--- Eric Fort eric.fort@gmail.com wrote:
Rather than getting an amp and engaging in a power battle (where you could then be construed as CAUSING INTENTIONAL INTERFERENCE to this guy) would it not be better for AMSAT or one of the control stations to contact the longwinded station in an official capacity letting him know that if he keeps hogging the sat passes he will not be welcome.
Yes, it would be better if AMSAT contacted the guy. But, satellite resources are too precious for it to be even remotely reasonable to say "I got here first so the satellite's mine for the entire pass and if you make a QSO you're interfering".
Making contacts and ignoring these guys is not the same thing as whistling in the mike (which I've heard on AO-51 and SO-50) or keying a dead carrier (which I've also heard) or anything else to deliberately interfere. I've heard multiple grid exchanges going on at the same time on the EZ-sats and it often works out pretty well. It also reminds the few that there are others out there wanting to talk to someone, too, and they sometimes even take the hint.
Do we have "laws" established for what an EZ-sat QSO is and how long it should last? Do we even want such laws? Gentlemen's agreement's usually work out pretty well. When they don't, then often notices from an OO are ignored and/or laughed at, (Remember Dan and Jon?) and sometimes the first letter from the FCC is even binned. That's when we get the pleasure of reading their callsigns and names on the board of shame on ARRL (the fcc actions page). By my book, being a gentleman means trying to ensure that everyone gets to enjoy the pass - that "everyone" also just happens to include me. "One and done" works pretty good on a busy pass.
Bob - AE6RV