J. Daniel ponders 20 years of technology

Feb 1, 2002 12:00 PM, Jack Daniel The Jack Daniel Company www.RFsolutions.com

My handset rang.

“Hello Jack? This is (noise …) Bishop, and I wanted to know what you old (noise …) think about the (noise …) developments since (noise …) went into business 20 years ago.”

“??? Bishop?” I'm not Catholic, but … oh, it must be “Don” Bishop.

“Old ???” I've been called an old ____ so many times and in … oh, he probably said old-timers.

“??? developments?” I figured the missing word must be “wireless” (formerly “radio”), personal computers or safe sex. For Don, I chose “wireless.”

“Since ??? went into business 20 years ago?” My old manufacturing company, Nova Electronic Systems? Speedcall? Vega? SEA? Oh. Another interest of mine at the time — Mobile Radio Technology.

Question decoded: “What's my view of the developments of the wireless industry over the last 20 years?” OK. Here goes.

No duplex handsets. We had to press a button to talk or “connect,” and the transmissions were sent “direct” to everyone on the frequency. Then the industry developed billion-dollar duplex systems with no push-to-talk. But wait. Sprint PCS soon will offer PTT. Full circle?
Congested bands, sunspot “skip” and adjacent-channel interference. Good neighbors used isolators and filters. The FCC required the “last in” on a site to fix the interference they caused. That was business in those unenlightened days.
Coverage was great because — no portable radios. Most users didn't know coverage lacked in buildings, subways and parking garages because they didn't have the equipment to operate there.

“Quick, read back that list of wireless problems we used to have,” crackles Don's voice through the hands-free earpiece — that I have to hold in place with my left hand.

I say: “No coverage; things that interfere; system designs have changed.”

Don hears: “No (noise …) things (noise …) changed.

“I got it,” Don says, as my battery fades. “Nothing's changed.”

Daniel is an editorial advisory board member and was the West Coast editor in 1983.