[amsat-bb] Re: AMSAT-BB Digest, Vol 8, Issue 191

[Gary Mayfield]

It is a hard business.  I have had to twice quash a local rumor AMSAT is gone.  Mainly due to the web site.
 
73,
Joe kk0sd
 
> Date: Fri, 7 Jun 2013 17:24:35 -0400
> From: burns at fisher.cc
> To: amsat-bb at amsat.org
> Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: AMSAT-BB Digest, Vol 8, Issue 191
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Tom Lubbers K8TL" <k8tl at earthlink.net>
> To: "AMSAT BB" <amsat-bb at amsat.org>
> Sent: Friday, June 07, 2013 15:55 UTC
> Subject: [amsat-bb] AMSAT needs volunteers ???
> 
> 
> > Over the past half century I responded several times to AMSAT?s call for
> > volunteers and never heard back from them.  I was happy to hear from my
> > son when he volunteered his software talents to AMSAT and told me that
> > they had asked when would be a good time to contact him.  His job title is
> > Software Engineer with over 30 years experience, a number of published
> > articles and winner of a number of design contests.  He is also
> > comfortable with hardware and firmware.  If I mention a piece of hardware
> > or software that I wish was a available in my ham shack it is usually
> > available the next time he visits.
> >
> > Oh by the way I see AMSAT is still looking for a software guy, they never
> > followed up on their request of when they could contact him.  They sure
> > blew an opportunity there.
> >
> > Tom K8TL
> >
> >
> 
> 
> That is obviously very frustrating both for you and your son.  Do remember
> that "they" are also volunteers, and for each area (engineering, finance,
> communications, etc) "they" are likely to be only a single person having a
> hard time keeping up with volumes of email in his or her spare time, and
> who has to prioritize what s/he can pay attention to.
> 
> And as Jaime's experience shows, every volunteer first has to be screened
> due to ITAR requirements.  A pain in the neck but sadly true for the time
> being.
> 
> As a volunteer organization with many members who have 'real jobs', AMSAT,
> as with most such groups, has to deal with the common case of volunteers
> who do a lot of AMSAT work and suddenly have to drop out for a while to
> spend more time with job, family, etc.  So the need for new people is
> always there, but the priorities of the moment vary widely.  And we do
> differ from some organizations by often having very hard launch dates.
> 
> Not that you can predict, but I'm sure it depends on the time within a
> project cycle too and exactly what you are volunteering for.  I suspect
> that at the moment analog circuit designer volunteers might get a greater
> mindshare than software people.
> 
> Please understand and don't give up.  It should not work this way, but
> personal contact is also good.  Hamvention (just passed), AMSAT Space
> Symposium (Houston in early November), etc.
> 
> Burns, W2BFJ
> (Not a volunteer screener, but an AMSAT member and volunteer who happened
> to send email at the right moment)
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