I think that saying and others like it have about as much value as oh the "FM/linear satellite argument." ie almost none.
Steve Ford (dont recall the call, he is the "Big Key" at ARRL) ran a series of articles pre the launch of AO-40 where as I recall he compared each transponder combination as "a new band" (If I got this wrong Steve I apologize)...and in my view that explanation explains a lot of what is wrong about the satellite setup now.
The FM birds are popular because they are really a high repeater with the novelty of being "in space". There is a lot of "DX" for those use to a repeater but essentially it is short ranged.
The gear for the linear birds is not all that much more expensive then FM equipment. BUT if you dont use it for the birds and dont have really good antenna arrays it is more or less not of a lot of use. The same could be said in spades for some gear that will do C to X band or the other way.
Without some sort of HEO (or even a reasonable MEO) any "band" that comes from the linear birds is always going to be more "short ranged"...and while a lot of people like building things etc the prime object in amateur radio still is "communication" and working DX...one doesnt have to do a lot of "footprint" work to see that AO-7 and VU-52 great birds that they are, are still not terribly "dx" birds.
Amateur satellite communications would be a different place if AO-10 or 13 were still working or up, even if we had a Oscar IV (in its correct orbit) or Arsene working or even AO-40. If we had a transponder even on a spent upper stage that was wondering back and forth in a GTO...things would be very different.then DX would be a reality not a dream. The technology challenge is not that hard, if there was DX I suspect you would find more people on the linear birds.
Until then AO-7 and VU 52 are great and we can all do slogans like "for us or against us"... Robert WB5MZO
Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2012 11:18:18 -0700 From: ka3hsw@att.net To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Montagues & Capulets (was: FM vs SSB, HEO vs LEO, etc)
The saying, "if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem" comes to mind...
George, KA3HSW
(Spend a buck every week on a lottery ticket in AMSAT's name: one of us may get lucky!)
----- Original Message ----
From: Bob- W7LRD w7lrd@comcast.net
[snip]
Clayton et al. 100% correct...The lowest common denominator is cost...If you're not donating your time and dollars you have lost your credibility to complain...somewhere along this latest diatribe it was mentioned we're a "cheap bunch". "Home brew" has it's limits. Our personal predilections are irrelevant to the grander scheme of things. I have suggested a few times we all go through our shacks and sell off that "get around to it" project, and send the money to the AMSAT of your choice. I have sold stuff, given talks to clubs, had a booth at hamfests, regularly have automatic funds sent to AMSAT. You're either in or you're not.
73 Bob W7LRD Seattle
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