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How ham radio endures

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161 points CrankyBear | 1 comments | 14 Oct 24 17:26 UTC | HN request time: 0.267s | source
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sandworm101 ◴[16 Oct 24 14:51 UTC] No.41859738[source]▶
Widespread access to space-based networks might finally kill hams. When disaster strikes, the guy with solar panels and a starlink terminal can facilitate more traffic than a hundred hams. Having cellphones that can get an SMS up to a sat might be more useful than handing out 4w radios.
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mikece ◴[16 Oct 24 15:36 UTC] No.41860320[source]▶
Access to space-based network only works if it doesn't rely on a downlink connected to a fiber-optic network (eg: Starlink). There's nothing glamorous about amateur radio but being able to string up a wire and get a message hundreds or thousands of miles using only a 12V battery has its moments.
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1. snakeyjake ◴[16 Oct 24 23:12 UTC] No.41864844[source]▶
Once Starlink is fully built out, if we get to the point that enough downlink stations are out of commission that the entire network fails, amateur radio will be of no use because we're looking at an extinction-sized meteor strike, global thermonuclear war, or similar event.

In those cases amateur radio will be only useful for saying goodbye to all of your frequent QSOs before the tidal wave hits your location in Denver.

I've been a licensed ham for 30 years. I'm also a realist.