UK to VK can be done with 600mW, I’ve done it. Much more fulfilling than kW. 200 Watts is more than adequate.
See, there lays the issue. HF is about making the contact at all costs despite the reception. I ragchew and if I can't then I see no point to radio! Shouting repeatingly into a mic just to get a call sign and sig report isn't where its at for me. 600W seemingly is the standard rating for most amps and there is a reason for that, as it seems to be enough for uninhibited ragchew without hearing issues. But unless you are one from the industry, fat chance of you getting out from as far as I know the distances haven't got any shorter!
There is a different between a contact and a comfortable conversation. The latter might require a bit more oomph at times.
In the mid 90's is working in NSW, Australia for a few years. All I had to do was send my Class A license in and they just gave me a full Australian license. I think I was VK2IFC from memory.
Uhh, you are also 2250 watts PEP at the feedpoint of the antenna. THAT is the Canadian regulation that trumps all the rest. --Shane WP2ASS / ex KD6VXI
Admitting my own lack of knowledge and trying to wrap my head the 'why'. Article didn't seem to delve into too much detail there. AMC appears to have been operating as an agent for ACMA, similar to the VEC system here front-ending for the FCC on licensing and examination. Did AMC have any regulatory authority beyond callsign mgmt? Not providing the results desired by ACMA, or perhaps AMC didn't have the resources to continue in the relationship? From the perspective of a cold war relic, I also view any formal move by a government agency to bring aspects of amateur radio 'back into the official fold' as pragmatic, perhaps driven perecived emerging threats in that region related to spectrum management and security.
I am always flummoxed by people wanting to make getting an Amateur license extremely difficult. Put up roadblocks. I have seen people advocating for license renewal every couple of years, and having to pass the test, or lose your license. In the US our total population is around 330 million. Our total Ham population is just under 780 thousand. Just about two tenth of one percent of our population. Australia has 0.6, which is better than US, but not much. People get what they want from their government, and make no mistake, in the US, it is the People who govern, not some faceless "gubmint", not by just expecting it, but by numbers and by someone representing that number. ARRL does a lot, but most people in the US have never heard of Ham Radio. I mentioned I am a Ham to a young lady the other day, and she told me her dad used to do that, and enjoyed talking to the truckers on the Interstate. You don't want to be a Gatekeeper, you want to get more into the hobby. Making it harder to be a Ham is just shooting yourself in the foot. You want more band space? More privileges? More than just 5 channels on 60 Meters? You need to recruit people, and get more on the air, and actually have a voice.
Amateur radio is voluntary as any hobby there is. Engaging occasional people won't help anyhow but rather decrease 'quality' of amateur radio society with dissolving true enthusiasts with those occasional people. I believe we just have to admit our hobby is less popular than watching basketball on TV and this fact no way means basketball is better or worse. Sure ARRL in the US and similar organizations across the world should do their best to represent and lobby our interests. Straightforward increasing of nominal ham 'population' with occasional people, just greater numbers, would not help us the enthusiasts to be heard.
Nothing? You must be confused friend. You can do a TON of communications worldwide on 200W. Look up QRP Ham Radio. Many radio operators talk all over the world on less than 10W SLAVA UKRAINI!!
No I don't agree. I have confirmed slightly less than 200 DXCC with 100W or less and simple antenna. Some contacts were pretty distant. Even in SSB. My results could be much better if I were able to spend more time and effort but it is the hobby. I owned a 10W radio earlier. It was built across electromechanical filters (quartz xtalls were hard to find) that were 'soft' but were pleasant to listen. The problem was that I heard US and AU stations on 75m but was never heard by them. Big guns pulled my weak signal out of the noise with their beams so WKD list had been filled slot by slot. Otherwise that was rather mocking other party than my merit except local (across EU and ME) contacts; local contacts were just fine. To heroes the glory!
