[amsat-bb] Re: FM birds

[Bruce Robertson]

On Thu, Feb 3, 2011 at 12:31 PM, i8cvs <domenico.i8cvs at tin.it> wrote:
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Joe" <nss at mwt.net>
> To: <amsat-bb at amsat.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, February 02, 2011 7:25 PM
> Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: FM birds
>
>> I agree,
>>
>> With the money spent on all those birds, and launch costs,  they by now
>> could have made at least one nice linear transponder bird.
>>
>> I'd love to see an old 2 meter up 10 meter down bird again!
>>
>> The Original Rolling Ball Clock
>> Idle Tyme
>> Idle-Tyme.com
>> http://www.idle-tyme.com
>
> Hi Joe,
>
> I agree with you.
>
> Yes.... a lot of money spent on all those FM birds for very small in
> satellite communications with a lot of QRM !

Dom --

I'm fond of linear transponder birds, too, and nobody likes hearing
bad operating habits, either on a linear or FM bird. However, I think
the comments above misunderstand the process by which satellites are
funded and constructed. Would you begrudge the builders of SO-67 the
opportunity to take part in their government's initiative? If you were
able to, there's still no reason to believe that the funds and efforts
expended to produce that bird could be pooled with other national
groups'.

> I like OSCAR-7, VO-52 , and FO-29 and I hope and pull for P3-E

The first three of these were built by a national group that
considered its own interests and opportunities, just as the groups
today that have recently built FM birds. Of course, there are others
that are making linear birds. Let's not forget that one such has been
delivered to the ISS and will be hand-launched for us.

For all that, it should be said that the the difficulty of 'getting
into' AO-51, for example, indicates that it is a constantly popular
mode of satellite operation. Given that we are struggling to expand
our ranks, I feel compelled to say that my abiding interest in
satellite communications was kindled by AO-51. For me, and I suspect
many who are worried about being branded glorified CB'ers, the FM
birds provided a lower-expense means of entering what I consider the
most interesting aspect of ham radio today.

>
> 73" de
>
> i8CVS Domenico

73,  Bruce VE9QRP
-- 
http://ve9qrp.blogspot.com