[amsat-bb] Re: Need your support to track F-1 CubeSat

[Gus 8P6SM]

On 09/24/2012 02:56 PM, John Spasojevich wrote:
> I fail to see where your references prohibit such activity as long as
> hams are involved. Would a school ham radio club be prohibited ?

Of course.  IF what they were doing was not ham-related.  Just because 
you have a ham license doesn't mean you can get on the air and use the 
frequencies for whatever you like.

Would it be OK for NASA to use ham frequencies for their Mars Rover 
project, just because someone at NASA went out and got themself a ham 
ticket?  After all, the Mars Rover programme is undoubtedly educational, 
and also a technical investigation.

> I think the main issue is that these birds don't satisfy YOUR personal
> interest.  Just as ragchewing and dx-ing don't satisfy the schools
> exerimental goals.

And neither should the schools assume that the amateur radio community 
automatically stands ready to satisfy THEIR needs, no matter what those 
needs are.

> So maybe helping them build a transponder would satisfy both.

Yes, I think it would, as a reasonable compromise.  In fact, maybe we 
should PROVIDE them with a working comms board that gives them the data 
pathways they need to fulfill their experimental needs AND at the same 
time provides US with something that provides OUR needs.

It seems the entire focus these days is upon leveraging educational 
opportunities.  The theory goes, as I understand it:  Since we can't 
afford to pay for a launch of our own, we COOPERATE with educational 
institutions (who do seem able to get launches) to provide useable 
frequencies -- and potentially a global network of groundstations -- IN 
EXCHANGE for some sort of communications functionality that can be used 
BY US.

Except it isn't happening.  One satellite after another, they get what 
we have to offer (bandwidth), and they offer us... NOTHING in return.

> But  then its not HEO so maybe just let the freqs die until funding
> is there for the appropriate use. By then thiae freqs will have long
> since been reallocated

I used to enjoy working HEO, but I am not against LEO satellites, and 
have worked quite a few myself.  But low orbit or highly elliptical, the 
more people that end up using our frequencies for non-amateur purposes, 
the greater the case that is being made for the reallocation of those 
frequencies.

> Its beating a dead horse. That want HEO dx-ing and ragchewing are free
> to build one. You don't need AMSAT anywhere do do that.

I thought that's exactly what AMSAT was created for.  The construction, 
launch, care and feeding of satellites for use by the community of 
amateur radio operators.  Guess not, eh?

> Channel your energy into such a constructive project. I seriously doubt
> the complaining will get anything done.

Neither, apparently, will AMSAT.

-- 
73, de Gus 8P6SM
The Easternmost Isle