1986 - Palomar Amateur Radio Club

BYTES 'N PIECES
By Paul Williamson, KB5MU
W6NWG was at Field Day with Packet. We made 41 contacts. The first one ~,
was worth 100 bonus points. There were two problems with VHF packet on
Field Day: Too many stations, and not enough stations. There were so many
stations that the frequencies were very congested and it took quite some ~-'
time to make a contact. But there were so few stations that we ran out of
stations to work in a couple of hours. Of course, this was all on just two
frequencies (145.01 and 145.05); if it had been a conventional mode, there
would have been just two QSOs available. But we can't compete with CW or
phone for sheer number or rate of contest-style QSOs.
This brings up a point that some packet fanatics seem to ignore: Packet
radio isn't always the best mode. Packet is great when you need to transfer
quantities of data error free, or when you need to interact with a
computer via the radio, or when you need to establish network connectivity
among a number of stations. Packet isn't so great when you want to make
fast contacts, whether for a contest or for tactical communications in an
emergency or public service event. Packet is a poor performer in noisy
channels, including most HF channels.
When it is time to consider application of packet in public service, it
is important to remember what it is good for. Put packet to work where it
is suitable; use other modes when they are suitable. Meanwhile, the "techies"
among us will continue to work to improve the capabilities of packet
through improved networking and higher speed modulation techniques.
SCOPE USPS 076530, published monthly by
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SCOPE - August '86 Page 8