[amsat-bb] Re: Messageboard Post

[Nigel Gunn G8IFF/W8IFF]

Wasn't Oscar 5 launched by/for Australia in the mid 1960s?
Doesn't the front page of the Amsat web site carry details of the Japanese sats launched 2 days ago?
Where's this bloke been looking?


Clint Bradford wrote:
> Over on eHam.net today ...
> 
> Ok, so I go check out the Amsat website. Yawn. I look through their  
> mission statement and history sections. Yawn.
> 
> Seems that they have not updated their website for awhile. I mean,  
> they still are talking about their "up and coming" phase 3-D  
> satellite! (c.1996) Hmmm, that was what, 13 years ago? And they want  
> me to join, and give them *money*? What a joke.
> 
> Ok, now that I have picked myself off of the floor from laughing so  
> hard, here is the question. Why should I (or anyone else) give these  
> clowns money if they cannot even update their web site. Comeon,  
> everyone knows that 3-D was a flop, except maybe AMSAT.
> 
> The originators of the OSCAR program were cutting edge amateurs that  
> were rivaling the commercial telecomunications satellite industry.  
> They were trying to place their 5th bird in a geostationary orbit, but  
> launch vehicle failure prevented that. Now all that Amsat seems to be  
> able to do is (in the words of a certain late USSR dictator,  
> paraphrased) is launch grapfruit sized microsats.
> 
> So I never like to criticize something without some suggestions for  
> improving the situation. Here is my idea... Why not a group of  
> American amateur radio people get together that have nothing to do  
> with the incompetence of AMSAT, and actually build an OSCAR 5 for geo- 
> synch orbit? If it could be done thirty years ago, it can be done now.  
> No need to have a "global" effort involving millions of dollars and  
> amateurs from thirty countries building a thousand pound bird. Lets do  
> this like the original OSCAR folks did, keep it simple(r), and let the  
> politicos at AMSAT continue to try to justify their existence while  
> some honest to God hams get the bird built and lofted. With today's  
> improved solar cells and hardened electronics, if we could get a bird  
> in a Clark slot, it would last for quite awhile, and actually provide  
> a (non-digital) communication service to the amateur radio community.
> 
> Best and 73,
> 
> Joe KB0TXC
> 
> 
> 
> Clint Bradford, K6LCS / KAF3359
> 909-241-7666
> 
> 
> 
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-- 
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Nigel A. Gunn. G8IFF   W8IFF (was KC8NHF)
1865 El Camino Drive, Xenia, OH 45385-1115, USA   937 825 5032
e-mail nigel at ngunn.net             www  http://www.ngunn.net
Member of  ARRL, GQRP #11396, QRPARCI #11644, SOC #548,  Flying Pig #385,
                   Dayton ARA #2128,  AMSAT-NA   LM-1691,  AMSAT-UK, MKARS,  ALC
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