It is a fact that I get on the birds infrequently, often it's a timing issue of when I have free time vs. what is going to pass during that time. Taking that into account as you are reading this, the last couple or three times I was on a linear bird which would have been 1H 2017 to my recollection, nobody wanted to have a rag-chew or even a short weather/shack/shoe-size QSO. Grid exchange was it. Honestly, I don't care about grids or awards although I will work some when they are out in the rare spots on the FM birds if the timeslot fits just to have them in the log in case I change my mind some year (love that you can just do that with ham radio, change your interest/tactics any given day). So I haven't tried so much to get on a linear pass after that, it wasn't what I was looking for. CQ for the whole pass to exchange grids three or four times. This is not an editorial on what current op trends are, just my two cents worth on the subject. Maybe I hit the birds during a lull in rag-chew interest.
Jerry Buxton, NØJY
On 3/15/2018 22:06, Paul Stoetzer wrote:
I admit that the launches of AO-91 and 92 have reduced my linear operating time. As much as I enjoy operating on the linear sats, operating portable as I do, I'm not going to be able to operate every pass. I have made fewer than two dozen linear sat QSOs this year.
Perhaps some linear satellite operating days are in order where everyone decides to work as many passes of the XWs as possible or CAS-4B or UKube-1 or something. FO-29 and AO-7 do seem to draw a decent amount of activity still.
73,
Paul, N8HM
On Thu, Mar 15, 2018 at 11:00 PM, R.T.Liddy k8bl@ameritech.net wrote:
Unfortunately, I've been roving the past couple weeks and operating from several uncommon Grids/Gridlines and usually find no one or only one on the Linear SATs. Does that make me want to drive to some odd place and set up to rarely make a QSO? People shouldn't worry abt being exactly zero-beat, if that puts them off. Just get close & we'll find you. If people keep avoiding them, eventually no one will bother using them, period. Maybe, the "Easy SATs" are so easy that folks don't bother with the others. 73, Bob K8BL /4/5/9 ________________________________ From: Joe N3XLS via AMSAT-BB amsat-bb@amsat.org To: Bob- W7LRD w7lrd@comcast.net; amsat-bb amsat-bb@amsat.org Sent: Thursday, March 15, 2018 6:43 PM Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] idle comments
Its not too many satellites, not enough ops! -------- Original message --------From: Bob- W7LRD w7lrd@comcast.net Date: 3/15/18 6:23 PM (GMT-05:00) To: amsat-bb amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: [amsat-bb] idle comments Hello from Seattle
I read the bb almost thoroughly throughout the day. A small common denominator is subtly appearing. I read, "I was on the bird all alone", or something like, "no one to talk to". The unusual conclusion, we have too many satellites! I never thought this ham would even think of it. If I look at Satpc32 with "only" a dozen listed, in fast forward a bewildering barrage of circles floats across the screen. I am not saying this is a bad thing, it just spreads us out and at times, there is, "no one to talk to". I do testing like try different power levels, talk to myself til as close to AOS as I can get. You know the drill. From what I read there are more on the starting block. I'd like to see more L band time, maybe a bird with a S band DL a MEO, a HEO- I know, idle comments. We have the five & dime coming at us, which sounds like a whole other world, I'm looking forward to it. Then there is the massive off air time making all this stuff work. Currently testing between two
L
band antennas and between two different 70cm antennas. At this time I have my Satpc32 talking fine with the radio but not with the rotor. A com port issue which currently I can not figure out. Assistance solicited. On the ISS it would be fun to see one of the "hams" up there have that "burning in the belly" to yuck it up, get WAS, VUCC, DXCC or whatever. Again, just idle comments not a criticism of the ARISS system. Sunny day in Seattle, xyl says yard work.
73 Bob W7LRD
Seattle _______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb