[amsat-bb] Re: N American Satellite Activity UP

[Bryce Salmi]

I'll just add in that I have only ever operated a satellite by handheld
antenna and an HT. I've received SSB sats on stationary antennas but never
worked them. I don't have the infrastructure to do so nor have I had the
time to set something up. I just graduated college and moved 3,000 miles
across the US to Los Angeles (South Bay area) where very few people own
their homes and like me rent. I really can't install and antenna and
feedline and everything must be portable. One day I'll get a semi portable
station together but until then I enjoy helping others get onto the birds
(AMSAT Engineering) and hearing other people have fun working them. Same
story for my involvement in K2GXT at RIT. I hardly ever operated in college
but spent a majority of my time helping others learn the ropes in ham
radio, making sure they had access to the equipment they needed, and
transferred any experience I had to them. This makes me content to know
that my efforts let other people have fun.

On that note, since LA is a pit of RF noise (especially HF at night!) I've
toyed with the idea that once my college loans are paid off (that... will
take a while) to team up with some other hams I know and purchase some
cheap land in the middle of nowhere (like Mojave Desert area) with access
to power and internet then set-up a remote station to operate
HF/satellites. It would be a neat project and probably make my HOA
president much happier :D.


Just my $0.02 and story

Bryce
KB1LQC



On Sat, Mar 29, 2014 at 3:21 PM, Michael <Mat_62 at charter.net> wrote:

> Been down this road before.  I have nothing against operators who want to
> work satellites with an HT and a handheld antenna.  I tried it and don't
> see the attraction once the novelty wears off but hey, to each their own.
>  Said it before and I'll say it again,  I think we do ourselves a huge
> disservice by constantly trying to convince people just how "easy" it is to
> work the sats.  Some of us were drawn to this branch of the hobby because
> of the challenge,  not because of how "easy" it was.  Operators who don't
> back down from a challenge  are our future..... or they should be.
> 73,
> Michael, W4HIJ
>
> On 3/29/2014 12:16 AM, Gus wrote:
>
>> On 03/28/2014 12:20 PM, Clayton Coleman wrote:
>>
>>> I cringe at the "anti-handheld in the backyard
>>> mentality" because those operators are our future.
>>>
>>
>> A single-band CW Tx with a crystal oscillator and a simple,
>> single-conversion Rx may be a perfect way to encourage newcomers to the
>> world of HF.  Especially as it shows that a large investment is not
>> necessary to get started.  But it would be WRONG to mislead prospective
>> hams into believing that such a setup is the be-all and end-all of
>> operating HF.  They should be made to understand that considerable
>> sophistication is possible when operating HF and sophisticated equipment
>> available to suit.
>>
>> Similarly, a "handheld in the backyard" method of operating via satellite
>> works.  It has the beauty of being (comparatively) easy to set up as a
>> demo, and promises success for the newcomer on a limited budget.  But it is
>> WRONG to suggest that this is the peak of sophistication in ham satellite
>> operation, and that old-timers as well as newcomers should be satisfied
>> with having to drape their equipment around their neck and run out into the
>> backyard, rain or shine, every time they want to operate.
>>
>> I'm not saying there is anything wrong with handhelds in the back yard.
>>  I'm saying that as far as I'm concerned, I'm not interested.  I took the
>> training wheels off my bike a long time ago, and I wear long trousers now.
>>
>> (Actually, I wear shorts almost exclusively.  But hopefully you get my
>> point.)
>>
>>
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