- Creating a standard for having a small data channel along with analog FM. Like DStar, only open standard and inexpensive to implement. Something like broadcast FM's Radio Data System, only not so bandwidth hogging. If nothing else, it could do some of the tricks DStar does (unsquelch only when someone is calling you, automatic call sign transmission, etc). There is no reason to toss FM-voice away just to get a digital sub-carrier.
- With #1, repeaters could log usage (maybe this is a bad thing?), but with a public web site, then you could get a sense of when people are on.
- Repeaters with Antenna Diversity to allow for better reception of weak stations. Would be especially good for ecomm work where field units might be 5W HTs while the repeater is 50W or more.
- Using packet radio to advertise when you are available on a repeater. If I broadcast a "listening message" and someone shows up 5 minutes later, my listening message is lost.
- "Packet pager" -- sort of like an HT crossed with a blackberry. Ability to send and receive text messages from a small handheld device using packet (APRS?).
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Random ideas for improving ham radio
Here's some ideas that occurred to me ... they may be new to me but not new to everyone else, so if these have been kicked around the lot a few times, forgive me...
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Here is how I log repeater usage to create graphs:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.qsl.net/kb9mwr/projects/voip/activity-graphs.html