[amsat-bb] Re: Vanishing Hams

[Simon Brown (HB9DRV)]

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From: "Edward Cole" <kl7uw at acsalaska.net>
>
> Satellite should rank right in with the digital, dsp, psk-31, aprs,
> innovators.  Please add microwavers, eme'ers and qrpers to the active
> technical group.  The reason that it appears that there is no
> innovation going on in ham radio is more due to lack of advertising
> by those special groups...they are having too much fun doing.
>
> Satellites are probably the most visible technical group in ham
> radio!  Its important that it continues to excite!
>

I would argue that digital mode developers / users and digital emergency 
comms groups are more active. As for advertising - I see more 'noise' from 
digital groups than satellite groups, but at the moment there's not an 
enormous amount of original development going on in the Ham satellite arena 
although there is more than enough to spark interest.

Add in the fans of weather satellites and similar who use David Taylor's 
programs and you're probably talking similar levels of interest.

On the other hand you can get going with almost all digital most for $100 or 
less (as long as you have a computer). Satellite operation to the same level 
is more expensive. FWIW over 50,000 distinct calls have been seen on digital 
modes over the last six months, see 
http://psk.gladstonefamily.net/cgi-bin/pskstats.pl .

Now back to the coding...

Simon HB9DRV