Words of wisdom from a true gentleman of AMSAT. I was going to craft some sort of reply to this tempest in a teapot about Field Day, but Clare's words leave little left to be said.
If anyone is unhappy about the ARRL rule change, I apologize. I was responsible for requesting it with the contest committee as VP of Operations for AMSAT-NA, and I followed up until it was considered and approved. I thought it to be in the best interest of AMSAT, especially on a day where many are getting their first exposure to satellites. Direct your complaints to me, and not to the ARRL. I am the responsible party.
The real solution to this problem is for EVERY user of satellites to join AMSAT and support P3E and Eagle so we can have wonderfully wide and high transponders to make lots of QSOs on. Had there been an AO-40, AO-13, or AO-10 operational last weekend, all of this chatter about the FM sats would be 10db below the noisefloor.
73, Drew KO4MA
-----Original Message-----
From: Clare Fowler lcfowler@magma.ca Sent: Jun 27, 2007 7:25 PM To: amsat-bb amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: FD Contacts
Yes FD is a contest but that does not mean that consideration, fairness, and the goldren rule should be abondonded.
The point, which is obvious to everyone, is that the single QSO per FM channel rule was introduced in order to try and reduce the chaos that occured with hundreds of stations trying to make multiple QSO's with the result that practucally no one made a QSO.
99 percent of the time ONE QSO means ONE QSO. You have got your lolly pop. You dont need, nore can use, five more and even if you are offered one you should decline and let someone else have it.
There may be the very odd time when someone calls several CQ's and does not get a reply in which case a second QSO my be justified.
It just takes courtesty and some commen sense.
If you really want to get into the contest mode get on the linear transponder birds where each QSO counts and where experience and operating skill really shows up.
A lot of rule deffinition should not be required. EVERYONE knows the intent and should operate accordingly.
It may be of interest to note that while in Canada we have band plans they are not Govt. regulations. They are completly voluntary and I have not heard of a single instance where a Canadian amateur has intentionaly not followed them.
Clare VE3NPC
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Drew,
As always, Clare's words are wise.
I certainly respect the positions of our organization's officers and BoD. Particularly in technical areas, decisions seldom can be made by popular vote, since the only people qualified to make the decisions are usually also those working on it. Likewise in working with our international partners.
However, we, like the ARRL, are a membership organization. Where possible, changes which can be discussed in advance, should be. A simple "Hey guys, what do you think about .....?" here would, and has, brought out a lot of heat, but also considerable light. At worst, it gives people a chance to vent but at least feel consulted, and at best it brings in some new viewpoints. The law of unintended consequences can sometimes be circumvented that way.
Respectfully,
Alan WA4SCA
participants (2)
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Alan P. Biddle -
Andrew Glasbrenner