Ham radio also has the FT8 protocol which is optimized for bad signal to noise environments, but has low bandwidth. However, using this protocol a 10Watt radio has global reach under the right conditions, which is pretty mind boggling.
replyAbout encryption, the US rules are that you can use digital protocols but you must publish the specs so anyone can, in principle, decode the signal.
>the US rules are that you can use digital protocols but you must publish the specs so anyone can, in principle, decode the signal.
replyThis restriction does not appear to actually be enforced, eg, if I recall correctly the VARA HF/FM modes do not have published specs anywhere near sufficient to decode them, to the point where there are projects trying to reverse engineer them.
AX.25 runs at 300 bps over HF while Mercury is 10x faster.
replyHAM radio isn't allowed to have encryption. (Someone can write a longer comment on why thats wrong.)
replyDepends on your jurisdiction. In Canada it's allowed if you publish your keys.
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