December 2011 - AMSAT-BB - mailman.amsat.org

heres how i c it...
by paul robinson 03 Dec '11

03 Dec '11

Frank you are correct.....no point going on about it lets all work together and get some new birds in orbit,we dont just need fm but ssb as well and some heo's would be even better,sooner we get them the sooner we can enjoy this part of the hobby again....its just sad that a 30+ year old bird is the main stay and we need to learn from it! looing forward working a bird with more range than my back garden !so lets get on with it . PAUL 2E1EUB

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Famous Headline in "The Times" of England
by andy thomas 03 Dec '11

03 Dec '11

The famous headline, in an apocryphal story, was "Small Earthquake in Chile: Not Many Dead". With due respect to our fellow hams in CE it meant (at that unenlightened time) that there had been a sesismic shift that, although important to those above it, perhaps did not merit further discussion in the Newspaper of Record. Let's now call it a day. 73 de andy g0sfj

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VO52 and QRP FM
by andy thomas 03 Dec '11

03 Dec '11

This is an important debate in difficult times. I am with G7HIA on this one, namely that *** if there is no damage to the satellite *** a QRP (below 5w handy) operation might be considered to be feasible on a centre frequency. It is not our bird to give permission. There are of course two transponders on board. If permission were given ONLY for QRP in effect this means that WE must police this. It would be for us to discorage alligators. (Technically alligators can already use the bird anyway but don't). 73 de andy g0sfj

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here's how i see it!
by K4FEG 03 Dec '11

03 Dec '11

In an attempt to be as non-partisan as possible here is how I see it: Lets not live in the past. There are viable projects out there that need our IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. No short term action at this time to one satellite or another will provide the Amateur community with a long term option for satellite communications. I for one, want to know the *who, what when & where of getting the NEXT bird into outer space.* I hear "support this project or that project!", but I need information on how we can FIX the satellite issues and not just put a band-aide on it like the politicians like to do! We all know it cost MONEY to launch into Orbit, lets start getting the how, when and where figured out. Then lets start raising money! The sooner we start the quicker we can have the "birds" we want. I enjoy the satellites, both FM and Linear, I even use CW on the linear "birds" I have made many a marginal contact on a low angle pass because of using CW. That's the beautiful thing about this hobby, it is multifaceted and can make room for ANYONE'S interests. BIRD, ORBIT, MONEY that's what we need not a lot of debate on can we "Frankenstein" some bird into something it is not. I'm done, the Soap Box is going back into the closet (for now!) AO27 in 50 minutes! B THERE! Frank K4FEG

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Re: VO52 and QRP FM
by i8cvs 03 Dec '11

03 Dec '11

Hi Craig, W1MSG Well sayd ...........I agree with you ! CW and SSB is just what we have to do on VO-52 BTW, it's impossible to access VO-52 in FM with a 5 watt HT and arrow antennas because for a decent QSO in CW and SSB we need at least 50 watt and a 13 dBi 70 cm antenna. We, operators of VO-52 linear transponder on CW and SSB we have a lot of counter measures against any FM intruder into the VO-52 linear passband. 73" de i8CVS Domenico ----- Original Message ----- From: "Craig R Gagner" <crgagner(a)charter.net> To: "'amsat'" <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> Sent: Saturday, December 03, 2011 3:14 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: VO52 and QRP FM I have to agree with Edgar, expand your capabilities and use it as designed SSB or CW. There are two other FM birds out there and that's where the FM should stay .. Craig W1MSG -----Original Message----- From: amsat-bb-bounces(a)amsat.org [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of andy thomas Sent: Saturday, December 03, 2011 8:52 AM To: amsat Subject: [amsat-bb] VO52 and QRP FM This is an important debate in difficult times. I am with G7HIA on this one, namely that *** if there is no damage to the satellite *** a QRP (below 5w handy) operation might be considered to be feasible on a centre frequency. It is not our bird to give permission. There are of course two transponders on board. If permission were given ONLY for QRP in effect this means that WE must police this. It would be for us to discorage alligators. (Technically alligators can already use the bird anyway but don't). 73 de andy g0sfj

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Where to donate
by Bob- W7LRD 03 Dec '11

