Hi Steve,

Thanks for your message too!

2. Thanks, sounds good!

The Evite system sounds like a good back up to the one proposed by Bruce WA3SWJ as sponsored (if possible) by the MARC group. Bennett Kobb suggested another one possible: Wufoo.com . . .

Agreed about the cliff!

3. In the development of any price structure, your thoughts were taken into account when I answered Bruce. But, yes, a simplified bag lunch approach is still on the discussion table. . . . Any raffle or auction needs further definition. And a delegate. If no one feels strongly about heading this up then it is okay if we hold the idea until next year.

4. The start time will likely be determined when I lock in a building and room. I am trying to negotiate a space that will allow me to set up my portable station the night before, and then walk around helping others from the get go during the event.

5. Except for the SDR topic (hmmmm) I might suggest to work the presentation issue the other way around. That is, perhaps look for a person to do the speaking, and then go for a hot topic that he/she is likely very good. You know. Tom Clark, Bob Bruninga, John Franke, YOU, Richard Crow, A.J. Farmer, . . .

Either way, any of these or any other candidates?? This is a question - like all others - to ALL, not just to whom I am replying.

7. PUBLICITY is very important. Everyone: Please get this event on your local club net, in your newsletters and on your Web pages. The date, location and title is locked in! You can't lose! We need to get the word out. Now!

WE LOVE the "cheap yagi" series and I hope more folks build them, especially the CP types!

Thank you, thank you,

Pat N8PK

From: Stephan Greene [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, January 04, 2013 9:31 PM To: Kilroy, Patrick L. (GSFC-5680) Subject: Re: [amsat-dc] AMSAT-DC Spring Workshop 2013 (Planning 1.0)

Pat: This is great news! Oh, happy 2013! My thoughts below: 2. Since the workshop will be on site at Goddard, I will need to get every single person's name, nationality and current town of residence into the NASA Goddard security folks so they can make a one-day non-escorted badge for each participant. Unfortunately, we need to emphasize to people to register even if they are not sure they can make it, because registration will close about a week before the event. This is NOT like your weekend hamfest! Problems? None for me. Might cause "issues" with last minute folks. Not much we can do about it vs. the location. Suggest using an online system (Evite?) for self-registration, assuming folks are OK providing the info that way (no SSN or DL number, so I'd think it'd be OK). But BTW, in the news today, the fiscal cliff has been pushed off until March 1. Our use of the facilities ARE CONTINGENT on these circumstances, and others. Can we accept these caveats? Sure. We can write all our congress critters and tell them sequestration of the NASA Goddard budget MUST NOT HAPPEN or a VITAL EDUCATIONAL AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAM WILL DIE! (and it's for the children. Or the terrorists will win. Or something.) OTOH, if we go "over", and my contract gets bit, I'll have lots of "free" time to help. And learn to use my FCD Pro+ properly, reassemble the station, start an ebay business making "Cheap Yagis" at a loss (but we'll make it up on volume until MFJ buys us out and PROFIT!), learn to build an Arduino rotor controller, and learn to make lemonade from life's lemons. Ok, I have definitely gotten too punch here. BTW, according to at least one internet source I saw, a group of baboons is called a "congress" (as in a "congress of baboons"). This explains much. 3. Price Structure. Trade study/options. In rough order of logic or importance, kinda. . . .

