[amsat-bb] Re: satellite activity and future sats...

[Bob- W7LRD]

I believe that, "if you build it they will come". From the movie. Right now we're playing "small ball". If there were a HEO on the horizon there would be an incredible scramble for whatever it takes. I recall the initial days of AO-40 (sobsob). We became S band experts almost overnight! I still have my "flame thrower" antennas in mothballs. One interesting "tweek" would be to throw out a "Suitsat" type satellite every time they have a crew change. LIke a L/S LEO for few months to break up the garden variety. Maybe a MEO like RS-15. Back to my corner now. I am still rebuilding ALL my damn antennas, like rebuilding a NASA facility with the xyl in charge. I'll be on soon. 
73 Bob W7LRD 

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bob DeVarney W1ICW" <we1u at myfairpoint.net> 
Cc: AMSAT-BB at amsat.org 
Sent: Monday, August 27, 2012 5:00:45 PM 
Subject: [amsat-bb] satellite activity and future sats... 

I am afraid you're right, Tom, and it pains me to admit it. I am not 
sure why activity has dropped off.. but I can say in my own case I lost 
interest in satellite operating after AO-40 died and have gone on to 
other things ( EME ) to use the existing equipment I had. 

>From northern Vermont I can work pretty much all the active satellite 
ops on the FM birds ( within my potential mutual footprint at least ) in 
a weekend's worth of passes, so there was little incentive for me to 
continue. I _have_ gotten back into sat operating recently, if only to 
work the cobwebs out of my station. 

I wonder how many satellite operators still have AO-10 or AO-13-class 
stations any more. I get the impression that many aspire to have a Yaesu 
FT-847, Icom 910, or TS-2000 and an Arrow antenna. If that much. I hope 
I am wrong. 

We as a community need to revitalize things.. the future does NOT lie 
with more Cubesats.. or if it does, then I want no part of it. We need 
to restore the legacy and primacy of AMSAT in space. I think if we could 
get another LEO bird in the air we would see activity increase dramatically. 

I've been an AMSAT member since 1980, albeit on and off, and been on the 
birds since 1987 give or take. Some of my most fun moments were working 
the Russian RS birds, believe it or not. I was also an AMSAT Area 
Coordinator for some years. I would love to participate in a dialogue of 
how to get folks interested in satellite operating again, and/or 
representing AMSAT at the local hamfests. But it might just echo the 
general lack of interest in ham radio in general that I have observed. 

Guess I need to make a point of getting back on FO-29 and VO-52 more 
often... 

73 de W1ICW 


On 8/27/2012 7:09 PM, Thomas Doyle wrote: 
> Clayton, 
> 
> The activity level on the linear sats is very low and does not seem to 
> be getting any better. Not sure why. Perhaps it is cost or complexity 
> or problems putting up outside antennas. It is rather sad working 
> linear sat passes with no one else on them. At least I can hear my own 
> downlink signal and the beacon :-) 
> 
> Unfortunately this sums it up. 
> 
> AMSAT Board of Directors Meeting Minutes 
> 
> "Satellite Operations Report by Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA 
> 
> " ... The other FM satellites, AO-27 and SO-50, continue to be heavily 
> used. FO-29 when operative, and VO-52 work well, but have very little 
> use." 
> 
> Hope to see you on FO-29. 
> 
> 73 W9KE Tom Doyle 

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