[amsat-bb] FM Satellites: Good Operating Practices for Beginning and Experienced Operators

Wed Dec 13 17:07:35 UTC 2017

Christopher,

I ask you the same question I asked another earlier in this thread: Do you
actually operate on the Amateur Satellites? I have checked my logs, and I
don't see you in them with your KG5JUP or your AA5EM call sign. Not saying
it's possible I could have missed you, but 5000 logged AMSAT QSOs since
2014 and you're not in them makes a fairly compelling case. Sean is not
trying pass a law by tyrannical decree here, he is an active operator who
has made a lot of contacts and been on both the chasing side and the DX
side of the QSO. He made a list of suggested guidelines based on his (and
other active ops) experiences, and he did a bang up job with it too.  If
that rustles your jimmies too much, then maybe you should re-evaluate what
you're expecting by belonging to an organization like AMSAT.

Also - for those that have been around since before AO-91 - please go back
and reference the K0D operation I did with AC0RA last month. We activated
20 rares grids thru the Western Dakotas in 3 days. We only got on 3 FM
passes the entire trip. I got a lot of flack from FM only operators for
avoiding the repeater birds - but this thread is proof positive of exactly
why we did it that way. If folks get upset over asking for some courtesy
towards the rovers out there busting their tail off, that's fine. I for one
am done chasing grids now that I've got my 488 confirmed - and plan to put
some serious effort into roving the next few years. I'm happy to stick to
the linear birds only when on the road, if treating AO91 "like the extra
class" causes people to go to their safe spaces.

-Dave, KG5CCI

On Wed, Dec 13, 2017 at 6:45 AM, kg5jup <kg5jup at gmail.com> wrote:

