with the ham bands being inactive such as they are in the northeast, such as the VHF bands, it won't be long before the fcc says " well...they are not using these bands up here much, guess there's not much interest anymore, so let's take 144-148 and 432-450 away because they don't need those bands anymore. " then everyone will wish they had used them more. The ham bands are like an old car, they sit around long enough, and then someone wants to buy it for a price, and BINGO! it's sold and you say "wish I drove that 66 vet more often ".
Off topic from the original post but I just want to make a comment. Depends if people decide to put down their phones for a moment to think. These corporations justify what they are doing by saying "it's just adding convenience" and "they don't have to use it if they don't want to".
I thought that its more a local problem here in my region with the CQ without an answer. But when I read all these entrys here in this thread, its more a problem for what are the bands are in use and how often. And much operators try to reach out for the "Keep Quiet Certificate". And when I take a look at the shortwave activities at DXMAPS.com it seems to be that speaking is not allowed at all. At next many operators here are at their local repeaters at VHF/UHF and await for something that maybe will happen. Here I think its better to start own activities with or without repeaters and some longer loops of CQs that someone maybe will answer. To be a HAM takes sometimes time for a result, so that patient is recommended.
Patience is a lost virtue. "We" appear to want everything, all the time. The Eagles, Life in the Fast Lane, 1976 mind you!
And where is the money coming from to buy it?? No one is planning on buying that spectrum in the near future. 10 years? Maybe...
Yes I remember the great song of the Eagles. But I took a step back, because I saw for myself that this is not the life I prefer. And often its better to be slower than the people in the "fastlane", to find earlier a solid result for the future and see the faults in the present. But thats just my personal experience and opinion.
So its better to describe with JJ Cale and the song One step (forward and two steps back), in cause of the people in the fastlane.
Short version... His Grandfather was a Ham... He lamented the way you had to wait for QSL Cards.. He weaved it into a song about how we "Used To Wait for letters" spot the QSL Cards around 4:00 ... Look at the Drums...
Thats what I ment, when I wrote we should take a step back. And to think about sometimes not needed and useless highspeed information exchange. I still love to write, after a good and longer QSO, a detailed handwritten QSL to sent it out with the local mail service. And this takes its time. And there are other examples in hamradio to be patient for to have a good result and to be satisfied with the own hobby. And when the speed slows down, the frequencies will get a better use. And noboby should await that after just the first CQ that there will be an answer immediatly.
