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Path: utzoo!utcs!lsuc!pesnta!amdcad!fortune!hpda!dmsd!bass
From: bass@dmsd.UUCP (John Bass)
Newsgroups: net.news.stargate
Subject: Re: Stargate Deployment: possibilities
Message-ID: <161@dmsd.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 20-Feb-85 02:26:49 EST
Article-I.D.: dmsd.161
Posted: Wed Feb 20 02:26:49 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 20-Feb-85 20:34:36 EST
References: <598@ncoast.UUCP> <560@vortex.UUCP>
Lines: 43

Lauren is right ... I am not a ham. But I still think the idea has a LOT of
merit given some collective thought on the issue. My concept was to use SOME
available frequency in an RTTY/RFMODEM hookup to provide broadcast service.
From my wandering in and out of several RTTY HAM's offices their traffic
didn't seem to be much different from what we propose ... in practice they
DO use repeaters unattended and un-monitored with some fairly uncivial traffic
at times. Maybe some moderated (for offensive material only) high traffic
groups would work well in this environment (net.sources, net.unix*, etc)
for a test ... the amount of offensive material is minimal in these groups.

Packet Radio freqency assigments could also be used, but the equipment is
more expensive and less available. There was a local group here about 2 years
ago at ComputerFaire demo'ing a lowcost PacketRadio link for hobby use ...
but I don't remember who/what/where.

Given the size of the group (about 200,000+ readers and doubling annually)
we could probably make a good argument for aquiring a commercial short/long
wave frequency assigment which would greatly remove much of the hassles on
content. Lobbying for simular service to Packet Radio frequency assignment
could be successful given simular support as the startgate experiment has
recieved.

It may be practical to use one freqency assignment for backbone service, and
another highend/low power band for local/regional service.

I was hoping that since Lauren is "much more into this stuff" that he could
provide some constructive input on how to either just get it started/done or
where to bend the FCC's ear for a more suitable frequency assignment. Since
he seems either busy or not interested ... is there someone else with a
strong communications background to provide a sounding board for such ideas
and help get such an experiment setup?

There has to be a cheaper less formal way than using a comercial
STARGATE approach ... I personally think that a lowcost grassroots type
"" ham "" type system would be more successful in the long run ... and matches
the needs of the global net a little better ... US cable tv doesn't go every
where yet.

John Bass
-- 
John Bass
DMS Design (System Performance and Arch Consultants)
{dual,fortune,idi,hpda}!dmsd!bass     (408) 996-0557