On Thu, Feb 3, 2011 at 12:31 PM, i8cvs domenico.i8cvs@tin.it wrote:
----- Original Message ----- From: "Joe" nss@mwt.net To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Sent: Wednesday, February 02, 2011 7:25 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: FM birds
I agree,
With the money spent on all those birds, and launch costs, they by now could have made at least one nice linear transponder bird.
I'd love to see an old 2 meter up 10 meter down bird again!
The Original Rolling Ball Clock Idle Tyme Idle-Tyme.com http://www.idle-tyme.com
Hi Joe,
I agree with you.
Yes.... a lot of money spent on all those FM birds for very small in satellite communications with a lot of QRM !
Dom --
I'm fond of linear transponder birds, too, and nobody likes hearing bad operating habits, either on a linear or FM bird. However, I think the comments above misunderstand the process by which satellites are funded and constructed. Would you begrudge the builders of SO-67 the opportunity to take part in their government's initiative? If you were able to, there's still no reason to believe that the funds and efforts expended to produce that bird could be pooled with other national groups'.
I like OSCAR-7, VO-52 , and FO-29 and I hope and pull for P3-E
The first three of these were built by a national group that considered its own interests and opportunities, just as the groups today that have recently built FM birds. Of course, there are others that are making linear birds. Let's not forget that one such has been delivered to the ISS and will be hand-launched for us.
For all that, it should be said that the the difficulty of 'getting into' AO-51, for example, indicates that it is a constantly popular mode of satellite operation. Given that we are struggling to expand our ranks, I feel compelled to say that my abiding interest in satellite communications was kindled by AO-51. For me, and I suspect many who are worried about being branded glorified CB'ers, the FM birds provided a lower-expense means of entering what I consider the most interesting aspect of ham radio today.
73" de
i8CVS Domenico
73, Bruce VE9QRP