[amsat-bb] Behavior on FM Satellites

[Jack Chomley]

Reminds me of Packet Wars, in the last millennium......

73,

Jack VK4JRC

Club.    www.cqara.org.au




> On 11 Dec 2017, at 04:24, Mike Thompson <zryder94 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> I couldn’t have said it better myself, Paul. The behavior I have witnessed
> on AO-91 lately is about as far from examples of good operating practice as
> I can imagine. We can all do better.
> On Sun, Dec 10, 2017 at 12:06 PM Paul Stoetzer <n8hm at arrl.net> wrote:
> 
>> Good afternoon,
>> 
>> During the last AO-91 pass, there were many interesting stations on,
>> but in particular there were two low power rovers in rare grids: FG8OJ
>> was in FK95 and C6AWD/MM (AC0RA) was in FL25 (an entirely wet grid
>> that the ship will only be in for a short period of time).
>> 
>> Yet, even while those two were in the footprint, stations were calling
>> other fixed stations that they can work on any pass of any satellite,
>> day or night. Right now, we have 14 satellites where you can make a
>> QSO with a guy next door. There's no need to work a hundred stations
>> on every pass of AO-91, especially when two guys in rare grids with
>> low power equipment are attempting to hand them out. It's all about
>> situational awareness. Pay attention to what grid ops are going to be
>> on a pass (monitoring Twitter, Facebook, and the BB prior to a pass
>> are handy for this), listen before you transmit, noting anything that
>> seems rare, and wait to make other QSOs until the rare stations are
>> out of the footprint. And please don't keep calling stations when they
>> are out of the footprint. Learn your geography and/or look at a map,
>> please!
>> 
>> This is how I approached the pass: From monitoring Twitter, I was well
>> aware that there would be two rare rovers on (the two I mentioned
>> before). I did not need FG8OJ in FK95, so I did not call him. However,
>> FL25 is a hole in my map. When I heard C6AWD/MM in FL25, I made my
>> call, worked him, and then didn't attempt any more QSOs until he was
>> out of the footprint (this included not responding to a person that
>> called me).
>> 
>> I know this is not the first time this topic has been raised, but
>> behavior has been especially terrible since the launch of AO-91.
>> Eventually, I and others will be forced to name and shame stations
>> engaged in poor behavior. FM satellites are wonderful in that the
>> simple, inexpensive equipment required to work them opens up the
>> amateur satellite hobby to a large number of people. However, since
>> they are a single channel covering a wide area, they also demand a
>> good amount of situational awareness and courtesy when operating.
>> 
>> 73,
>> 
>> Paul, N8HM
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> _______________________________________________
> Sent via AMSAT-BB at amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available
> to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed
> are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA.
> Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program!
> Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb