[amsat-bb] Re: Bill Ress - N6GHz - Board Candidate - Operating Survey

[Bill Ress]

Hello John,

Thanks for taking the time to express your views.

Regarding your comments about my employment and as stated in the ballot 
statement, I run a RF.microwave components company. While some of the 
products can be used in satellite applications, I seriously doubt that 
could constitute any conflict of interest by my running for the board.

Quite the contrary, I think AMSAT could benefit from having more folks 
like me with technology industry experience helping guide AMSAT's 
future. After all, a satellite is one big hunk of state of the art 
technology.

Regards...Bill - N6GHz
,
John Price wrote:
> James, I wont be investing in 3 gig equipment. If I had plenty of
> money and lots of expertise all things would be possible. In the real
> world it just don't work that way. You are trying to sell Amateur
> Satellite service to the masses by offering them a chance to work
> something that they can't use or afford. The time and expense that is
> put into developing transponders that you can't buy a radio to work is
> not practical. Do you know that Yaesu has withdrawn from the satellite
> market? Kenwood offers the 1.2 gig module for there 2000 at a cost of
> an additional $500.00 making that radio over $2000.00. That is it as
> far as I know for off the shelf rigs for 1.2 gig. Downeast has a
> upconverter for about the same cost as the Kenwood module. Now in the
> real world that is a bunch to invest to add one band to your station.
>
> Your comment concerning appliance operators sure wont endear many new
> hams to Amsat. I have no formal training in electronics. I spent 25
> years as a Deputy Sheriff and knew nothing
> of ham radio or electronics when I got my ticket. Over the past 20
> years I have learned a little
> thanks to a bunch of wonderful skilled hams. Together with one of my
> friends a RF engineer who retired from GE we built a 1.2 gig station
> for field day a year ago out of a old Master III and a
> signal generator. Got the contact and was mighty proud. I have
> listened on L/u a few times since and have worked three contacts.  If
> the 3 gig flys I might decide to do the same thing. My point
> is how many of those "appliance operators" are going to be able to do
> the same. We are going to have another satellite with a bunch of
> electronics that might get used by 10 people.
>
> My since of adventure is tempered by my practicallity I guess.
>
> On Mon, Jul 21, 2008 at 9:45 PM, James French <w8iss at wideopenwest.com> wrote:
>   
>> On Mon, 2008-07-21 at 19:00 -0400, John Price wrote:
>>     
>>> I for one am very opposed to the 3 and 10 gig transponder. I have seen
>>> little or no interest in the 1.2 uplink. Folks are not willing to
>>> spend $500.00 to work a transponder that is mostly quite and
>>> could go away over night like 2.4 did with AO-40. Did anyone listen to
>>> the L/u AO-51 on Field Day.
>>> While V/u was jammed I worked the first station I heard on L/u and
>>> there were maybe 5 others on that pass. I don't maintain 1.2 gig
>>> equipment here. It is not worth the investment.
>>>       
>> And what would be the trigger for you to invest in the equipment? There
>> is NO GAURUNTEES that any of these new birds will get to orbit in one
>> peice. Look at AO-40. She was a GREAT birds at the beginning, then
>> something happened and all we had were a couple of uplinks with one
>> downlink.
>>
>> Where is your sense of adventure with experimenting with something new
>> and untested? How are you helping advance the Art of Amateur Radio and
>> Satellites if we are STUCK back in the stone ages with 2m and 70cm and
>> FM birds?
>>
>> I for one would and have invested in the higher bands as I am also using
>> that equipment for Rovering and some contesting which I have found that
>> I really like. I also use this equipment to talk around my area/state.
>> This equipment with a little modification is can also be used for when
>> we have a HEO or GEO satellite in orbit.
>>
>> I WANT more digital store-and-forward birds along with more Sideband
>> voice birds on bands OTHER than 2mand 70cm. Right now there is no
>> CHALLENGE in the current crop of satellites we have when all I can do
>> MOST of the time is get on and have enough time to get a GRID SQUARE
>> and a NAME/CALLSIGN of the person I am talking to. I want to be able
>> to hold a net where I can talk to a NUMBER of people and find out more
>> about everyone or ask for help and get it. I want to be able to send
>> video via these new birds of my latest project or of the 'kids' as they
>> operate. I want to be able to demonstrate what Amatuer radio is and can
>> do that the internet can't. I want to be able to TINKER on these new
>> birds with a new mode that I have either developed or have an interest
>> in. I want to be able to use that new microwave transverter for things
>> other than to talk to or see (video) locals.
>>
>> Where is EVERYONES sense of experimentation or did we as amateur radio
>> operators/licenses leave that at the door when we got licensed or are we
>> just content with what has been done and happy to sit on our laurels
>> and let the world leave us behind as a group that WILL die out in about
>> twenty/thirty years as we don't have any NEW blood to carry on with the
>> experimentation, thinking, and tinkering? Are we going to let the
>> INTERNET be the thing to determine how and where we go as a group?
>> Everyone on here gripes about how the internet is taking away everything
>> what about how we are making things interesting to entice these people
>> in the hobby and into Satellites? Where is the challenge anymore? I
>> want to be able to EXPERIMENT on thse new crop of birds, not just sit
>> around on 2m and 70cm and make a couple quick qso's to exchange grid
>> squares!!!
>>
>> Bill, I looked at your webpage and see that you MIGHT have a reason to
>> have new birds up and running other than just as a member that wants to
>> help out AMSAT through these trying times. I see no problem with that at
>> all as AMSAT has had others like you on the BoD before and they have
>> done a great job of not compromising their integrity as a Director. I
>> just don't see anything saying if you are a owner or an employee of this
>> company. Could you enlighten me and the others before I make a decision
>> on which three candidates are the best?
>>
>> James W8ISS - a voting member that has issues with the current crop of
>> APPLIANCE OPERATORS on the amateur bands!!!
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>>     
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