/diy/ - Do It Yourself

>>2529822
I know the idea of amateur radio dying or new technology/changes to regulations killing amateur radio was already cliche before I was born, but is the current situation with digital voice modes and internet linking becoming a threat to future amateur radio use of the VHF and higher frequency bands? Consider:
>a significant portion of VHF/UHF activity these days is digital voice modes or other internet linking like AllStar, with most activity by users of those being radio -> repeater/node -> a server somewhere on the internet with no one else on that repeater/node at the time, rather than radio -> repeater -> radio
>a large number of people who use these digital modes do so via low power hotspots (normally running bluetooth level TX power) that they run themselves via their computer, reducing their radio to a fancy wireless microphone and speaker for their computer, with MMDVM hotspots that allow for people with analog radios to join in driving this point home even harder
>with few exceptions like DMR-MARC and small private servers that don't allow for hotspots, you can even communicate from end to end on many of these networks using a PC/phone client like DUDE-Star or DroidStar, without either party even touching amateur radio bands
How are amateur radio enthusiasts supposed to defend the bands from corporations wanting to gobble them up if this is how these bands are being used these days? Companies can just say lol put your smartphone in a fancy case like pic related to a lot people who use digital voice modes and internet linking at this point, or point them to one of those Zello radios or whichever CB radio manufacturer that was that let you link your CB radio to your phone via bluetooth if they want something more "authentic".