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AMSAT Open Source Policy
by Stephen DeVience 15 Jul '20

15 Jul '20

Bruce, thank you for this explanation of the ITAR issues. It looks like AMSAT is at a fork in the road here regarding how to deal with it. I see the positives of having an open-source policy as 1) AMSAT will be able to work with international partners, which would probably not be allowed under a proprietary ITAR policy. 2) It may help keep old satellites running in the future. AO-27 required an extensive software fix to be brought online. I'm not sure if this was open source or not, but having the software and hardware information public would definitely give more people a chance to develop solutions. 3) It's in the spirit of amateur radio and helps avoid debates regarding proprietary hardware and software, like the never-ending arguments over PACTOR. I can see negatives as well 1) Manufacturers of space-rated hardware may want certain aspects kept private, and it might not be possible to easily find or make an open-source replacement. How extensive is the ITAR carve-out? If you use just one proprietary component, does that take you out of the carve-out? 2) It may force AMSAT to abandon long-standing relationships (whatever's in those NDAs), which could greatly affect ongoing projects. I'd like to hear a response from those wanting to keep a proprietary policy. What about it outweighs an open policy? Would an open policy work, but maybe further down the road? If AMSAT won't call BOD meetings to have civilized discussions, maybe we can do it over the BB :) -Stephen, N8URE

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Re: [amsat-bb] best android sat program?
by David Bartholomew 15 Jul '20

15 Jul '20

I use two: AmsatDroid Free ISS Detector Pro The AmsatDroidFree is free, but the satellites are listed in order by age and it's a little cumbersome to find the one you want. You can look at only one sat at a time and the prediction only goes out 24 hours ahead. But, it's free. ISS Detector Pro. The base version only tracks the ISS, so you need to pay a little bit for the add-ons, which include all the ham sats. You can customize a list of your favorite sats and see which ones are coming, in date/time order. Very nice app. Dave AD7DB

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QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo
by tjschuessler＠verizon.net 15 Jul '20

15 Jul '20

I am sure you have seen information about this on ARRL or other Amateur Radio news outlets. Is anybody from the AMSAT Ambassadors or volunteers planning on trying to sign up for a speakers slot for this? Lots of other ham activities are represented. It would be a shame if we were not there promoting Amateur Radio in Space. I will if no one else will, but I think we have a bunch of good presenters in our ranks and we should be represented. Hopefully it is not too late to get a slot. Tom Schuessler, N5HYP EM12ms

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Re: [amsat-bb] Who I’m NOT Voting For (Short)
by Bruce Perens 15 Jul '20

15 Jul '20

https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/AMSAT_AUP_061819…

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Re: [amsat-bb] Who I’m NOT Voting For (Short)
by Fernando Ramirez 15 Jul '20

15 Jul '20

Are you paying attention to the whole thread? Or maybe my English (my second language) is that bad. KF7R On Wed, Jul 15, 2020, 5:55 PM Clint Bradford <clintbradford(a)me.com> wrote: > I have never written nor spoken to anyone about this Web site. You > cannot cite anything from me - andI just don’t know who “Mike” is. > > Clint Bradford K6LCS > > > > > >> Perhaps Clint or Mike (since he made the same allegation in the past > against Patrick) can provide irrefutable proof that both were behind that > page. > > 73 > KF7R >

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Wayback Machine
by Michael Tondee 15 Jul '20

15 Jul '20

Subject: Re: AMSAT-BB Digest, Vol 15, Issue 257 Date: Wed, 15 Jul 2020 13:07:42 -0400 From: Michael Tondee <mat_62(a)charter.net> To: amsat-bb-request(a)amsat.org > Wow, thanks for the link! Looks like a hilarious sendup of a known > huckster that has been using AMSAT for his own self promotion for > years! Bravo to Patrick and Jeff, well done, they have him pegged > perfectly. 73, Michael W4HIJ > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 4 > Date: Wed, 15 Jul 2020 11:17:03 -0400 > From: Mike Diehl <diehl.mike.a(a)gmail.com> > To: Clint Bradford <clintbradford(a)mac.com> > Cc: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org > Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Who I?m NOT Voting For (Short) > Message-ID: <16976F65-3803-4B8C-9A6E-5FF6EC1DBE92(a)gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > Clint, > > No need to send screenshots, everyone can just use the Wayback Machine > here http://web.archive.org/web/20181227011914/http://work-sats.com/ > > 73, > Mike Diehl > W8LID/VE6LID > >> On Jul 15, 2020, at 10:10, Clint Bradford via AMSAT-BB >> <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> wrote: >> >> ?Patrick and Jeff created a Web site In 2018 using my Web site?s name >> - but added the plural of my work-sat.com - they used ?Sats.? >> >> The site was solely created to demean myself and Gordon West. The >> posts were obscene, vile, insulting, and vicious in their attacks. >> Most of their posts are too objectionable to post on a public forum >> like this: posts like two rats fornicating and writing that my >> satellite inquiry phone number of 800-999-SATS could also use the >> alpha characters, 800-999-RATS. >> >> If anyone is interested in reading screenshots of their work, I will >> privately email them to you. >> >> Stoddard and Johns will not be receiving my vote. >> >> Clint Bradford K6LCS >> 909-999-SATS >> >> PS They let the GoDaddy domain name expire after a year. I registered >> it immediately - and it is now redirected to my site. >> _______________________________________________ >> Sent via AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available >> to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. >> Opinions expressed >> are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views >> of AMSAT-NA. >> Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite >> program! >> Subscription settings: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb > >

