Dave, You have made it clear on this BBS before that FM sats are not your cup of tea. I don't have any problem with that but I think your use of the word "pandemonium" is a little strong. I would say that it's "hectic" but it's possible to work stations in relative comfort if one knows how to pick and choose their spots. I'm right with you on wating for P3E, I missed out on AO-40 entirely. I hope soon to be working AO-7 and VO-52 as soon as I straighten out an antenna issue I'm having on 70cm transmit. I just think your attitude towards the FM sats is wrong. They do have their place. Many people, including myself got the thrill of hearing our signal beamed back to us for the first time on an FM sat and we still enjoy it. C'mon now... a cellphone call?? It's a bit more complex than that. As far as membership deteriorating, I think narrow mindedness, about a variety of things including FM sats, new frequencies and modes, cubesats etc. etc. does more harm than anything. Of course I've only been licensed for 30 years so I guess my opinion doesn't count hunh? ;-) 73, Michael, W4HIJ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dave Guimont" dguimon1@san.rr.com To: la2qaa@amsat.org Cc: amsat-bb@amsat.org Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2008 4:31 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Organised Chaos.
John, the operation of FM voice satellites is a travesty for ham radio...
I've been licensed for 57 years, on amateur satellites for 33 years (Oscar 7) and the FM voice operation is the most ridiculous aberration I've witnessed in all of amateur radio...Pandemonium exists here also!!
It is pretty obvious NO COMMUNICATION exists on AO51, all of their communication is on here. Why do they bother to turn the radio on???
Many of us attended AMSAT a lot conventions in an attempt to discourage throwing that money "down the tubes" on FM voice, to no avail. Someone had an "ax to grind", and several of the existing "powers that be" in AMSAT-NA told me to "mind my own business". They were obviously the "ax grinders".
FM voice on the amateur satellites is about equal to the same degree of difficulty as a cell phone operation!
No wonder our membership is deteriorating.
Ancient AO7 and present VO52 hopefully are keeping some interest, until Europe launches P3E....
That's where my donations go.....
At 10:14 AM 5/13/2008, you wrote:
In 17 years of satellite operating - and literally thousands of QSO's, I'm proud of the fact that I have actually had 2 - (that's two, folks) - QSO's on FM. I believe the last one was W3SM/OE on AO-27 about 10 years ago.
For want of something better to do today I went outside with my arrow aerial, a MYCOM handheld scanner and a little IC-E91 (also handheld) to have a listen to AO-51 ... (I've heard it described as a "zoo").
I monitored the 16:15Z pass over Russia/LA/Europe/UK and what I heard can only be described as the worst operating I've heard in 41 years of radio.
I also sincerely hope that the standard of operating (read: disipline/ proceedure) is better in North America than it is in Europe - actually, I've listened via N1DID and Echolink, as well as the promo video so I know it is.
73, Dave, WB6LLO dguimon1@san.rr.com Disagree: I learn.... Pulling for P3E...