[amsat-bb] going digital

[Phil Karn]

On 07/21/2014 06:00 AM, Gus wrote:

> Probably because they didn't design a satellite.  They designed an
> entire system including ground station components as well as flight
> hardware.  The ground system components were made available such that
> their target audience was able to upgrade their BUD installations with
> only reasonable expenditures of time, effort and money.  But that's just
> a guess in my part.

Bingo!

> I'd love to chat with you on the new digital hamsat, but if it's going
> to require I spend $5k+ on hard-to-source, esoteric components and
> cobble them together with duct tape, then it'll be a while before I'm
> QRV.  So, the first few days after launch those 60 DV channels may be a
> little quiet.

Next questions:

Does a DirecTV receiving station cost $5K? Are its components hard to
source or esoteric?

If not, what makes you think that a digital ground station for an AMSAT
satellite should be?

--Phil