----- Original Message ----- From: "John Hackett" archie.hackett@hotmail.com To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Cc: eu-amsat@yahoogroups.com Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2011 10:50 AM Subject: [amsat-bb] HO-68 comments.
Once again, I note the whinging about HO-68's orbit not being suitable for
a particular station ... or two.
I'd like to remind the gentlemen concerned that HO-68's on time is NOT
designed to favour one particular area. Please remember, it's a Chinese satellite and we should abide by and respect their decision of when to activate the transponder.
For my own use,the HO-68 late afternoon GMT 'on' times are optimum.
Conversly, I 'could' complain about the ISS orbit - (but I don't) -only
'seeing it at max 6 degrees for 90 seconds every 2 days - (read: unworkable from my QTH), dirro SO-50, AO-27 and VO-52.
What may be poor for one operator could be optimum for another.
Please remember, the world consists of more than The United States Of
America and Southern Europe.
73 John. la2qaa@amsat.org
Hi John, LA2QAA
I don't agree with you because there are many and many HO-68 orbits with the satellite transponder OFF despite the elevation is very hight for South Europe and North Europe i.e. for you and for me as well for South USA and North USA
The problem is that in the above orbits HO-68 cannot be very well monitored by the only one command station in China and they prefere to switch OFF the transponder.
The pobleme is that the Chinese HO-68 should have more control stations around the the world instead of only one in China.The roule is that many control station are needed for a LEO satellites and only two or maximum tree for a HEO satellite.
Same problem arise with JAMSAT with only one control station in Japan for FO-29
AMSAT China and AMSAT Japan don't like to share the command of their satellites with AMSAT's command stations in different continents.
Conversly you should remember that in the early 1974 AMSAT had control stations for OSCAR-6 in USA ,in North Africa (Algeria) and Australia so that the satellite was continuously monitored and during all orbits it was operational.
I abandoned HO-68 for the better and reliable as well in all orbits available transponder of VO-52
73" de
i8CVS Domenico