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

Tue Jul 22 10:20:28 PDT 2008

Hi John,

Sorry John, I typed John when I meant James.

Thanks for your comments too!

Regards...Bill - N6GHz

John Price wrote:
> What statements about your employment are you referring to Bill. I was
> not responding to you but
> to James and his comments concerning my post. Please explain. 73's << John N4QWF
>
> On Tue, Jul 22, 2008 at 11:52 AM, Bill Ress <bill at hsmicrowave.com> wrote:
>   
>> 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 Do you know that Yaesu has withdrawn from the satellite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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