Looks like I might be headed to Sandy UT at the end of the month.
About the RPi USB over Ethernet software... The excellent HamPi image from Dave Slotter, W3DJS includes the Soapy SDR suite which can stream SDR data over your LAN. I have a LimeSDR mini via a Raspberry Pi 3B on my network for testing code convenience as I work on a project that uses SDR dongles. It also has come in handy for checking the local repeater and just for listening to FM broadcast or air band. Some day I'll get around to installing a program capable of transmitting and adding a PA too, but for now just having a reciever on the LAN is very handy.
Ready - You make an excellent point about an inexpensive receiver(s) on the "Shack's" LAN via Soapy SDR.
One thing I meant to include in the article, but didn't, was doing USB over Ethernet allows the less expensive Software Defined Receivers (and transceivers?) like the RTL-SDR dongles and ADALM-PLUTO to be remoted; you don't have to use (especially starting out with a (more expensive) Software Defined Radio that has native Ethernet.
"The amateur community is here the real magic is and no one can quite explain why they do what they do." In my view, much of ham radio and "ham spirit" can only be understood knowing its roots, starting with why ARRL comes from "American Radio Relay League". For many decades, you most often became a ham through training courses held by hams and much support by hams. You entered a community that considers itself something of an international brotherhood. You most often get immediate acceptance and lots of helpfulness. This often extends to organizations from military to tech companies. In administrations hams often create "worm holes" through hierarchies based on mutual agreement, that are used but hardly ever misused. To my regret much of that slowly dwindles away. My theory for this is that it got too easy to get on the air without any prior immersion into our community. See why quite some sail boat owners become hams. Or why preppers seek licenses.
Alexander - While I can understand the "working your way into a brotherhood" point of view, the current and coming generations have no patience for it. (Not "little" patience... NONE!) In my opinion, it simply doesn't matter what WE (older generations) think of "the way things ought to be" and "why we did / do it this way". IF we (truly) want Amateur Radio to continue beyond OUR generation, it has to be perceived as relevant to current and coming generations. Thus that's why I think KN6WKW made that statement - because there's not much "obvious utility" to Amateur Radio. Long distance wireless voice and data, emergency communications, experimentation, training, etc. all have equivalents that don't require an Amateur Radio license. Thus Amateur Radio's "worth" (such as hands-on experimentation and training) has to be explained.
I tried to evaluate what makes our community so special - that was the topic of the original text. I know that ham radio has to adapt. I feel a loss. But new members are very important. The birth of ham radio around 1912 was a singular opportunity that will hardly ever come again.
Alexander - thanks for your ongoing feedback in Zero Retries.
In many ways, Amateur Radio is yet another accident of technological history, in that the radio experimenters (hackers) were the first to make effective use of radio technology. Commercial use of radio came only after its utility was demonstrated by the experimenters. Thus the experimenters had some "we were here FIRST" justification to be accommodated and spectrum allocated to the experimenters (now called Amateur Radio Operators). Not to mention that Amateur Radio Operators were the original radio service that could operate in disasters with their unique capabilities and knowledge.
But if we tried to get a new allocation of spectrum for Amateur Radio now... well, that would be effectively impossible.
As an example that you're not alone in "I feel a loss.", I'm nostalgic for the days of using autopatch (on nearly every Amateur Radio FM repeater, at least in the US) in a car that was a superior experience to the commercial equivalent. Mobile Telephone Service from AT&T had a total of 10 channels available in each metro area; you punched a button when you wanted to make a mobile phone call and when one of those channels was available your phone rang and you could place your call. Of course, every second of airtime was a billable event.
Every Amateur Radio of our vintage has examples like that.
Change is inevitable. (Our) Acceptance is optional.
The initial start culminating in the 1912 division between "real" wireless services above 200 m of wavelength and "amateur" traffic on the "useless" lower wavelengths was one of many. Another happened when the USA entered WW 1 and suddenly needed experienced radio operators for its military. The ARRL could provide 2500 of these on short notice, starting a long relationship between the two. Or look at the history of the 44NET: A ham in the right place at the right time could secure a, by today's standards, huge chunk of the IP address space for ham radio: 44.0.0.0 /8. How many millions did Amazon pay a few years ago for a quarter of that? I could also tell you an amazing story about DP0GVN on the Neumayer Antarctic station. We need more such "jump innovations". As long as ham spirit exists, our community will create these again and again. I expect them coming from the digital world.
Looks like I might be headed to Sandy UT at the end of the month.
