----- Original Message ----- From: "Edward R. Cole" kl7uw@acsalaska.net To: "Clint Bradford" clintbradford@mac.com; "AMSAT BB" amsat-bb@amsat.org Sent: Saturday, May 07, 2011 1:38 AM Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: AO-51 Data
Perhaps the result will be more activity on AO-7, VO-52, FO-29 using SSB? Looks like I am getting my satellite array working just in time to miss AO-51? Be nice to see HO-68 again.
Hearing of Fox, when is it planned for orbit? P3E? any other lurkers about jump up into space? oooh well,there is always Oscar-Zero
;-)
73, Ed
Hi Ed, KL7UW
I don't think that after the trouble on AO-51 there will be more activity on AO-7, VO-52 , and FO-29 using CW and SSB because since 2004 when AO-51 was operational a lot of Hams invested a lot of money to buy FM hend held equipments, Arrow antennas and ELK antennas to work grids and make FM satellite demonstrations as well to work the ISS showing satellite operation in the schools so that actually the most part of them is not equipped for linear transponders.
If AO-51 will be in trouble for a long time and if a similar satellite will not replace it than a lot of money all around the world has been invested in FM equipment for very small.
For the FM satellite users the actual situation with AO-51 out of service is similar to our actual SSB and CW situation after the death of AO40 about 8 years ago because actually we have only three linear satellites available after having invested a lot of money for SSB and CW equipments and antennas for 144 -435-1268-2400 MHz and 24 GHz
By the way since I am equipped for linear transponders I am pulling for P3E because this satellite is almost completely built in the University of Marburg waiting for a launch opportunity in the future even if we don't know when so that in the mean time I work VO-52, FO-29 and AO-7
The situation for the linear satellite users is very bad as well because HO-68 was only activated for a limited numbar of orbits that were not very suitable for most locations and actually it is not scheduled for us by Alan Kung.
I don't have any information about the Fox project but I remember that few years ago in 2004 AMSAT-NA had a project for the EAGLE satellite in HEO orbit
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/eagle/Eagle_Fall_2004.php
but apparently it seems that this project has been abandoned........Sorry !
You are right because there is always Oscar-Zero but actually EME is very different from that EME of the early years 1970 so that personally I found not too much challenge to work EME in digital mode.
Ed , It is a real shame! I wanted a HEO so bad! (American slang - hi). Take care my friend and God Bless
73" de
i8CVS Domenico