You miss the point. Of course there is room for all types and not once did I suggest that anyone using a handheld antenna is some sort of "low life". I'm just saying that IMO the easysat mentality has been run in the ground as a selling point for this branch of the hobby. AMSAT needs to break out of that mold and do something new! I'm begging! But, it falls on deaf ears. BTW, that doesn't mean pie in the sky stuff that everyone knows has no chance to come to fruition. I'm not that gullible. I'll crawl back in my hole now, lurk on the reflector and hope for better days when we are pushing the envelope again rather than becoming an also ran. I guess my dues money and paltry donations don't make a difference to the organization. None the less, I will continue to withhold them till I see some change, although I won't be holding my breath! Again, just one man's opinion but if we just continue to maintain the status quo as it stands now, I see a dim future for this organization. Sigh...
73,
Michael, W4HIJ
Message: 4 Date: Thu, 1 Aug 2019 18:31:07 +0000 (UTC) From: Brad Smith corlissbs@aol.com To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: [amsat-bb] Waving An Antenna Message-ID: 1624430397.216251.1564684267582@mail.yahoo.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
<I don't mean to suggest there's anything wrong with easy. I just think, as a selling point, it's run it's course is all. How many times are you going to watch a guy at a hamfest with an HT and a handheld? antenna exchange grid squares? I would think sooner or later people just walk on by.? "Seen it already, where's the new rigs?" > There is room in this hobby for all types of radio/satellite contact. I have recently introduced two other hams to satellites by "waving an antenna." They both bought Arrow 2 antennas and now are having great fun with the birds. If I had a rotor system on a tripod, these people would have passed it up as too complicated. Our ham club is going to build our own stressed moxon antennas so everyone can work the birds. Depending if one is trying to get people into the satellite hobby or dazzle them with technology, one has to tailor the display to the crowd. Yes, I belong to the KISS club. (Keep It Simple Stupid) But on the other hand, I do work the SSB birds, receive SSTV images from the ISS and am learning to send packets. I welcome the new ideas. If I have to buy a new radio, so be it. If I have to pay for some air time, so be it. If I have a learning curve, so be it. But I still will be the low life out there waving an Arrow 2 antenna because it is fun, gets the job done, and still gi ves me a thrill. And all my neighbors think I should have a tin foil hat as I stand in my yard with my antenna in the air.? Brad KC9UQR