[amsat-bb] AMSAT Symposium

[Clint Bradford]

Well - good evening to you, too, Pablo. 

>> When's the last time you attended a symposium? Ummm, never? 

I just love it when truly ignorant statements are made - as if the writer knew anything about 
what they are talking about.

I attended an AMSAT Symposium when it was in San Jose, CA. I also accumulated one of the 
 finest assemblage of raffle prizes AMSAT-NA has ever seen when I was prize coordinator 
for their symposium a couple years ago. Got a plaque signed by the AMSAT prez for that effort.

I know exactly what a cruise costs. I know precisely what it costs to put on events. I orchestrated 
a city-wide event for Riverside, CA (population 300K) that had about 7,000 attendees. From parking 
to logistics to communications to placing a repeater atop a local hill to working with each and 
every vendor - I know what it takes.

I also worked with the publicity director for a large regional newspaper. I have also been involved 
with several 501(c)(3) organizations with their fundraising and grant writing projects.

I also orchestrated an ARISS contact for my City of Jurupa Valley - earning FRONT PAGE WITH 
COLOR PHOTOS coverage in California’s sixth-largest daily newspaper. Along with NPR interviews, 
coverage by other video outlets, video highlighted on the Bob Heil / Gordon West Ham Nation 
mediacast - I did it all for our students.

So you have no idea who I am or what I have done. Yet you spout your venom ...

A group in financial problems holding an annual event on a cruise. If you do not see how horrible 
that looks - from a public relations and marketing aspect - then you are either naive or just plain
ignorant.

I acknowledged on the AMSAT-BB list that you made good points. You are welcome.

How I am “self-promoting” myself - actually “promoting working the birds” has proven effective. I am 
approached monthly by conventions, groups, municipalities, clubs - to find out more about working 
the FM birds. In that aspect - “spending the word” - I am tremendously successful.

>> … Barbed wire is not an effective material for constructing antennas …

Tell that to the Boy Scouts who used that barbed wire antenna to speak to an astronaut who was 
aboard the ISS at the time.

YOU are just one of a handful that, apparently, just don’t get it. Working a couple of the FM birds is 
not something one needs to put a lot of money in to. Is using barbed wire the same as spending $500+ 
and using an M2 2MCP28? Nope. DOES IT WORK FOR THIS? ABSOLUTELY.

>> … you act like it should work for everyone in every situation …

Bovine excrement. Can one make an effective 2M/440 antenna and work a bird or three? Absolutely.

>> … I'm thankful this season that you are not a professional educator in any school system …

Sorry to disappoint you - but I still volunteer for NASA and am earned my registered ARRL instructor 
position. 

Clint Bradford K6LCS

PS By the way, I don’t see any posts from you suggesting tactics to “save” AMSAT-NA from its 
current financial problems. At least a few of us are … But not you …