Michael said:
I usually tend to keep quiet during arguements such as this . . .
But - this is not an argument .?. Hardly even a debate on specific points.
What is happening here is genuine concern for our future, and well founded. Not only is AMSAT and ham radio facing uncertain times, the entire fabric of modern culture seems wobbling around like it may ALL come tumbling down. Stimulus, bailouts, layoffs, foreclosures - everything is connected to most everything else - always has been, always will be. So much of all this churn has been brewing for years, but no one really wanted to acknowlege, or take the gumption to creatively start solving the problems.
I am sorry that my original input to this BB has engendered this expanded and extensive defense of LEO's and/or explanation of why there are no HEO's today... I have read of people expounding on when they were licensed, big deal I have been licensed for longer than most of you going back to 1964... I have read of how great things are and we should be thankful for what we have. I have also received a couple private emails suggesting my original comments were out of line. Well this sort of elitist thinking is pure bull, The sats are not for the select few who think they own them, the sats are not for controllers who seem to take an inordinate amount of time to turn them over to the ham community for general use. They are simply a device in the ham community for use by those who have the means to do so. Perhaps putting up a HEO on Microwave frequencies is a good idea, certainly it would spur the manufacturers to come up with equipment for all to use, after all you are only dollars away... What I am sorry to see is the lack of concern or is it the lack of desire to put up a HEO that works (Read the Wikipedia story on AO-40) something simple, something robust, something with not a single whistle or bell that WORKS!!!... It seems to me that the real story is that AMSAT is gun-shy after AO-40 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AO-40) and is taking the easy or safe way out... My money is not on and never will be on LEO's or Sats that the common person can not make the antennas for and purchase the radios to use...
As I said I apologize for the defense mechanism that sprung to AMSATS defense and the private emails I received, I thought this was an open BB and ideas were freely discussed. Apparently I was wrong.
DE KD1PE