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

[Gus 8P6SM]

On 09/24/2012 04:22 PM, John Spasojevich wrote:
> Well Gus, I'm guessing you read Barry's comments regarding launch cost.

I did, and the number is exactly what I previously thought it was.

> So write the check and we'll be ready.

Believe you me, if I had the cash, I would do exactly that.

> By the time $10M is raised, the cost will have tripled.

Well, that depends upon how fast it is raised.  How much have we raised 
so far?  In the nearly twelve years since the last HEO launch?

> We are talking about hams, not sure how their wallets are where you are
> but here in the states, if something is listed at 50 cents they'll try
> and screw you down to 5.

Same here.  But we will still pay 10 grand for a rig if we really want 
to.  Isn't it the same where you live?  It's the bread and water 
principle.  You eat bread and water, and save up for what you want. 
Enough bread and water and you can afford anything!  :-)

> So good luck raising that kind of cash in the  a reasonable amount of
> time. Until a school or someone else needs a HEO  bird, the path is
> pretty clear for now.

One way to make sure that you never raise the funds is to keep saying 
"We can't afford it!" and never save up.

I seem to have given the impression that I am against LEO birds.  I am 
not.  As it happens, I believe that HEO birds are better.  In that they 
generally offer more facilities for hams generally, and my selfish, 
ragchewing, DX-chasing butt in particular.  Where I live, LEO satellites 
mostly give me an opportunity to make contact with fish, swimming in the 
mid Atlantic.  So yes, I have a preference for HEO satellites.

But I'm not against LEO birds per se.  I AM against any satellite, HEO 
or LEO, that uses our frequencies as a free alternative to the "Space 
Research Band" and GIVE NOTHING BACK IN RETURN.  Neither a functioning 
transponder that hams can use, nor a financial donation towards the 
launch of a bird of our own.  Not even, in most cases, research of 
particular interest to the broader ham community.

As for paying for an HEO launch, I can't afford to cough up that much. 
I can't even afford to cough up 1% of the required sum towards a launch 
fund.  Even 0.1% would be a financial strain, but it might be doable. 
As it turns out there IS no launch fund for any HEO satellite for me to 
contribute to.

-- 
73, de Gus 8P6SM
The Easternmost Isle