I called Martha with this idea today, and she suggested I put it on the b-b, so here it is:
AO-51 has been a real "hoot" for a bunch of hams, including me. judging from their technique and their QSLs, many of these ops are doing the sats for the first time. And probably most of that group do not belong to Amsat. (And they should, you know)
Since FM05 is not easy to find on '51, I've been getting more than a few QSL cards, and have started to ask the question on my return: "How about $ending Amsat a thank-you note?"
Yes, $, not S.
So, my idea is that we should try to get those whom we hear on '51 and who are not members to join Amsat, or at least send a few bucks in. Works either way for me.
For those who would like to try this: Martha has said that she will run calls against the members list and tell us who is NOT a member, if we send her lists of all those we hear on '51. No need to try to talk to all these folks, it's crowded enough.
For my part, I will supply the first 500 39 or 24 cent stamps to put on the the QSLs you would send to those identified as non-members. We should know how or if this will work by the response to the first 500
First goal would be to generate 100 new members or contributors.
I am not a subscriber to the list, so please contact me at [email protected] with comments, criticisms, or offers to help.
Thanks for the bandwidth.
Mike Honer, W1BFN LM 2252