unless your station was talking directly to another station with no relays in between you weren't really talking to each other. What's so great about our hobby is that most (not all) have accepted those "new fangled" modes and we're better for it. Using the internet for linking isn't much different than repeater owners using a dry pair from the phone company to link their receiver (main or mostly remote receivers) to the repeater transmitter. It's just less expensive, (generally) more reliable, and can go longer distances.
 

K9DWB

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Ham radio is a hobby where we use our ham radios to communicate. We study, & take a test to get our ham radio license. But using a cellphone is not a hobby. It’s a paid for service, where there is no licensing, or testing.
I think I understand how ham licensing works. I passed 2 exams to get the Tech then the General class. I am pretty sure my point was a seemingly silly parallel to point out that some communication uses are still ham radio, even if internet is involved. I suppose I am to believe a QSO is not a QSO if the internet was involved.
 

danesgs

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Back during this past cycle 24, if our net did not have Echolink to fall back on we would have had no net at all as 80 meters was so unusable most of the time. radio is whatever floats your boat. So P25, DMR, NXDN, YSF, D-STAR, packet, ALE, Winlink, Echolink and RTTY are not REAL radio either I guess...Why then did all those folks that use those modes need a HAM radio license from the FCC?
 

PDXh0b0

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HamSphere sounds interesting, see what I am missing out on and push to step it up.I don't have an SWR meter or and antenna analyzer, I use websdr to see how close I am. Too me the hobby is a variety of meters ,a solder iron and a pile of bits and pieces acquired from dumpster diving and yard sales. Probably built 50 plus antennas since February, 6 are still in commission, rest went back to the parts bin.

Happy holidays, H0b0
 

bill4long

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Not sure the point of this thread. If you transmit on a radio that requires a ham radio licence, then it is ham radio, by definition. If not, then it is not ham radio. Those are technical facts. Now, if the point of the thread is that you don't like IP based ham radio linking, well then, okie dokie, don't use it. Nobody is putting a gun to your head.

Having said that, a lot of people, esp hams living in situations where they cannot have an external antennas for various reasons, have found lots of enjoyment talking to other hams using IP as a linking method. Again, if you don't like it, don't use it. Those who do like it and do use don't care what you think, and are not going to try and make you use it.

Troll OP and thread should be deleted IMO.
 
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