[amsat-bb] FO-29 and being a good transponder op

[Andrew Glasbrenner]

Lots of activity has been happening on FO-29 in the evenings lately. The
pass times are favorable, and there are rovers out and about.

 

This evening, there were at least three mobile, portable, or omni antenna
stations all piled up in the very center of the passband calling CQ on top
of each other. None were hearing the others it seems, or willing to move. It
was an ugly, embarrassing mess, completely unnecessary. 

 

Folks, FO-29 has a passband that is 100 kHz wide. There is no reason to all
pile up in the dead center and QRM each other. Spread out a little bit,
ESPECIALLY if your operational plan is to call CQ with omni antennas or
half-duplex and tune around for replies. You'll make more contacts and have
less QRM in the long run.

 

The long standing convention on linear transponder satellites has been lower
third CW, middle mixed CW and SSB, and upper third SSB. Let's try to use
this resource in a more responsible and cooperative manner.

 

73, Drew KO4MA