‰  NOW 35 WPM  ‰  TEXT IS FROM OCTOBER 2017 QST  PAGE 54‰

SHARKRF OPENSPOT HOTSPOT REVIEWED BY PASCAL VILLENEUVE, VA2PV VA2PV ARRL.
NET RECENTLY, I WAS IN MY SHACK LOOKING FOR DX ON 20 METERS WITHOUT ANY
SUCCESS, AS THE BAND WAS COMPLETELY CLOSED.  I EVEN HAD TO VERIFY THAT MY
ANTENNA SWITCH WAS NOT ON THE GROUND POSITION.  THEN IT CAME TO ME IS THIS
WHY VHF/UHF DIGITAL MODES ARE SO POPULAR THESE DAYS?  IS THAT THE MOST
EFFICIENT WAY FOR HAMS TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH DISTANT FRIENDS?  OR MAYBE ITS
BECAUSE SOME AMATEURS FACE ANTENNA RESTRICTIONS AND VIEW TODAYS VHF/ UHF
DIGITAL AS AN ALTERNATIVE FOR WORLD WIDE COMMUNICATIONS.  I GUESS THIS MUST
BE TRUE FOR SOME OF US, BUT FOR AN HF FAN LIKE ME, VHF/UHF DIGITAL MODES
ARE AN ADDITION TO MY HOBBY AND CERTAINLY NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR HF.  ONE
ATTRACTION IS THE NEW LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES IT OFFERS.  I FREQUENTLY
RECEIVE E MAILS FROM HAMS RETURNING TO THE HOBBY BECAUSE OF THE ENTHUSIASM
GENERATED BY THE NEW DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, AND THIS IS VERY POSITIVE.
WHATEVER THE REASON, WE ARE NOT LACKING OPTIONS, WITH MORE AND MORE DIGITAL
HOTSPOTS AVAILABLE IN THE HAM RADIO MARKET.  WHEN SEEKING A STANDALONE
HOTSPOT, HAMS USUALLY CONSIDER TWO IMPORTANT FACTORS COMPACTNESS AND LOW
POWER CONSUMPTION.  THE RASPBERRY PI A MINIATURE LINUX COMPUTER IS VERY
POPULAR AMONG THOSE WHO WANT TO BUILD THEIR OWN DIGITAL HOTSPOTS, BUT FOR
SOME HAMS LEARNING LINUX RASPBIAN IS THE VERSION USED WITH THE RASPBERRY PI
‰  END OF 35 WPM TEXT  ‰  QST DE W1AW  ƒ