Just say NO! to Winlink expansion!

Please read over the QRZ.COM discussion topics, "ARRL Readies Bandwidth Recommendations", "Why wideband digital on 30 meters?" and "Winlink wants YOUR frequencies!", and IF YOU DO NOT AGREE that the ARRL should petition the FCC to allow the majority of the HF ham band frequencies to be used for unattended Winlink Pactor email robots, instead of for traditional communications between hams, please email your ARRL Division Director by simply clicking on the link for his email address, which you can find from this ARRL list:

http://www.arrl.org/email.html

An email form will automatically appear in your Web browser, already addressed to your Division Director, and you only have to type in a subject, such as "Just say NO! to Winlink expansion!", and for the message, you can also type the same thing, "Just say NO! to Winlink expansion!", and please sign with your callsign.

Click the "Send" button and your instruction will be emailed to your Division Director. It is THAT easy, so PLEASE let your feelings be known, today!

If you want to make additional comments in the body of the message, here are a few suggestions, which you can re-phrase, or just cut and paste, into your email.

1. Winlink fixed stations scan two or more ADVERTISED frequencies on each band, but can only connect on ONE at a time. While they are passing traffic on one frequency, any remote station calling them on the OTHER scan frequency can call forever, but will never get any answer UNTIL the Winlink fixed station finishes passing traffic with the other station. This needlessly ties up a frequency that could be used by someone else, with the result that WINLINK, BECAUSE OF THE SCANNING, USES *TWICE* AS MUCH SPECTRUM AS THEY NEED TO PASS TRAFFIC, depriving everyone else of the use of those additional frequencies.

As a result, Winlink can only utilize *HALF* of the space they have asked for, so they do not need access to any additional space to be taken away from communicating with other hams and made available to their email robots. They can operate just as efficiently by not scanning, in *HALF* the space they use today!

2. Winlink wants access to *MORE* frequencies so they can use transmissions that are *FIVE* times wider than necessary to pass the average text email message in two minutes, in order to be able to save only 30% in transfer time or send pictures to their friends.

3. Winlink users currently number *LESS THAN 1%* of US hams, but any additional expansion WILL EFFECTIVELY TAKE AWAY THE USE OF FREQUENCIES FROM 99% OF US HAMS!"

4. There is already an intolerable interference problem caused by Winlink stations overriding anyone who is unlucky enough to accidentally try to use one of their *ADVERTISED* frequencies, but plans are afoot to increase the number of Winlink fixed stations by *THREE* times, and the transmission bandwidth of each station by *FIVE* times, so the interference level will INCREASE by *FIFTEEN TIMES* over what it is today.

5. The proposed ARRL petition to segment the bands by bandwidth, instead of by mode, naturally results in barriers, below which wider transmissions must not operate. On 20 meters, the barrier for signals over 500 Hz in width is at 14.100 MHz, so WINLINK EXPANSION BY USING 2400 Hz-WIDE TRANSMISSIONS WILL BE ALLOWED TO SPREAD DIGITAL SIGNALS, AS WIDE AS A SSB VOICE SIGNAL, BUT WITH AN AVERAGE MODULATION (POWER) OF *THREE* TIMES THAT OF VOICE SSB, ALL OVER THE PHONE BANDS! That is the whole principle of "segmentation by bandwidth". I.e., transmissions of the SAME width are all allowed in the SAME space, REGARDLESS OF MODE.

6. The proposed ARRL petition to segment the bands by bandwidth makes no provision to keep unattended Winlink Pactor email robots from popping up at random on top of MFSK16 QSO's, or RTTY QSO's, or in the traditional RTTY DX and contesting frequencies, where they can cause the loss of that rare DX contact or contest "Q". The appearance of the Winlink fixed stations are triggered by Winlink remote stations, and can be triggered at any time, and at any place, EVEN DURING RTTY CONTEST WEEKENDS, when Winlink email traffic is often the heaviest.

7. You object to the ham bands being used by unattended Winlink email robots, at your expense, to provide *FREE EMAIL* services for Winlink's less-than-1% of US hams, when you, and everyone else, has to pay an ISP for Internet email access.

Winlink has already urged their 5100 registered Winlink network users to email the ARRL to ask for access to the frequencies they want for their desired expansion, so, I URGE YOU TO TAKE THE TIME TO EMAIL YOUR DIVISION DIRECTOR WITH *YOUR* REQUEST TO KEEP THE FREQUENCIES YOU USE FOR COMMUNICATION, FREE FROM UNATTENDED WINLINK EMAIL ROBOTS. Thousands of votes AGAINST WINLINK EXPANSION AT YOUR EXPENSE are needed to counter this very real threat from Winlink, so PLEASE email today, and ask everyone you contact on the air to do the same!

Please email today to help keep amateur radio, amateur!

Thanks!

73, Skip KH6TY
Just say NO! to Winlink expansion!

 

Just sent in my NO !!! vote .

Randy ( AI4FP )
Alabama Section Traffic Manager

 

I am not an arrl member and of course won't be until they stop supporting this pretty constant stream of anti ars/ham proposals..... this one is another---- when will they get a clue?

 

Do I have to join ARRL to display my disgust? I will if I have to.

 

I just sent a email to my Divison Director and Vice Director with one additional reason for not supporting the ARRL proposal.

8. I am also opposed to the use of Winlink transmitted using Pactor III capable equipment that is both proprietary in nature (aka PTC-SCS) and therefore not easily monitored for inappropriate content and for interference identification because of the great expense required to purchase the proprietary equipment.