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Re: [amsat-bb] Who I’m NOT Voting For (Short)
by Bruce Perens 15 Jul '20

15 Jul '20

You're going to bring the moderator down on the list again.

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Who I’m NOT Voting For (Short)
by Clint Bradford 15 Jul '20

15 Jul '20

Patrick and Jeff created a Web site In 2018 using my Web site’s name - but added the plural of my work-sat.com - they used “Sats.” The site was solely created to demean myself and Gordon West. The posts were obscene, vile, insulting, and vicious in their attacks. Most of their posts are too objectionable to post on a public forum like this: posts like two rats fornicating and writing that my satellite inquiry phone number of 800-999-SATS could also use the alpha characters, 800-999-RATS. If anyone is interested in reading screenshots of their work, I will privately email them to you. Stoddard and Johns will not be receiving my vote. Clint Bradford K6LCS 909-999-SATS PS They let the GoDaddy domain name expire after a year. I registered it immediately - and it is now redirected to my site.

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Re: [amsat-bb] Who I'm voting for (long)
by Bruce Perens 15 Jul '20

15 Jul '20

I see a lot of "old space" vs. "new space" in what you wrote, Steve. To start with: Some, if not all of the NDAs state that the content of the NDA and its existence will not be disclosed by AMSAT. The big difference here is confidentiality vs. transparency. New space is represented by organizations that are extremely transparent. LibreSpace <https://libre.space/> is a good example: everything they do is 100% Open Source, and they built the satellites that AMSAT-EA is launching, and a huge worldwide ground station network. Those Genesis N and L satellites <http://perens.com/static/AppliedIon/AMSAT-EA-Newsletter_11-2019.pdf> have electric thrusters by Applied Ion Systems <https://appliedionsystems.com/>, A USA-based researcher, also 100% Open Source. ORI is similar: USA based, 100% open. About those thrusters. Those AMSAT-EA satellites are going to Then, there is AMSAT. You imply (if not confirm) that AMSAT has agreements so secret that they can't tell the membership that they exist. Why are all of the other guys open? Because 100% openness is the only strategy that protects you from ITAR/EAR and its equivalents in other nations. It is proprietary research that is protected by ITAR, not the stuff you publish. Ask commercial companies like 3D Robotics <https://www.3dr.com/>, who have the US Government as *their major customer,* and participate in Dronecode <https://www.dronecode.org/> because 100% public disclosure is the only good way to get around ITAR. There used to be a justification for AMSAT's secrecy, in that we thought that nobody would launch our satellites if we didn't act like old space. But those other organizations are getting more satellites launched than AMSAT has been. They are also building more, and designing more. It illustrates the problem that you were made afraid, by AMSAT's ITAR preoccupation, to publicly distribute the plans for *a plastic model of the appearance of a cubesat.* There just can't be anything that isn't public knowledge about that. If we all continue to vote for more of the same old stuff, I am convinced that AMSAT will continue its slide toward bankruptcy and irrelevance, and will have a smaller and smaller working group, and eventually there won't be an AMSAT and the open guys will take over anyway. It would be much better for AMSAT to join the present. I will be voting for Bob and Howie, because they are unquestionable space professionals with a long history of innovation, and after Tom steps down we won't have anyone else who is close to Bob and Howie's level. And Jeff, because while he's more of a regular ham than a rocket scientist, he is open to the future where others are not. Thanks Bruce

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Candidate for BOD
by Howie DeFelice 15 Jul '20

15 Jul '20

My name is Howie DeFelice, callsign AB2S and I am currently a second alternate director in AMSAT. I am running to seek a term as a full member of the Board of Directors. I ran for the office of director last year because I felt AMSAT needed some new blood with some new ideas. As an alternate director I got to observe from the sidelines, at least as much as I could since regular board meetings were suspended for the first time in the organization's history. I’m afraid my worst fears were true and the leadership of AMSAT really is a “good ole boys club”. When new people became part of the organization last year it went into hibernation mode. This effectively froze any possible new ideas that were different from the legacy members’ long held beliefs. The only way forward for the organization is to change the composition of the board of directors. I would like to outline some of the small things that can be done that could have a positive impact on the organization. More information is available on my web site www.ab2s.freeservers.com<http://www.ab2s.freeservers.com> .

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