On 07/21/2014 06:00 AM, Gus wrote:
Probably because they didn't design a satellite. They designed an entire system including ground station components as well as flight hardware. The ground system components were made available such that their target audience was able to upgrade their BUD installations with only reasonable expenditures of time, effort and money. But that's just a guess in my part.
Bingo!
I'd love to chat with you on the new digital hamsat, but if it's going to require I spend $5k+ on hard-to-source, esoteric components and cobble them together with duct tape, then it'll be a while before I'm QRV. So, the first few days after launch those 60 DV channels may be a little quiet.
Next questions:
Does a DirecTV receiving station cost $5K? Are its components hard to source or esoteric?
If not, what makes you think that a digital ground station for an AMSAT satellite should be?
--Phil