Jean Marc,

Yes, it is wonderful that hams in your hemisphere were offered this amazing opportunity from Qatar. However, the economics of middle eastern royalty differ somewhat from economics in our hemisphere, where corporate stockholder value is the primary if not the only business consideration. We have had some potential GEO opportunities with Intelsat and the US Air Force, but business considerations eventually won out and the projects died. We will keep trying to find one of these opportunities, but we must have a plan of action to proceed on our own if a rich benefactor does not come forward.

One of the factors that I did not mention in my previous missive is that we are now in the era of "full cost accounting" in which it is much harder for a project manager to bury the integration cost of an amateur satellite into his general budget.

73, Dan Schultz N8FGV

------ Original Message ------ Received: Mon, 29 Jul 2019 11:15:04 AM EDT From: Jean Marc Momple [email protected] To: Daniel Schultz [email protected]Cc: [email protected] Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] AMSAT-NA solution: DX (HEO) to attract more interest and revenue

Daniel,

One way around all the issues you mentioned is may be to "copy with pride"

the QO-100 GEO which has changed Radio Amateur satellites operations this part of the world.

To explain; we are now we are back to experimentation building PA’s,

feeds etc… also enabling new modes which where not possible before (ATV in my case). For 3B8 this is fantastic as in spite active on LEO's since 1978, not much to do as we are in the middle of the ocean, only a few guys reachable on LEO good passes. Now we can QSO with half of the world on a bird, loud and clear 24/7 e.g.

What I mean is that trying to partner with some commercial operators to have

a HAM transponder on board of their satellite may be a solution, some may even sponsor if we are convincing enough. More it would be fantastic to have worldwide coverage with say 3 GEO’s, just a vision.

Some food for thought.

73

Jean Marc (3B8DU)