[amsat-bb] Re: AO-51 uplink

[George Henry]

(flameproof suit ON)
(soapbox mode ON)
 
While we're on the subject of FM satellite operating etiquette...
 
Field Day isn't far off, and perhaps it's not too early to start reminding 
people that the "one contact per FM satellite" rule means just that:
 
ONE contact.
 
Not "only one LOGGED contact"...
 
ONE.  CONTACT.  PERIOD.
 
The rule was intended to provide more opportunities for stations to make a FD 
contact by getting those who had already made one OFF the birds to make room for 
someone else.  The big guns who camp out on the FM sats "handing out" contacts 
("but I only logged one...") fail to realize that every contact they give out 
deprives another station of THEIR opportunity to make a contact.  Two NEW 
stations could have made contact for every ONE contact "handed out" by the big 
gun.
 
To put it another way, there are only so many QSO "slots" available per pass, 
and you're using someone else's slot.
 
(soapbox mode OFF)
 
George, KA3HSW