Wow, Here we go again. I have also donated to both projects. (and I'm retired!?) Just gave a presentation to a club in NJ. One of the members also pointed out that there is A lot of users exchanging info on the FM birds and seems to be pileup city. I get on most and get a QSO or 2 and then let the others have at it. Explaining the difference about LEO, MEO & HEO birds raised eyebrows and listeners asked about the HEO's and their Extended orbits usually with an SSB transponder. Everyone was made aware of their expensive costs to have these come about. However, they didn't realize that the costs were absorbed by "Donations" from many hams interested in this end of the hobby. Of course International agreements became a worldwide avenue of financial aid to requests. ITAR stopped info sharing and Dried up collaboration. Attitudes seemed to be "when you launch an HEO, I'd be interested in supporting this." No matter how I explained the urgency of hams supporting NOW for future projects, most seemed deaf to our plea. Patrick, we must continue to circulate these ideas and promote our growth so as launches become available and worked to fruition By our people, we have enough in the kitty to finish a project to meet them. Let's all stay on the same page.
Congrats to Tony, AA2TX, and his team for long hours of hard work to get his proposal recognized. Hoo-Rah.
Dee, NB2F
-----Original Message----- From: amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org] On Behalf Of Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) Sent: Saturday, February 11, 2012 8:01 PM To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: ANS-041 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin
Hi Kevin!
P3E is off in the future, I don't even think the sat is close to ready to launch, and then you have the launch itself to consider, I want P3E also but I also understand its not going to be soon.
That's been a question of mine, and a question asked of me in the recent past. When someone asks me "Should I build my satellite station to work with HEO satellites now?", my answer is usually "Don't worry about it, until we have one in orbit".
Until that day comes, I'm going to have fun working our current satellites - in FM, SSB, and occasionally CW. When, or if, an HEO is launched, then I'll gladly reequip my station to work that as well.
I remember seeing that at the AMSAT-UK Colloquium last year, the P3E launch cost was quoted as 10 million euros. One thing I have never been able to clearly determine is how much of that 10 million euros has been raised. I know I can buy pixels on that picture that has been on the AMSAT-DL web page for a long time, but I expect there has been more raised than just what we see on that picture. Can anyone connected with AMSAT-DL answer? That would help to put the P3E fundraising effort into some context.
AMSAT-NA has the PayPal widgets that started out with one that was for ARISSat-1 and Fox, and now there's a Fox-only widget on the AMSAT web site and in other places (like my QRZ.com entries and web page). I know there has been more $$$ donated to AMSAT than just what shows up on the PayPal widget, and I hope that combined total is publicized shortly - and then publicized on a regular basis. The PayPal widget for the Fox project (not the one that was for ARISSat-1 and Fox) has increased by 1/3 in the past 24 hours since the announcement of the NASA decision.
On the other hand FOX is NOW we have a means of getting into space,which is the biggest hurdle, so it needs funding NOW to get completed and on that ride.
I agree 100%. I've already made a couple of contributions, and I'm hoping AMSAT is able to deliver Fox-1 to NASA for that launch. :-)
Projects like FUNcube and KiwiSAT have also done a good job of publicizing what they have been doing and their needs - financial or otherwise. I've contributed to them, and - in the case of KiwiSAT - made multiple contributions. I'm all for not putting all of our eggs in one basket. More satellites would be a good thing.
73!
Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/
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