Echolink that it is. But, I hate to give the impression that I dislike it or disapprove of it. On the contrary, it is what it is. It's another method of communication; and to a certain extent I make use of it myself.
I have found it to be an excellent way of keeping in touch with my friend Bob W3BBO. Bob lives in Erie, PA; and for a short time, he lived here in Central NJ back in the 90's when his job had transferred him out here.
When Bob retired and moved back to Erie, it was a serious blow. Fortunately, beside keeping in touch via HF we try to hook up with each other each weekend via Echolink. It's like talking on the telephone, more than anything else. But it's free; and it is good to hear Bob's voice on a regular basis. We chew the fat and keep tabs on progress of each other's radio projects.
I think the HF bands are more conducive and are far more practical for a "CQ" and then hooking up with someone you don't know. You put out a call; and if someone is interested, they take the bait and you begin what will hopefully be a good conversation. To me, it seems a bit presumptuous to just pick a stranger's callsign off a list, and then connect with them and just start rambling on, hoping that they'll be interested in talking to you.
However, for keeping in touch with (how's this for an oxymoron?) distant, close friends then Echolink is the "cat's pajamas" or "da bomb" as the young folks say today.
73 de Larry W2LJ
First of all, Jeff ..... I'm not afraid of the Internet and I'm not afraid of Echolink. I have no idea how you got that from what I wrote. All I'm saying is that radio is radio and Echolink is Echolink - they're not the same. Vanilla is vanilla and chocolate is chocolate - vanila is not chocolate.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, why do folks get so bent out by those of us who insist that Echlink is not radio? I'm not saying it doesn't have its place and I'm not saying that it's invalid. All I'm saying is that it's not radio.
Would you want DXCC or WAS or WAC that you got via sitting behind your computer and using Echolink? There's a world of difference between the two; and I can't understand why that's so hard to see.
73 de Larry W2LJ
Jeff,
ReplyDeleteI don't fear that it will replace radio. I just get perturbed by folks who insist to me that it IS radio. And I have been "lectured" by several ......shall we say, "newbies" who have usd the "OF" term and in no uncertain terms have pointed out to me that Echolink is the same thing as radio.
Rather than belabor the point; and be perceived as overbearing or provincial, I vented by blogging. So in the end, I wasn't being proactive: I was reacting to a negative stimulus.
73 de Larry W2LJ