The investments required to compete in the Xtreme category may not be as
Xpensive as some suggest. Using SDRs that stream the IQ output for the entire
band, rather than just audio, allows few strategically located receivers to
cover adequately the needs of most hams. Then the issue becomes available
inbound bandwidth by the Xtreme operator in order to accommodate the IQ stream.
For example, a couple of SDRs in Europe, a few in North America, 1 on the
Carribean, and perhaps another one somewhere in Asiapac has the major
populations of hams covered. This is a relatively small investment,
particularly when done on a reciprocal basis, for most big gun stations.
My first reaction to the announcement was a genuine joy and excitement as I am
all for pushing the edge in amateur radio. However, the arguments presented
here, have convinced me that the current proposal, without any provisions to
insure that contests will not be moved predominantly to the Net, needs further
thoughts and considerations.
Rudy N2WQ
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