From: steve@presoft.com (Steve Kohlenberger)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: Re: 430mhz band under th
Date: Sun, 27 Dec 92 16:28:44 PST
Distribution: world
Organization: Presoft Architects

jreese@NeoSoft.com (Jim Reese) writes:

> In article <n1317t@ofa123.fidonet.org> Larry.Mc.Donald@ofa123.fidonet.org wri
> >I can olny hit one open one from my house (the entire area 
> >has about six) and there's only one simplex freq. The rest has all 
> >been privatised by hams who wanted "private" systems or were looking 
> >to make a buck off of the ham bands. Sure, there are plenty of 
> >repeaters that I can use, for $15 a month.  
> 
> 'scuse me...but have you ever had to PAY for the equipment involved in puttin
> up a repeater?  I didn't think so...  If you had, you wouldn't think $15
> per month was such a rip-off.
> 
> Repeaters are VERY expensive, even for the good scroungers.  Someone has to
> pay for them...the logical choice is the users.  You're lucky that at least
> six people have chosen to put on open systems out of the goodness of their
> heart. 
> 
> -- 
>      Jim Reese, WD5IYT            | "Real Texans never refer to trouble

I'm green to Ham Radio but not to the trends.

The following numbers come from the 1993 Repeater Location Guide for
Southern California.  I have counted "entries" not trying to decern
specifics about how the frequency is being used other than whether it
is designated as OPEN, CLOSED, PRIVATE, or someting else and has an
entry listing.  If we presume that in any case the significant value to be
observed is the ratio of open to both closed and private. 

Freq.       Open    Closed  Private Other   Open/(Closed+Private)
2m          195     14      39      30	    3.68 [most are OPEN]
220         137     40      13      6       2.58 [most are OPEN]
440         46      12      434     12      0.10 [most are NOT OPEN]
1280        33      52      27      8       0.42 [most are NOT OPEN]

Whatever funnies the data may contain, the ratios tell us that:
  - MOST of 440 is not OPEN (free) in Southern California.
  - People in the 2m and 220 tend have found ways to afford or chosen
    to afford the repeater costs that the 440 crowd have not found or
    possibly that...
  - The 2m and 220 vs. 440 and 1280 are motivated toward repeaters
    differently.

[As I said, I am new.  I am working on my no-code tech at the moment.
I have not purchased my first set yet.]

Am I to presume that the 2m/220 crowd will accept me and my traffic
but the 440 crowd will want my money more?

Are there things the 2m/220 crowd can show the 440 folks to help
reduce these costs?  Is it just simply that much more expensive to do
440 than 220?  (Being new at this: Where are monumental costs in
doubling the frequency?  Where are the hidden costs?)

Is the rest of the country (and the world for that matter) seeing the
same pseduo-commercial side of amateur radio and in the same bands?

Is this political?

Is it that the 2m and 220 repeaters came on line when Amateur Radio
was in a more generous and cooperative phase than it is right now?

Is it an us vs. them and clickish in 440?



What is the phenomena here?  Will the trend continue and possibly
change 2m and 220 in the same direction (private and closed from
open)?


Comments envited, flames accepted (but they don't usually get us very
far).

Steve
   
 Steve Kohlenberger, PreSoft Architects      Internet: steve@presoft.com
 Novell Professional Developer
 Specialists in NLM and Disk/Tape Driver development for NetWare 3.X/4.X