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--- blog:2021-05-09:is_it_ham_radio [2021/05/09 09:49] – created va7fi
+++ blog:2021-05-09:is_it_ham_radio [2021/05/17 20:40] – va7fi
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+~~NOTOC~~
 ====== Is it Ham Radio? ======
+One of the recurring "issues" in the ham radio world is the question of whether technology \$x\$ is ham radio or not.  It's often framed as a black and white question and loaded with moral and prescriptive tones.
+My view is that:
+  - It's not black and white, and
+  - The outcome only affects my own level of interest and doesn't say anything about what others should be doing.
+  - It also has nothing to do with whether the mode is analog or digital, voice, CW, or text.
+To me, the degree to which something is ham radio depends on how much (or little) ham RF it uses.  Here are a few examples to illustrate my point (there's many many more).
+===== Simplex and Repeaters =====
 {{  is_it_ham_radio1.png  }}
+  * 2m simplex, stand-alone repeaters, and RF linked repeaters are close to 100% ham radio.
+  * I could nit pick and further sub-divide these in terms of how self-reliant they are (solar vs grid power for example), but that's a different axis.
+===== Echolink =====
 {{  is_it_ham_radio2.png  }}
+Echolink starts muddying the water a bit.
+  * When someone uses their phone to connect to an Echolink node via the internet, which then connects to a repeater via RF, half of the conversation is via RF and the other half is over the internet.
+  * But when two people use their phones to send each other text messages or have a phone-to-phone conversation, then Echolink acts just like any other internet chat app.  Sure you need a license to use the app, but the whole conversation still takes place over the internet.
+===== IRLP =====
 {{  is_it_ham_radio3.png  }}
+IRLP is a bit similar to Echolink but with more RF:
+  * When used to connect two (or more) repeaters together, most of the heavy work is via RF.
+  * But if someone has their own IRLP node at home and uses it to connect to other repeaters, then it's a short step away from having an IRLP app on a phone that connects directly to the other repeater and do away with one of the radios.
+===== DMR =====
 {{  is_it_ham_radio4.png  }}
+DMR can fall almost everywhere on this continuum.
+  * When used in simplex or via a stand-alone (or RF connected) repeater, there's little difference with FM (other than it needs to be registered using the internet, which could push it a bit to the right).
+  * When repeaters are linked together (via the internet), then it's close to IRLP.
+  * When when people use their own hotspots, then it's close to personal IRLP simplex nodes.
+  * Finally, there's an app called [[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.dudetronics.droidstar&hl=en_US&gl=US |DroidStar]] (that I haven't tried yet), that allows access to the DMR network straight from an internet connected phone.  It's not as bad as Echolink-to-Echolink conversations, but it's getting pretty close.
+===== Conclusion =====
+Reasonable people can disagree where different technologies fall on the spectrum, but my main points are that:
+"Is it ham radio?":
+  * Is not a yes/no question.
+  * Has nothing to do with whether something is analog or digital (P2P packet is as far left as FM simplex to me)
+  * And isn't prescriptive of what other hams should do with the hobby.
+For me, it's only one of the factors that contributes to whether I'm interested in something or not; but it's not the only one: Currently, I'm not interested in investing hundreds of dollars into a DMR radio and a hotspot, but I'll give the (free) DroidStar app a try (what have I got to lose?).