OPTION A. No charge to anyone. No coffee in the morning. No lunch on site. No frills. The lunch break would be at noon, normally for an hour. But to get everyone back, on time, will be a disruptive pain. (Been there.) I'd like to end the event by, say, 3:30 PM or what ever you think. (Based on a 9:00 AM start time?) I beleive an off site lunch break will put a damper on our progress. Agree. Although I am self-contained for ITAR-grade coffee and have the bike-battered thermos to prove it. Try to keep everyone on-site. OPTION B. A modest donation requested. $20? That will get us coffee/tea/juice in the morning and Subway sandwiches (catered) with sodas at noonish, enjoyed in place (but not near one's satellite hardware, of course). The event goes through lunch unbroken. We will need a point of contact, actually two. One to collect the money and one to take care of the food, condiments, utinsils, cups, napkins, set up tables, etc. Can you volunteer yourself? Or better yet, have your wife/GF/significant other volunteer to work the food issues? That would be awesome! Simplify funds collection by linking registration to PayPal? Could work for me. Can't volunteer family for catering support. Option B.1: $5/$10 donation and we provide coffee & breakfast fat pills, soda. People encouraged to pack a bag lunch or they needed to lose some weight anyway. OPTION C. If we request a donation for admission, then "what if" it is structured? That is, shall we consider a main donation of, say, $25 for "normal" admission, and a lesser fee for either students or for those who bring at least three ("significant") hardware items to set up, show and discuss with others? The lifeblood of this event will be having at least ten stations set up for show and tell. Perhaps an offset of the requested donation amount will encourage people to bring stuff. Thoughts?? Hmmm - interesting idea. I'd bring a setup anyway. OPTION D. Shall we hold one or more raffles or silent auctions? That is, shall we invest in a FUNcube Dongle Pro+, an ARROW antenna or an Elk antenna and then make available raffle tickets? Or a written auction with a minimum donation request? If so, we will need a volunteer to run with this. (I can offer some seed money and accept some risk, but I need to delegate this to a trustworthy individual.) Volunteer? Thoughts? I like this idea. I may have some decent equipment to donate (I recently acquired a FCD Pro+, so I have the old FC available if I ever manage to find it!). I could make a contribution towards acquiring an Elk. Do you think AMSAT-NA, Elk, Arrow, AMSAT-UK would donate one or more items? The donation could even be a coupon good for 1 of the relevant item, so no cost to the vendor unless it actually "sells". If we have any items leftover, will there be an AMSAT table at the Baltimore 'fest? I have no personal preference for silent auction vs. raffle. Any leftover dollars can be either donated directly back to AMSAT-NA or invested in needs for a workshop next year. I'd lean towards the donation to AMSAT-NA unless you think we have someplace to place the remaining funds. I would not want to be responsible for securing the balance for 12 months. 4. It looks like we are set with the date of Saturday, March 23, with no rain date. We can still set the time. Open doors at 9:00 AM for those who need to set up? With the "program" to begin at 10:00 AM? Or later? Shall we advertise that the program ends at 3:30 PM? Or earlier? Or later? I think I'm good with that date. I am busy 3/24 (Sunday, running the Reston Half-Marathon, assuming my knees hold up for the next 12 weeks. I realize this belies the stereotypical physically inactive ham/geek. What can I say?), but looks like I can be available all day 3/23. I'd go with 10AM program start, 3:30 wrapup (everyone out by 4-4:30). Could be persuaded to go with a 9AM start (8AM setup). Does GSFC place limits on in/out times? 5. Shall we solicit formal talks or presentations too? (I was not planning this initially.) Limit the talk time to ten minutes? Sixty minutes? Then we ought to delegate an individual to coordinate the presenters in advance? Volunteer? Maybe one or 2. Keep the focus on 1-on-1 idea exchanges and the show & tells. Question would be if it was beginner-focused, or something more "advanced". Otherwise, No formal talks, but allow individuals to address the group as issues come up at the tables? No volunteer needed to coordinate this. I can probably do it on the fly during the event.

6. I will set up a table with my humble but growing portable satellite station on the evening before the event. Would anyone like to join me, either to move MY gear, or move in YOUR own gear? That way, I/we will be free in the morning to help or direct others as needed. Beltway traffic on Fridays. I can be there early on Saturday; but Friday's are usually difficult (unless Ellen wants to go to the West Coast Swing party at Cherry Hill and we can get there for a little while before hand. So don't count on me for this.). 7. We want this to be a successful workshop. What other important framework item needs to be discussed? Publicity. I can talk it up at LARG and SPARC (Loudoun, Sterling). Do we have any contacts for AMRAD, other clubs? I don't know the groups in DC and MD. Website for status, publicity. Facebook page? Periodic mentions in AMSAT email/news, ARRL web site. Thoughts?

What I am thinking of doing:

* Arrow on tripod (if I get really motivated, convert a bike trailer setup I've been thinking about for VA QSO Party HF mobile). * 2M Cheap Yagi (+70cm if I ever get around to building it!) * FT817 * Maybe my FT857 (allows full duplex linear ops, unless I score an 817 at Vienna Winterfest or figure out how to use an FCD w SatPC32 for RX) * Outboard amp (just in case, yah know) * Funcube Dongle Pro+ (need to get it working) * Netbook running SatPC32 If I get really motivated, sawhorse mounted yaesu az/el + 2M yagi + 70cm circ-polarized (obviously not bike-portable!) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Steve Greene [email protected]mailto:[email protected] <kay ess one gee zero four>@gmail.comhttp://gmail.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------