>
> I am a little disturbed that these ideas were just published no vote not
> input.  I am a paying member I had no input.  Honest feel like a handful of
> individuals who want to treat the birds like the extra class band when
> convent and whine when they don't get their way.
>
> Sent via the Samsung Galaxy Note8, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone
> -------- Original message --------From: "Sean K. via AMSAT-BB" <
> amsat-bb at amsat.org> Date: 12/12/17  21:48  (GMT-06:00) To: Sean Waite <
> waisean at gmail.com>, AMSAT BB <amsat-bb at amsat.org> Subject: Re: [amsat-bb]
> FM Satellites: Good Operating Practices for
>   Beginning and Experienced Operators
> Hi all-
> Matthew NJ4Y and a few others put it more succinctly than I did: Item 6 in
> my document is about extending courtesy to a station that goes to the
> trouble of setting up away from their home or back yard. That can be for a
> demo, a special event station at a hamfest, or a rare grid. All item 6 is
> asking for is some consideration for that op's effort.
> I live in grid FN31. It's a very common location. I tend to focus on
> calling other stations on FM passes from Connecticut.
> I activate other grids from time to time. When I do so, I usually take a
> full-duplex linear station with me, so I can work the more capable stations
> on SSB. But I still work FM passes, because there are some stations that
> only have FM capability. Sometimes I only take an HT with me, and am
> limited to FM only. Here are a couple examples: This July, I was back home
> in Illinois, and did a few SO50 passes from the EM59/EM69 grid line with my
> HT and Arrow. EM69 is kind of rare (not sure why), so I was happy to hand
> it out. One pass, I made 17 QSOs. Another pass, W4FS was on as K2J from
> North Carolina for the 13 Colonies special event; we split the pass.... I
> took the first half, Tucker took the second. It all worked out just fine,
> with no advance planning or coordination.
> One night, I'd announced on Twitter I was going to the grid line for an
> SO50 pass. AA5UK was in the Cayman Islands, and announced he was able to
> make a quick trip to FK09, a very rare grid, but was only there for a day
> or so. His access to passes was very limited and his time was short. He was
> in a far rarer location than I was...he was going to be able to hand out a
> rare grid and possibly a new DXCC entity for many people, so I bailed out
> and let him take the pass. I went back to my grid line the next night,
> after AA5UK had left his rare spot. No skin off my nose, and I didn't
> interfere with people trying to work a much more enticing station than me.
> That kind of courtesy and awareness is all item 6 is advocating for. If a
> station is on from a different DXCC entity, a cruise ship handing out water
> grids, or doing a demo at a Scout Jamboree, throw 'em a bone. If you were
> the station of interest, I'd wager you would appreciate the opportunity.
> And of course, if a bona fide emergency pops up and a LEO is the only way
> a station can get a message out, then everybody else should stand by.
> Sean Kutzko Amateur Radio KX9X
>
>     On Tuesday, December 12, 2017, 9:15:55 PM EST, Sean Waite <
> waisean at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>  Bow ties are cool, too.
>
> So we have a bunch of other uses for the birds. How does this fit into rule
> 6? Do rare grids make way for DX? Does DX make way for NBEMS?
>
>
> I'm new to the satellite game, so I don't really have an opinion, but maybe
> there is more discussion here than a simple dismissal. Maybe not. Almost
> every grid is a new grid for me.
>
>
> Sean WA1TE
>
> On Tue, Dec 12, 2017, 20:31 Devin L. Ganger <devin at thecabal.org> wrote:
>
> > There's the "Doctor Who" reason:
> >
> > Satellites are COOL.
> >
> >
> > --
> > Devin L. Ganger (WA7DLG)
> > email: devin at thecabal.org
> > web: Devin on Earth
> > cell: +1 425.239.2575
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: AMSAT-BB [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org] On Behalf Of Mac A.
> > Cody
> > Sent: Tuesday, December 12, 2017 5:12 PM
> > To: amsat-bb at amsat.org
> > Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] FM Satellites: Good Operating Practices for
> > Beginning and Experienced Operators
> >
> > I would hope that another reason for working the satellites is
> > experimentation to broaden the applications of amateur satellites. This
> is
> > seen, of late, with the resurgence of 'Experimenter's Wednesday' on
> AO-85.
> > I would like to see more experimentation in other areas.  Here are some
> > examples and I'm sure that there are others:
> >
> > o Use of LEO satellites for emergency response traffic (e.g. Narrow Band
> > Emergency Messaging Software - NBEMS).
> >
> > o Use/development of alternative modulation schemes on linear transponder
> > satellites to enable more efficient use or lower the barrier to access
> (e.g.
> > double-sideband
> > modulation, digital voice, low-power digital modes).
> >
> > o Development and test of homebrew satellite ground stations to lower the
> > barrier to working amateur satellites (e.g. antenna systems, filters,
> > amplifiers, full-duplex transceivers).
> >
> > 73,
> >
> > Mac Cody - AE5PH
> >
> > On 12/12/2017 06:36 PM, Sean Waite wrote:
> > > I'll bite. As far as I can tell, there are 2 main reasons for working
> > > the satellites. Chasing grids and making contacts via space. This
> > > includes both these acts as well as the fun of overcoming the
> > > challenges of doing the same.
> > >
> > > Maybe Zach has a third option that we haven't considered, one that is
> > > contrary to the grid hunt. Rag chews aren't really viable due to the
> > > limited resource and short time, but there could be something else.
> > >
> > > 73,
> > > Sean WA1TE
> > >
> > > On Tue, Dec 12, 2017, 19:05 Jeff Johns <jeff30339 at gmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > >> I don’t have him on my logs either.
> > >>
> > >> Jeff WE4B
> > >>
> > >> On Tuesday, December 12, 2017, David Swanson <dave at druidnetworks.com>
> > >> wrote:
> > >>
> > >>> Zach,
> > >>>
> > >>> Do you avoid Satellites too? I've looked thru my logs and I don't
> > >>> have
> > >> your
> > >>> call in there. I've asked a few other prolific ops and they lack a
> > >>> QSO
> > >> with
> > >>> you as well. Just curious why the strong feelings on Item 6 if
> > >>> you're not active on the birds.
> > >>>
> > >>> 73,
> > >>>
> > >>> Dave, KG5CCI
> > >>>
> > >>> On Tue, Dec 12, 2017 at 4:30 PM, Zach Metzinger <zmetzing at pobox.com>
> > >>> wrote:
> > >>>
> > >>>> On 12/12/17 14:25, John KI4RO wrote:
> > >>>>> Just like rare DX Zach...you must be a great operator on HF
> > >> too...Ugh!
> > >>>>> 73
> > >>>>> John KI4RO
> > >>>> John,
> > >>>>
> > >>>> I generally avoid 160 meters, as there are too many on there who
> > >>>> resort to disparaging insults.
> > >>>>
> > >>>> 73,
> > >>>>
> > >>>> --- Zach
> > >>>> N0ZGO
> > >>>>
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