This must just be in the area your in because I'm not seeing this around 
here.  I've seen several who started with Echo link and talked to many hams 
all over the world.  Once they made up their minds on what radio they wanted 
and just how far they wanted to take their ham radio ticket, it wasn't long 
before they were buying radios.  Some of these people live in apartments or 
government housing where they aren't allowed to put up antennas.  They have 
radios in their cars and when they go out they always have the radios on and 
talk.  Really they talk more on their radios than echo link, but if they 
want to talk from home, that's the only option they have.  Some people 
aren't lucky enough to be in a location where they can use handy talkies to 
hit repeaters, so they use echo link.  What is going to kill ham radio is 
the people who don't welcome or go with the changes.  Just think, if 
everybody would have been against the motorcar we'd all still be walking and 
feeding horses which would end up with today's prices costing even more.

The deal is packing it in because you don't like something is going to kill 
the hobby faster than just not using the new technology and letting those 
who want to do so.  If you don't want echo link or IRLP on your repeater, 
then it's simple, don't put it on there.  If you don't want to hear it, then 
stay off of systems that have it.    It's a personal choice that one has to 
make and some choose echo link, but many others choose radio.  Where I live 
we have a link system that covers a large part of South Texas.  This system 
has both echo link and IRLP but 95% of the traffic on the system is still 
RF.  We have some friends who have moved out of the area and we can't seem 
to make connections on HF so they use echo link to keep track of all their 
friends in this area.  We are actively trying to get an RF link and Repeater 
into that area, but that costs and is a slow process so I'm glad we can 
still make connection with them.

Radios today are all software driven, so in a matter of fact they are 
computers with built in transmitters and receivers, so why can't one use 
their computer to talk to a repeater and there fore talk to other hams who 
are using radios?  Your still doing the same thing only using a different 
path to get there.  Your still talking to Joe blow out there in his car 60 
miles away.




... 73 ... KD5QHH ...  Jimmy ...
http://www.podsim.us
MSN or windows live... [log in to unmask]
Skype, jimmy.podsim ...blind people please note the period between the 
names.
Have a great day!


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Miller" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, November 01, 2008 9:06 PM
Subject: Re: Echo Link WasRE: Introduction


> There won't be a "radio" part of it to use if we keep demonstrating 
> echolink
> to potential hams and new hams. I used to have a simplex link up for a 
> while
> until I heard some new ham saying he wasn't going to ever bother upgrading
> his license because he liked echolink better since he didn't have to worry
> about band conditions and the person he was talking to agreed with him. I
> pulled the plug on it right after that idiotic statement was made, and 
> when
> I thought about it, I realized just how bad it really is and I'm so 
> ashamed
> of myself for ever putting that link up. I kick myself daily for
> contributing to that kind of thought process and general stupidity. Why 
> even
> get a license in the first place if you want to talk all over the world on
> the computer? Oh well, no one will ever change my thought process on that.
> It's a very lazy day and age we live in today and that unfortunately is in
> general. As soon as I find something else to do I like, or if things get
> much worse on ham radio and it gets more to be ham computer, I'll probably
> get out of it 100%. Many I know have done it due to that and the dropping 
> of
> CW, I'm not as hot about the CW topic but I feel my years in ham radio are
> probably numbered. Hopefully I can find a partner for my UHF repeater
> project so I don't have to find a home for that when that day comes that I
> do pull out, or I might just move it to GMRS. Anyway, no one will ever
> change my thought process on this, I think the hobby is going away fast as
> real radio and it kills me to see it. Hopefully when the HF bands get good
> things will change, I'll wait for that but if not, I won't be around for 
> the
> next one.
> It's funny though, everyone thought there would be problems on the HF 
> bands
> with CW being dropped, I'm seeing a lot more problems on VHF than anywhere
> and if it wasn't for the NTS and ARES/RACES involvement, what very little
> time I'm on VHF now would be 0.
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "John J. Jacques" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Saturday, November 01, 2008 8:37 PM
> Subject: Re: Echo Link WasRE: Introduction
>
>
>> Hi all, I believe that echo link is a great way to marry amateur radio
>> and the internet.  I enjoy accessing my echo link node via UHF simplex
>> but I can appreciate the ability to connect with just a PC, unlike IRLP.
>> For example, last year, I was able to park my echo link node on the local
>> club repeater, while I was in Michigan, allowing me to check into the net
>> that I usually run, with my laptop!  Though I love all of the older forms
>> of communication such as A M phone, I think we need to  use the new
>> technology that is available or soon, there won't be an amateur radio
>> service left to use!
>>
>> 73 and 88 to the YL's:
>> John
>>
>> John Jacques
>> Amateur Radio Station: KG7FA
>> "Where Cat Is,  Is Civilization!"