03 Dec '11

I realized my monthly donation to AMSAT had stopped a short time ago. Wanting to re initiate it I am debating going with Fox vs P3E from our DL friends. The DL version is obviously the coolest of the two, though Fox would probably more immediately economically feasible. Retired on a fixed income I spread my funds carefully. Being a HEO fanatic I question the short term feasibility of P3E. I feel a HEO would be a huge boost in a expanding satellite community. I give a few talks, do a hamfest and try to carry the "message" . Usually ending with, "we simply we need more money". Maybe buy more lottery tickets or pool our Visa cards. I know we have some very smart and "connected" people within AMSAT to the commercial industry. The big question, "where do we get the biggest bang for our buck". An idol thought, what would NASA say/do if say North Korea China, or Iran said we can launch a bird for you. Yep throw politics into it. It's late, I'm rambling yet these thoughts seem to forever occupy me. fairwell to AO-51 73 Bob W7LRD Seattle

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VO-52 FM Operation
by John Heath 03 Dec '11

03 Dec '11

Gentlemen, These are not normal times, we are seriously short of satellites and without satellites we don't have a hobby anymore. Without new and more satellites users we probably won't have a hobby anymore either. Time for creative thinking. FM on VO-52 might just be something we have to do. Send as much money as you can afford to the Fox project 73 John g7hia Sent from my iPad

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Stop flaming please
by andy thomas 03 Dec '11

03 Dec '11

I don't see why someone can't make a suggestion about a qrp experiment without being flamed about being incompetent, inadequate, financially poor or in some other way a lesser member of the -bb. You guys ought to learn a little more tolerance. Fact #1 is, ao-51 is dead and we don't have anything else of that quality for all of those operators who like doing field operations with an arrow. SO-50 is at best unpredictable and AO27 is not always on, depends on its ssp. Fact #2 is that anyone who is an alligator could have taken over vo-52 and didn't, thankfully. Fact #3 is that nobody would without seeking permission. So please cut back from the snide clever-clever remarks about having too small a piece of kit, hi. I don't feel bad about raising the idea. 73 de andy g0sfj

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VO-52 FM Operation???
by Luciano Gasparini 03 Dec '11

03 Dec '11

Hello all! I have been reading some posts mentioning that Amsat India would encourage FM work through VO-52. Is that for real or the other way around? I personally would like to keep her as a SSB one and use SO-50 for FM contacts. Could some one clarify that? 73, Luciano PT9KK

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Re: Where to donate
by Burns Fisher 03 Dec '11

03 Dec '11

>I realized my monthly donation to AMSAT ?had stopped a short time ago.? Wanting to re initiate it I am debating going with Fox vs P3E from our DL friends.? The DL version is obviously the coolest of the two, though Fox would probably more >immediately economically feasible.? Retired on a fixed income I spread my funds carefully.??? Being a HEO fanatic I question the short term feasibility of P3E.? I feel a HEO would be a huge boost in a expanding satellite community.? I give a >few talks, do a hamfest and try to carry the "message" .? Usually ending with, "we simply we need more money".? Maybe buy more lottery tickets or pool our Visa cards.? I know we have some very smart and "connected" people within >AMSAT to the commercial industry.? The big question, "where do we get the biggest bang for our buck".? An idol thought, what would NASA say/do if say North Korea?China,?or?Iran said we can launch a bird for you.? Yep throw politics into >it.? It's late, I'm rambling yet these tho! > ughts seem to forever occupy me. > >fairwell to AO-51 > >73 Bob W7LRD I can't tell you where to donate, of course. It's your decision. You have to consider what you want, and what you think is most likely to fly soonest, I guess. But a comment about launch services from those other countries. I don't think N. Korea or Iran can reach orbit reliably, so trying to launch with them would really be buying a lottery ticket. And beyond that, it would not be NASA that would be upset but the US state (I think) department. Satellites fall under ITAR (Internatlional Traffic in Arms Regulations, or something like that), and AMSAT would be in big trouble "exporting" a satellite without way more tons of paperwork than the rocket could lift :-) Probably not even that much paper would get a satellite to N Korea or Iran. Rides to orbit are more difficult now because of ITAR. Check the Amsat Journal archives for articles about it. (I know you are somewhat joking and I'm giving a serious answer...sorry about that...) Burns, W2BFJ

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