[aprssig] Pagers as part of the Text Messaging Initiative

[Jon K Hellan]

I think you've just established that packet bulletin boards are illegal in the U.S. Not that anybody is using them
any more. The same goes for packet email, winlink, or APRS messaging. And whatever messaging capability there is in
D-Star.

And you're probably right. If the FCC wanted to act against any of these one-way transmission activities, or ham use of
pagers, they could. But they've had more than 25 years to make up their mind. So there's this faint possibility that
they have decided that this is something they are going to tolerate. I don't see anything new with pagers, though,
unless the protocol turns out to be too proprietary. Then again, they don't stop Pactor III, and they don't stop D-Star.

There's certainly some legal risk here. But we do get up in the morning, although we could stumble and fall, causing
serious injuries. Most of us make coffee, although we could scald ourselves. And occasionally, we even leave the
house, taking on even more unnecessary risk.

73
Jon LA4RT