This really conflicts me.
For those unable to enjoy amateur radio in the conventional way (maybe in a care home, hospital or hotel room) it allows connections into many repeaters around the world. At the same time I find it unsatisfying as it lacks experimentation, which I find the best part of the hobby.
There are other amateur radio substitutes that use the internet to entirely replace radio! I find these even less enjoyable.
I would be interested to hear the views of others.
Hi Roger, for me EchoLink serves a purpose - communicating when no other means of contact is practical - ie I am travelling and want to join a local net which is available via echolink and not via RF. Driving around the country you hear silence more than traffic [on repeaters] and no one seems to respond to calls they don't know. Because of this I am more inclined to not put antennas on my car. I won't be moving to a "hotspot" or similar to join a DMR talkgroup as there is no difference to using a phone - except it doesn't sound as good. I currently still have my radio on and scanning in my car, but spend most of the drive listening to [amateur] radio [podcasts]. de M0TFY
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