this post was submitted on 22 Mar 2025
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If this is allowed, then the bands will become so busy they will be unusable.
Not with consumer traffic, mind, but illegal commercial traffic.
These bands are extremely valuable, and corporations, especially stock traders are literally chomping at the bit to get access to it.
I hear you, encryption would be nice, but it would literally destroy the hobby. Probably for more reasons than just the one I listed. Talking in the open air isn't that bad, you get used to it ๐คทโโ๏ธ it's a hobby after all.
It is fine for ham radio's original purpose: technical experimentation and connecting people. "Don't discuss politics' is a long-standing Gentleman's (woman's) agreement for a reason.
If you want to encrypt, go for the ISM bands. Lora, meshtastic, whatever happens at 433 MHz, hell even at 2.4 GHz a few 100mW will get you quite far with the right approach.
The difference is, your stuff will be type-checked. No experimentation, no building the crazy antenna idea that will be surelu fine according to your back of the napkin math.