At 11:30 PM 10/31/97 -0800, Dick Dievendorff wrote:
>I do not mean this as a flame. It's not a bad question. But maintaining an
>application through all the various PC hardware, PC software, and radio
>control permutations can become a life's work. If you're going to take on
>that sort of crusade, there ought to be a good living in it. And there just
>isn't one there with the kinds of numbers contesters represent. Cheap
>software is cheap because you sell many thousands of copies. If there are
>relatively few purchasers, expect to pay thousands of dollars for a
>professionally written and supported application.
>
>73 de Dick, K6KR
>k6kr@contesting.com
AMEN TO ALL THE ABOVE!!!!! LET'S FACE IT GUYS AND GALS, "HAMS" ARE ONE OF
THE CHEAPEST HOBBY GROUPS THAT EXISTS. DICK HAS HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD.
AND I SPEAK FROM EXPERIENCE IN ANOTHER REALM OF OUR HOBBY. IN 1982 I
STARTED A VHF (2 MTR) LINKED REPEATER SYSTEM HERE IN THE SOUTHWEST USA. IT
IS A FULL DUPLEX, 24 HOUR A DAY SYSTEM OPEN TO ALL PROPERLY LICENSED
AMATEURS.
IT COVERS MOST OF NEW MEXICO AND ARIZONA, AND PARTS OF WEST TEXAS AND
SOUTEASTERN CALIFORNIA. 13 MOUNTAIN TOP REPEATERS COVER OVER 200,000
SQUARE MILES OF TERRAIN ENCOMPASSING THE 4 MAJOR METRO AREAS OF THE
SOUTHWEST, ALBUQUERQUE, EL PASO, TUCSON AND PHOENIX.
WHEN SOMETHING BREAKS AND A PORTION OF THE SYSTEM DOESN'T WORK, YOU SHOULD
HEAR THE MOANING AND GROANING. BUT DO YOU THINK THAT ANYONE WILL
VOLUNTARILY SUPPORT THE COST OF OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE? FOREST SERVICE
AND BLM SITE FEES, POWER COSTS, EQUIPMENT REPAIRS, AND TIME + FUEL TO MAKE
200, 400, OR 600+ MILE ROUNDTRIPS TO LOCATIONS WHICH REQUIRE 4-WHEEL DRIVE
VEHICLES FOR ACCESS, ARE BUT A FEW OF THE EXPENSE AND LOGISTIC ITEMS INVOLVED.
THE MAJORITY OF THE USERS OF THE REPEATER SYSTEM DO NOT HAVE A CLUE AS TO
WHAT IS REQUIRED FOR THE INSTALLATION, OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE
SYSTEM. AT THE SAME TIME, MOST THINK THAT IT IS A RIGHT, RATHER THAN A
PRIVILEDGE, TO BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THE SYSTEM.
MANY TIMES I HAVE BEEN ASKED, "WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO EXTEND TO SUCH AND
SUCH AN AREA". MY ANSWER: "I DON'T HAVE THE TIME AND MONEY TO EXTEND. DO
YOU, OR DO YOU KNOW ANYONE WHO IS WILLING TO FUND THAT EXTENSION AND
MAINTAIN IT"?? USUALLY THAT IS THE END OF THE CONVERSATION.
AND YES, WITH A WIFE AND 7 CHILDREN, IT HAS BEEN AND CONTINUES TO BE
DIFFICULT TO EXPLAIN WHY I THINK THAT THIS IS A NECESSARY SERVICE TO THE
AMATEUR COMMUNITY. AND WHY I NEED TO SPEND ALL THIS TIME AND MONETARY
OUTPUT WHEN NO ONE REALLY CARES ENOUGH TO HELP.
TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION: I LOVE DOING IT AND IT IS MY CONTRIBUTION TO THE
HOBBY THAT HAS GIVEN ME SO MUCH THROUGH ALL THE YEARS. AND I SINCERELY
HOPE AND TRUST THAT SOMEONE OR ONES WILL COME ALONG IN THE NEAR FUTURE WHO
WILL TAKE UP THE BANNER AND CONTINUE SO THAT I CAN ENJOY RADIO IN MY
"GOLDEN" YEARS.
SO, IF YOU WANT THE REPEATER SYSTEM EXTENDED TO ANOTHER PART OF THE
UNIVERSE, OR IF YOU WANT YOUR CONTESTING SOFTWARE TO OPERATE IN A
MULTI-TASKING ENVIRONMENT WITH ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES, BE PREPARED TO
PAY THE COST. AS PREVIOUSLY NOTED IN DICK'S COMMENTS, NONE OF US ARE
GETTING RICH OR EVEN MAKING A LIVING.
MOSTLY WE DO IT SIMPLY BECAUSE WE LOVE THE GAME.
MY "1" CENT WORTH, DE MILT, N5IA
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