About the RPi USB over Ethernet software... The excellent HamPi image from Dave Slotter, W3DJS includes the Soapy SDR suite which can stream SDR data over your LAN. I have a LimeSDR mini via a Raspberry Pi 3B on my network for testing code convenience as I work on a project that uses SDR dongles. It also has come in handy for checking the local repeater and just for listening to FM broadcast or air band. Some day I'll get around to installing a program capable of transmitting and adding a PA too, but for now just having a reciever on the LAN is very handy.
https://sourceforge.net/projects/hampi/files/2021-12%20Release/
Ready - You make an excellent point about an inexpensive receiver(s) on the "Shack's" LAN via Soapy SDR.
One thing I meant to include in the article, but didn't, was doing USB over Ethernet allows the less expensive Software Defined Receivers (and transceivers?) like the RTL-SDR dongles and ADALM-PLUTO to be remoted; you don't have to use (especially starting out with a (more expensive) Software Defined Radio that has native Ethernet.
"The amateur community is here the real magic is and no one can quite explain why they do what they do." In my view, much of ham radio and "ham spirit" can only be understood knowing its roots, starting with why ARRL comes from "American Radio Relay League". For many decades, you most often became a ham through training courses held by hams and much support by hams. You entered a community that considers itself something of an international brotherhood. You most often get immediate acceptance and lots of helpfulness. This often extends to organizations from military to tech companies. In administrations hams often create "worm holes" through hierarchies based on mutual agreement, that are used but hardly ever misused. To my regret much of that slowly dwindles away. My theory for this is that it got too easy to get on the air without any prior immersion into our community. See why quite some sail boat owners become hams. Or why preppers seek licenses.
Alexander - While I can understand the "working your way into a brotherhood" point of view, the current and coming generations have no patience for it. (Not "little" patience... NONE!) In my opinion, it simply doesn't matter what WE (older generations) think of "the way things ought to be" and "why we did / do it this way". IF we (truly) want Amateur Radio to continue beyond OUR generation, it has to be perceived as relevant to current and coming generations. Thus that's why I think KN6WKW made that statement - because there's not much "obvious utility" to Amateur Radio. Long distance wireless voice and data, emergency communications, experimentation, training, etc. all have equivalents that don't require an Amateur Radio license. Thus Amateur Radio's "worth" (such as hands-on experimentation and training) has to be explained.
I tried to evaluate what makes our community so special - that was the topic of the original text. I know that ham radio has to adapt. I feel a loss. But new members are very important. The birth of ham radio around 1912 was a singular opportunity that will hardly ever come again.
Alexander - thanks for your ongoing feedback in Zero Retries.
In many ways, Amateur Radio is yet another accident of technological history, in that the radio experimenters (hackers) were the first to make effective use of radio technology. Commercial use of radio came only after its utility was demonstrated by the experimenters. Thus the experimenters had some "we were here FIRST" justification to be accommodated and spectrum allocated to the experimenters (now called Amateur Radio Operators). Not to mention that Amateur Radio Operators were the original radio service that could operate in disasters with their unique capabilities and knowledge.
But if we tried to get a new allocation of spectrum for Amateur Radio now... well, that would be effectively impossible.
As an example that you're not alone in "I feel a loss.", I'm nostalgic for the days of using autopatch (on nearly every Amateur Radio FM repeater, at least in the US) in a car that was a superior experience to the commercial equivalent. Mobile Telephone Service from AT&T had a total of 10 channels available in each metro area; you punched a button when you wanted to make a mobile phone call and when one of those channels was available your phone rang and you could place your call. Of course, every second of airtime was a billable event.
Every Amateur Radio of our vintage has examples like that.
Change is inevitable. (Our) Acceptance is optional.
Steve Stroh N8GNJ
The initial start culminating in the 1912 division between "real" wireless services above 200 m of wavelength and "amateur" traffic on the "useless" lower wavelengths was one of many. Another happened when the USA entered WW 1 and suddenly needed experienced radio operators for its military. The ARRL could provide 2500 of these on short notice, starting a long relationship between the two. Or look at the history of the 44NET: A ham in the right place at the right time could secure a, by today's standards, huge chunk of the IP address space for ham radio: 44.0.0.0 /8. How many millions did Amazon pay a few years ago for a quarter of that? I could also tell you an amazing story about DP0GVN on the Neumayer Antarctic station. We need more such "jump innovations". As long as ham spirit exists, our community will create these again and again. I expect them coming from the digital world.