By the way I doubt that anyone associated with the ARRL will listen to anyone who is NOT a ARRL member. I say this because each time I attempt to ask a question while talking to a ARRL official, I am asked "are you a ARRL member?"

Finally I will add that my Division Vice Director, Richard Mondro, W8FQT was the Chair of the Ad-Hoc Digital Committee that adopted the PTC-SCS Pactor III system as the standard for Winlink communications involving ARES/RACES Communications. I understand that at least 2 members of this commitee had some affiliation with the company that makes the equipment adopted as the standard.

73

Thom WI8W
Life Member ARRL

 

Mine is on its way as well. I doubt my Division Director
cares what we think, heaven knows he hasn't in the past.

 

Although I love the digital modes, just like with the voice portions of the bands, this area is greatly becoming misused. Should this WinLink expansion pass, then what next?

Over the years, disrespect of other operators are making it very difficult to enjoy our great hobby. As usual, it is always the minority who is doing such while the majority who feel differently set quitely back and let it happen. Now is the time to start speaking up, not only on this topic, but everything else that affect us.

If the ARRL really cares about our great hobby, then they should quit trying to relax the rules on who one can obtain their license. Sure, everyone may not like CW (I for one don't) and may say that it is an outdated mode. However, just like in school and college, you have certain studies that are required whether you like it or not. Point being made here is, when one works hard to get their deploma, or in our case our license, then you will appreciate it more than those who came in after the rules, or courses are relaxed. Sure, I still hold a General Class license as I have since 1989. Why, with the new rules, the Extra Class license just doesn't hold the prestige that it once had. Please bare in mind, I hold no grudge against anyone who has earned their license under the relaxed rules. It has brought in a number of new hams.

If you will notice, prior to such changes, prices of ham equipment dropped. Now with the new proposal of dropping 5 WPM except for Amateur Extra, the price of equipment is rising. Now the companies are wanting to make an even bigger profit in anticipation of such changes.

If the ARRL really cares about our great hobby, how about encouraging the old act of Elmering! How about encouraging and rewarding the act of proper radio practices and operation! How about creating "Contest Free Zones" on ALL HF bands! Why should every amateur, world wide, have to turn off their equipment on Contest Weekends! It is the Minority of hams who come out of the woodwork to only cause lots of QRM, walk on top of QSO's already in progress, etc., only to make a quick contact that says', "UR 59 someplace USA"! They majority of hams do not contest and want a place to be able to operate on these weekends as well. Sure, the WARC bands are to be contest free but not everyone has the equipment to operate there.

The bottom line is, ARRL, get more in contact with the majority of your membership, and Amateurs worldwide, and hear what they have to say. If we stay the course that we are on, then we will become the "Over Glorified CB'ers" that we are already being called.

Kind Regards,
Bobby
KB5HAV

 

You'll most likely be counted towards the ones who support the proposal when you join, no matter what you say. The reasonable assumption is that you support the organizations you join.

73,
--Alex KR1ST
http://www.kr1st.com

 

But if no opposition ever joins, how will we ever get our voices heard?

 

No they do not listen to members much either...

73 Jerry N9LYA

 

I just sent mine in ! - It only takes a few minutes.

Charles Brabham,  N5PVL

Director: USPacket
Admin: HamBlog.Com
Admin: HamPoll.Com
Weblog: N5PVL's  Blog

 

You don't have to join them to communicate with them. You can still write to them, or call them on the phone. Another opportunity, perhaps a more important one, will arise when you can register your comments with the FCC.

Once you join, you are being represented by them. That's how they (as any other organization would do) will present their membership to the FCC.

73,
--Alex KR1ST
http://www.kr1st.com

 

Please note (from: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2005/04/13/1/?nc=1)

"Five of the 15 voting Directors sit on the EC."

These 5 have already voted. See below who these 5 directors are.


The Executive Committee consisted of (from: http://www.arrl.org/announce/ec_minutes_476.html):

Chair: President Jim Haynie, W5JBP
First Vice President Joel Harrison, W5ZN;
CEO and Secretary David Sumner K1ZZ;

Directors:
Frank Butler, W4RH,
Frank Fallon, N2FF,
George R. Isely, W9GIG,
Rick Roderick, K5UR,
Wade Walstrom, W0EJ.

Also present were General Counsel Christopher D. Imlay, W3KD, and Midwest Division Vice Director Bruce Frahm, K0BJ, at the invitation of the Committee.

73,
--Alex KR1ST
http://www.kr1st.com

 

I just sent my letter.

 

Winlink is one of the most exciting applications in  VHF/UHF packet radio since DXCluster and APRS.  Unfortunately, it has driven the cost of used TNCs higher.  The good news is that more people are finding there is more these days on 2M FM than rag chewing on the repeaters during drive time, and that is exciting to see.  I have written my director and vice director so often that I no longer have to look up their e-mail address.  They know I want to see Amateur Radio move forward in technology and not be stuck in the status quo.  As long as the broad framework of rules remains the same, we will not progress.  It is the restrictive rules themselves that prevent inovation and progress.  If it were not for the hard fought STA and rules changes in the 1980s, we would not have the digital modes today in Amateur Radio that we all enjoy (PSK31, etc).  We would be using only CW (original digital) and RTTY; still two of my favorite modes.  None of us can predict what exciting new modes await us in the future.  Without the proposed changes, we will never know.