YUP, WHAT HE SAID RIGHT THERE BELOW:

"So now the line is that an HEO or a GEO, besides being expensive to launch, will be difficult and expensive for the average ham to acquire the equipment for so we should just forget about it? Is that what I'm reading? The hams I once knew, never backed down from a technical challenge. By all accounts it wasn't exactly "easy" to build an AO-40 station but a whole bunch of hams managed to get it done. There was a time when generating and receiving an SSTV signal was an enormously involved process but somehow the early innovators in the field got it done. Now it's one of the more simple and inexpensive things to do. Hams have always overcome technical challenges. It's what we do, or we used to do it anyway.

Correct me if I'm wrong but AMSAT used to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time. We had AO-40 and a myriad of other sats with varying degrees of challenge to working them. I don't think anyone is saying that we should just abandon the so called "easy sat" concept. Far from it. If that's what you enjoy, then more power to you but there is a large number of people out here that want something more than that. We enjoy the challenge. It's what drew us to this side of the hobby in the first place.  Why can't we do both?  We used to do that back when I was an enthusiastic member of this organization and I think it can be done again. I wouldn't still be here on this list hoping and praying for a change in it's direction and a return to it's former glory and status if I didn't.

73,

Michael W4HIJ"