Art, I commend you for your local efforts. I am not far behind you in age. I hope to make myself more available after retirement to the Hamsat community. Most of us do have full time employment as well and we have other commitments and hobbies to keep us occupied. In my area, I have several clubs that wish to make me their property, however, in the same boat as you are. No one is asking for a full employment type commitment, although sometimes it seems that way. We all do what we can to inform our fellow hams of how things operate with satellites. This is our passion. You can be a rollmodel for this easy and simple ways to work satellites with your homebrew experience. I am not sure of what type of support AMSAT offers in your area but we have a cadre of Co-ordinators listed on the website (with our fully operational store) to give you assistance. Age 65?? I think you are the average age of every one that assisted at the AMSAT Booth in Dayton this year. Yes the manufacturer's will sell their gear but a non profit like AMSAT needs support of the academia area and Government subsidies that they produce to further education. Seek out your local AMSAT guys and let them know of your interest to help out. The North East has many that are busier than most people and leaves many holes and areas people like you could help out. 73, Dee NB2F
kc6uqh wrote:
Dee, I am a past president of the Palomar Amateur Radio Club, The only way I got volunteers was to personaly ask them on a one on one basis. Amsat is not an option for me.
- I have a full time job
- I am still involved with the Palomar Club and receintly rebuilt one
of thier repeaters. 3. My arthritic 6'2" frame does not fit in a seat for a 6 year old child on a commercial aircraft. 4. At age 65 I can not spend 4-5 hours every night and continue my full time employment.
If someone wants some help I may have something to offer locally. I used H/B antennas one on a 6'step ladder to sucessfully work AO-40. These are not solutions ICOM and YEASU wants to see published, they want to sell equipment! Low tech solutions are enjoied by only a few.
Art
----- Original Message -----
From: Dee <mailto:morsesat@optonline.net> To: kc6uqh <mailto:kc6uqh@cox.net> Cc: bruninga@usna.edu <mailto:bruninga@usna.edu> ; AMSAT-BB@amsat.org <mailto:AMSAT-BB@amsat.org> ; Rick Hambly <mailto:w2gps@amsat.org> Sent: Saturday, July 19, 2008 5:26 AM Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Re: How volunteerism works... kc6uqh wrote:Bob, There was a time not long ago when one Amateur could do an amazing project.
Today the multi-disiplines required to put a S/C together and get it into space, require a well managed team effort. This is true for any cutting edge technoloigy of today.
Amateur Radio can only do team efforts, provided the team respects each other and everyone has complementry skills.
Leadership is required to bring the skills needed together and maintain a critical mass long enough to complete the project.
I came into electronics at an early age, restored a receiver that was recovered from a sunken ship and listened to Spuknik on it in 1957. I have spent my whole life in electronics and have enjoied the many projects I worked on.
How many parents would allow there son to work on a receiver with 400VDC present in this day and age, where a helmet is now required to ride a bicycle? Where is the youth of today going to get the practical experience required to build a satellite?
TV has all but ruined creativity and imagination. There is a big difference between a computer simulation and application in the physical form! AMSAT is not going to get many more chances to assemble a team that had the skills to make Oscar 10 and 13. Time is not on our side. Amatuers with the right skill sets are mostly my age, Most youth of today would have trouble with soldering and operating a screwdriver, that is if thier parents would alow them to try.
Art, KC6UQH
----- Original Message ----- From: "Robert Bruninga" bruninga@usna.edu To: AMSAT-BB@AMSAT.Org Sent: Friday, July 18, 2008 6:14 AM Subject: [amsat-bb] How volunteerism works...
Again we see lots and lots of ideas of what "needs to be done"... And most of them are pointed at better "management"... Or better "direction" of what is being done (by others)...
The issue in an all volunteer organization is not "what" needs to be done, but who will step forward and do it, not the "management and direction" but the actual WORK. That requires volunteers with the knowledge, skills, time and energy, and thick skin, Especially under the hail of rocks and stones from the peanut gallery...
Counter productive to getting the work we need done (volunteers we need) is the attitude from the peanut gallery about getting in there and "kicking butt" and "better management"... You do that in an all volunteer organization and soon there is nothing left but managers and butt kickers and complainers.
This happens in every aspect of ham radio all the way down to the local clubs and all the way to the top. You'd think by now that the old-fuds who clamour for more effort (from others) have about 30 years of experience with how this does NOT work in ham radio. Progress is made by self motivated individuals who see a need and jump in to fill it.
It is very simple!
If you can contribute "work" then jump in and do it. Othwerwise "get out of the way" and contribute money, food, encouragement, and assistance to those that do. "Ankle-biting, naysaying, and complaining" accomplish absolutely nothing forward. If you don't like the direction things are going, then jump in and go another way and see if you can find followers (workers, not ditto-heads)... But get out of the way of those that are making progress in their direction... That's the only way progress is made in volunteer organizations...
This is surely what this old-fud has learned in the last 30 years... Bob, WB4APR
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All, I think that you are all on the same floor of the building now. After a few days of postings, I'd like to chime in. What has happened in the past with Satellite building is a that a group of "Friends" got together and decided that "hey, let's do this!" As friends, they knew each other well and enjoyed each others company regardless of drawbacks and shortcomings. On that level, as I believe, is how we should approach any management style. As some of our shirts say "We all are (or not) Rocket scientists." The goal is the same, to enjoy satellites built by our peers. The other 99% should support them with fund raisers, attending hamfests to show others what we are trying to do and bring them on our side of the ropes. I also noted a few weeks ago that there are BOD members openings and if you feel that you could have offered better ideas and directions, you would get on the proper bandwagon and ramp up towards that direction. I only see 4 on the ballot. So once again, comments are shallow and only potshots at the people that are volunteering their time, efforts, experience and direction are flung out into the ether. Constructive comments are always welcome to keep the organization on track. Those that want to detract others from the smooth operation of an organization as AMSAT-NA ,be ready with their services to back up ideas with action. 73, Dee, NB2F NJ AMSAT Co-ordinator East coast " " __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 3230 (20080701) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com