Speaking of publicly decodeable algorithms, anyone care to comment on D-Star? For those not in the know, it's a digital mode which has a proprietary closed source codec. One must buy the chip pre-programmed and not reverse engineer it, et al. The spec is not public. Icom has licensed it and in they are pushing it big in the US. AFAIK, it's the only digital algorithm which does not have a public spec. Giving one vendor proprietary ownership of a mode on the Ham bands is against everything good, proper, and wholesome! ;) The FCC has a digital fetish, and seems to get giddy for things digital, like BPL and D-Star... Even up to the level of secrecy of D-star, you can make up your own protocol and as long as you post it on some obscure website, you would be covered these days. You could even offer it as snail mail. It's the making it available for the asking that counts (except D-Star), not making it easy to find... Subtle, and IMHO, open to abuse (D-Star), so one can easily find ways to be legal by the letter, but violate the intent with not so much imagination required.... > Note that appart from just the maximum bandwidth there still may be > restrictions on the actual modes. And there is a restriction on the > contents of the data transmitted, which much be compatible with the > amateur charter. (and the data may not be transmitted encripted, except > with publicly decodeable algorithms) -- http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist