[amsat-bb] Re: K5D an embarrassment / poor operating procedure.

[Sean Cavanaugh]

Darin Cowan wrote:
> W9VNE said:
>>> Unfortunately the operation of AO 51 is a large embarrassment. I 
>>> have never in 56 years of operating ever seen demonstrated such 
>>> poor operating procedures.
> 
> I'd be happy if people would just use the proper phonetic alphabet.  So many
> logs have been messed up by "kilowatt" which is KW to me, as opposed to the
> correct "kilo" and the other bizarre appellations of letters.  And it's not
> just on satellites that this is a problem.  When I hear something like
> "Kilowatt Capacitor Eight United Airlines" (made up example, if you are
> KC8UAL, I'm not picking on you or accusing you) I can pretty much guarantee
> it won't end up correct in the logs.  That makes it a non-QSO and a waste of
> time for both ends.
> 
> Combine proper phonetic use with "listen before transmitting" and 90% or
> better of the issues we see would go away.

I am often guilty of not using the correct phonetics, but I do have a 
reason. 95% of the time, if the other station has marginal reception, 
they come back as VE5, not VA5. I think it's just the other ops' brain 
filling in the blanks with what they expect to hear, so I will correct 
as "Victor America 5" and it usually seems to solve that problem. I do 
try to stick with the ITU phonetics 99% of the time though.

I'd be happy with people just doing the listen before you transmit 
thing. I can't count the number of times I've had my transmissions cut 
off mid exchange.

I would also add to that the following:  If you can't hear the bird, 
don't transmit! I have NEVER had a situation where I can't hear the sat. 
Even when the satellite is coming down from the north and no one else is 
in the footprint, the background noise changes when it comes into range.

Hopefully with my preamps arriving today (gotta pick them up after 
work), I will be able to use the linear birds a bit. Maybe relieve some 
pressure on the FM sats.

73 all, and see you on the satellites.

--
Sean - VA5LF