[amsat-bb] Re: FD Mess

[Art McBride]

K6YK,
FD has always been a mess, A mixture of new and old amateurs good and bad
operators and the majority just trying to learn. We had several ex Amateurs
stop by our FD site, some were just looking others helped and operated. We
may reactivate some. SSB birds sound like 20 Meters, huge pile ups. I hate
to tell them that will only happen, one day a year. 

KO6BT got started in satellites at a PARC FD using a station I put together
with home brew antennas on a 6' step ladder. He worked a JA on AO-10 CW. He
was really excited. So FD has a purpose, introduction lies beneath the
attraction of chaos. 

I think more operators would work the linear transponder satellites if
better equipment was available. The stuff from the big three in Japan does
not give the user what they need. The best receiver with the most features
is tied to the transmitter leaving the operator with an under performing sub
receiver for listening. The list goes on. Tracking programs are helpful, but
s means of checking the beacon level and a means of easily adjusting your
power level are not always provided. Responses of digital knobs playing
analog are hard to deal with until you get use to the delay of your radio.
Quick tuning is nearly impossible.  

Art,
KC6UQH

-----Original Message-----
From: amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org] On
Behalf Of k6yk
Sent: Monday, June 27, 2011 2:02 PM
To: gordonjcp at gjcp.net
Cc: amsat-bb at amsat.org
Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: FD Mess

 
FD is a mess every year. No matter what bird(s) you try. 

Most of the FD stations have no clue about satellites, they just get 
the idea they need to make 1 satellite contact or as many as they can. 
They don't know about all the rules particular to AMSAT, and they 
dont' care. 

They ask somebody what frequency to transmit and listen on and then
they get their 500 watt amp, big beam or no beam, no preamp, and 
start calling and calling. They don't hear anything so they just mess up
the
whole works.  Happens every year. 

You either have to bear with it and make your one contact or give up.

73, 
K6YK


On Mon, 27 Jun 2011 21:33:34 +0100 Gordon JC Pearce <gordonjcp at gjcp.net>
writes:
> On Mon, 27 Jun 2011 13:48:48 -0500
> Patrick Green <pagreen at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> > The ARRL should impose an ERP limit for satellite contacts.  That
> > would solve the problem.  I don't see how running amplifiers on FD 
> is
> > in the spirit of what FD is all about.  I've made contacts using 
> 50 mw
> > so why do stations use 100+ watts *before* the antenna..  I 
> wouldn't
> > want my kids playing around a FD site with this time of setup.
> 
> Wouldn't that be AMSAT's job?  It's certainly possible to work an FM 
> bird with 5W from a handie, and a hand-held yagi.
> 
> I don't understand the obsession with having all-singing-all-dancing 
> computer-controlled setups, where it automatically updates its 
> orbital elements, automatically calculates when the next pass is, 
> automatically calculates where to steer the aerial and what to tune 
> the radio to and leaving the operator to just push the PTT and shout 
> over the top of the QRP/P stations.
> 
> All the computer-controlled stuff just plain isn't amateur radio.  
> If you want to sit in front of a computer and talk to people, use 
> Skype.
> 
> Gordon MM0YEQ
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