Everyone: My thoughts are in full alignment with Joe's view.. "Why no HEO?" Without HEO, my interest in satellites is.. zero.
Forgive me, for I am but a humble DXer. How is DXing possible without HEO?
My donations start and increase in proportion to the satellite orbital height.
very 73,
Dave KJ9I
On 6/17/20 5:08 PM, Joe Leikhim via AMSAT-BB wrote:
Zach; As a long time member of AMSAT, I can assure you I did donate for the AO-40 project. But since that time there have been no significant HEO projects. LEO and primarily FM oriented satellites have been the rule. Year after year, the focus has been on these short term, low earth projects or ARISS.
Who cares if an HEO requires COTS space rated modules to be considered a payload? There is plenty of work to be done on the ground building an earth station.
Paul; Why no outreach to the industry. Elon Musk? A free AMSAT membership, some Honorary AMSAT Knighthood? Anybody ever give him a call?
I know part of this is ITAR and the US basically screwing ourselves by embargoing technology.
"Donate early, donate often.
- No amateur-built hardware on the satellite -- Yes, specifying and
overseeing development takes a LOT of work. I do this for my day job, not satellites, but just as complex. However, designing, building, testing, and deploying amateur-built hardware is what I feel AMSAT is all about. --- Zach N0ZGO"
"There are many political and economic factors that made the partnership with AMSAT-DL possible. "
"the most senior political official we've had who was active in amateur radio was Sen. Barry Goldwater. Currently, Rep. Greg Walden is the only amateur radio operator I'm aware of in high levels of government and he's retiring when his term ends in January.
73,
Paul Stoetzer, N8HM Executive Vice President AMSAT"
I really just hear excuses when others ask the same question, why no HEO?