I proposed suggested guidelines. These are guidelines, not rules set in stone by AMSAT leadership. Similar operating guidelines have been proposed by other areas of ham radio, such as the DX Code of Conduct. Not everybody adheres to those suggestions, either, to the detriment of the DX pileup (in my opinion). FM satellites are open to all. There has been a chronic issue with FM satellites being congested, and in some cases, misused. This is discouraging to operators who take the trouble to go elsewhere to operate, either to hand out rare grids to other satellite users, or to put on a demonstration. The more experienced operators often use the SSB sats to avoid these very issues. Not everybody has that option. Part of this is stewardship; an attempt to find a solution to the congestion issues that exist on the FM satellites (and have for quite some time). If this trend continues, my concern is the more experienced operators will simply go to the SSB sats, leaving newcomers to fend for themselves on FM. With no understanding of (or in some cases, interest in) sharing an FM sat pass, new users will get discouraged because they can't work anybody and give up. I don't believe anybody wants that to happen.
Sean Kutzko Amateur Radio KX9X
On Wednesday, December 13, 2017, 7:46:02 AM EST, kg5jup kg5jup@gmail.com wrote:
I am a little disturbed that these ideas were just published no vote not input. I am a paying member I had no input. Honest feel like a handful of individuals who want to treat the birds like the extra class band when convent and whine when they don't get their way.
Sent via the Samsung Galaxy Note8, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone -------- Original message --------From: "Sean K. via AMSAT-BB" amsat-bb@amsat.org Date: 12/12/17 21:48 (GMT-06:00) To: Sean Waite waisean@gmail.com, AMSAT BB amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] FM Satellites: Good Operating Practices for Beginning and Experienced Operators Hi all- Matthew NJ4Y and a few others put it more succinctly than I did: Item 6 in my document is about extending courtesy to a station that goes to the trouble of setting up away from their home or back yard. That can be for a demo, a special event station at a hamfest, or a rare grid. All item 6 is asking for is some consideration for that op's effort. I live in grid FN31. It's a very common location. I tend to focus on calling other stations on FM passes from Connecticut. I activate other grids from time to time. When I do so, I usually take a full-duplex linear station with me, so I can work the more capable stations on SSB. But I still work FM passes, because there are some stations that only have FM capability. Sometimes I only take an HT with me, and am limited to FM only. Here are a couple examples: This July, I was back home in Illinois, and did a few SO50 passes from the EM59/EM69 grid line with my HT and Arrow. EM69 is kind of rare (not sure why), so I was happy to hand it out. One pass, I made 17 QSOs. Another pass, W4FS was on as K2J from North Carolina for the 13 Colonies special event; we split the pass.... I took the first half, Tucker took the second. It all worked out just fine, with no advance planning or coordination. One night, I'd announced on Twitter I was going to the grid line for an SO50 pass. AA5UK was in the Cayman Islands, and announced he was able to make a quick trip to FK09, a very rare grid, but was only there for a day or so. His access to passes was very limited and his time was short. He was in a far rarer location than I was...he was going to be able to hand out a rare grid and possibly a new DXCC entity for many people, so I bailed out and let him take the pass. I went back to my grid line the next night, after AA5UK had left his rare spot. No skin off my nose, and I didn't interfere with people trying to work a much more enticing station than me. That kind of courtesy and awareness is all item 6 is advocating for. If a station is on from a different DXCC entity, a cruise ship handing out water grids, or doing a demo at a Scout Jamboree, throw 'em a bone. If you were the station of interest, I'd wager you would appreciate the opportunity. And of course, if a bona fide emergency pops up and a LEO is the only way a station can get a message out, then everybody else should stand by. Sean Kutzko Amateur Radio KX9X
On Tuesday, December 12, 2017, 9:15:55 PM EST, Sean Waite waisean@gmail.com wrote:
Bow ties are cool, too.
So we have a bunch of other uses for the birds. How does this fit into rule 6? Do rare grids make way for DX? Does DX make way for NBEMS?
I'm new to the satellite game, so I don't really have an opinion, but maybe there is more discussion here than a simple dismissal. Maybe not. Almost every grid is a new grid for me.
Sean WA1TE
On Tue, Dec 12, 2017, 20:31 Devin L. Ganger devin@thecabal.org wrote:
There's the "Doctor Who" reason:
Satellites are COOL.
-- Devin L. Ganger (WA7DLG) email: devin@thecabal.org web: Devin on Earth cell: +1 425.239.2575
-----Original Message----- From: AMSAT-BB [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org] On Behalf Of Mac A. Cody Sent: Tuesday, December 12, 2017 5:12 PM To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] FM Satellites: Good Operating Practices for Beginning and Experienced Operators
I would hope that another reason for working the satellites is experimentation to broaden the applications of amateur satellites. This is seen, of late, with the resurgence of 'Experimenter's Wednesday' on AO-85. I would like to see more experimentation in other areas. Here are some examples and I'm sure that there are others:
o Use of LEO satellites for emergency response traffic (e.g. Narrow Band Emergency Messaging Software - NBEMS).
o Use/development of alternative modulation schemes on linear transponder satellites to enable more efficient use or lower the barrier to access (e.g. double-sideband modulation, digital voice, low-power digital modes).
o Development and test of homebrew satellite ground stations to lower the barrier to working amateur satellites (e.g. antenna systems, filters, amplifiers, full-duplex transceivers).
73,
Mac Cody - AE5PH
On 12/12/2017 06:36 PM, Sean Waite wrote:
I'll bite. As far as I can tell, there are 2 main reasons for working the satellites. Chasing grids and making contacts via space. This includes both these acts as well as the fun of overcoming the challenges of doing the same.
Maybe Zach has a third option that we haven't considered, one that is contrary to the grid hunt. Rag chews aren't really viable due to the limited resource and short time, but there could be something else.
73, Sean WA1TE
On Tue, Dec 12, 2017, 19:05 Jeff Johns jeff30339@gmail.com wrote:
I don’t have him on my logs either.
Jeff WE4B
On Tuesday, December 12, 2017, David Swanson dave@druidnetworks.com wrote:
Zach,
Do you avoid Satellites too? I've looked thru my logs and I don't have
your
call in there. I've asked a few other prolific ops and they lack a QSO
with
you as well. Just curious why the strong feelings on Item 6 if you're not active on the birds.
73,
Dave, KG5CCI
On Tue, Dec 12, 2017 at 4:30 PM, Zach Metzinger zmetzing@pobox.com wrote:
On 12/12/17 14:25, John KI4RO wrote:
Just like rare DX Zach...you must be a great operator on HF
too...Ugh!
73 John KI4RO
John,
I generally avoid 160 meters, as there are too many on there who resort to disparaging insults.
73,
--- Zach N0ZGO
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_______________________________________________ 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