Hi
Did anyone see the Soyuz launch from Arianespace a few days ago and think how nice it would be to have an amateur radio satellite somewhere above LEO ?
Interestingly, the launch of 3 communication satellites providing internet services to remote areas, was to an altitude around 8000km. - An unusual destination. Apparently the 'latency' or time delay on signals from 36,000km is too high for an internet service, whereas the number of satellites needed for a constellation at LEO is too many.
The company O3B (Other 3 Billion) decided that MEO at 8000km which is between the 2 Van Allen belts answered their needs.
http://spaceflightnow.com/2014/12/18/soyuzo3b-launch-timeline/
For the launch, the satellites were mounted on a cylindrical launch adaptor, (see pics in link) the inner part of which looks an ideal place for a 3U cubesat secondary payload.
Wouldn't it be nice to get something up to that altitude with Omni antennas, or a gravity gradient boom with a simple beam and about 4 Watts output ! A leisurely 5 orbits a day with Paris to California routine......... http://g0mrf.com/MEOSAT.htm
Oh well, back to dreaming of a white Christmas
Seasons greetings
David G0MRF