Hi Brad,
Your points are very well taken. Being one of those who ".... huge, rotatable and elevating, computer controlled antenna system, connected to a 9700 in a permanent shack, with SDR.....", I sure don't consider anyone without the above equipment as "little people".
I dial down the RF power of my 9700 to an indicated 10% for ALL satellite operations. This means my antenna output is less than 10W given coax line losses.
I began in satellites with an ICOM IC-Z1A and Arrow antenna in 2000. That was, and still is, a lot of fun. I plan to do more with that setup when camping in remote spots and grid squares.
73,
Bob W7OTJ
On Thu, Mar 19, 2020 at 8:04 AM Brad Smith via AMSAT-BB amsat-bb@amsat.org wrote:
<Hopefully, AMSAT and other entities will continue to make available FM satellites as well as more SSB satellites and APRS satellites, so everyone who wants to participate will have that opportunity.Steve AI9IN> I echo what Steve said. Those of us who love to rove and work outdoors enjoy the FM birds. We may not have the huge, rotatable and elevating, computer controlled antenna system, connected to a 9700 in a permanent shack, with SDR and thus to some hams may be just "little people," but we have fun with the FM birds. When it ceases to become fun, I get another hobby. I am a minimalist and love working portable, with an D72 or other smaller radio. I do not understand why any manufacturer would have made a radio that put out 75-100 watts in FM satellite mode. I have worked the birds since 2013, both linear and FM. The FM birds are just plain FUN and can get a person a lot of new grids, which is fun too. Please, guys, keep your power down, so we portables can have a chance to get in and mostly, give us a space to get in. Brad KC9UQR
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