On 12/18/23 10:35, Mark Johns, K0JM via AMSAT-BB wrote:

On a linear satellite, like RS-44, a CQ can actually make sense -- so long as there isn't someone just up the passband doing the same thing.

We'd all be much better off listening for the stations already on the satellite and calling one of them instead of wasting our resources calling to no one in particular.

A reminder: Some stations are dealing with limited resources and finding one's own signal can be difficult on the linear sats with fading/etc. Those with more limited resources may prefer to call CQ and let the "big guns" find them, rather than going hunting for the other signals and then trying to get synced up on the uplink.

Yes, I'm aware that computer software, or dedicated hardware boxes, makes this easier, but sometimes that doesn't work as well as promised or isn't available at all. Linear sats provide a wonderful swath of translated spectrum for everyone to enjoy doing their own thing.

--- Zach N0ZGO