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

Wed Dec 13 22:00:22 UTC 2017

There are two things that are  sad about all of this is...
  The discussion about the FM satellites has been going on for as long as 
I've been working the sats, coming up on 30 years. Geez am I getting old. It 
will never change. What happens is as the newness of AO-91 wears off it will 
settle down. it always does Let's all be patient.
  The second thing is I wouldn't even be involved in this discussion, I know 
better but I elmered my good friend Russ kl1nk today on two passes of AO-91. 
The first pass low over the Caribbean went well, he made two contacts, the 
second high pass  over the US was a disaster. He didn't make a single 
contact, as far as I can tell he wasn't even heard. He could not believe 
what a mess it was. I told him the SSB satellites were much more relaxed, 
but being retired on a fixed income, I don't think he has the money to 
invest in the required equipment. Trying to get new people interested in sat 
operation is a very hard sell. I had to almost beg him to take my Arrow 
antenna I loaned him home to work on it. Back to the linear birds for me :-)

73 Jeff kb2m

-----Original Message----- 
From: R.T.Liddy
Sent: Wednesday, December 13, 2017 4:30 PM
To: AMSAT BB
Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] FM Satellites: Good Operating Practices for 
Beginning and Experienced Operators

KG5JUP,

The AMSAT BB is open to all & no membership/dues required.

Anyone can comment on whatever is posted on it, which you did.

Someone volunteered their time to summarize what many folks feel
are good operating procedures. Without guidelines, there would
continue to be the chaos on the FM Satellites that has been seen.

New people should appreciate having guidance on how to operate
on a shared resource. Otherwise, they merely contribute to the chaos.

FYI, there is no voting on a volunteered set of guidelines. You either
follow them or you don't. They aren't Rules.

You could have suggested a rewording of portions of the guidelines
and asked for discussion and a reissue. Instead, you inferred that the
SATs are being controlled by only certain individuals and they are
whiners.

Now, why don't you tell the users here what you feel should be different
in those guidelines based on your experience and observations. Then,
people can comment on the pros and cons of your ideas. Perhaps, the
guidelines can be improved.

TNX/73,     Bob  K8BL

P.S. Please sign your posts with your Name/Call so we know who you are.

________________________________
From: kg5jup <kg5jup at gmail.com>
To: R.T.Liddy <k8bl at ameritech.net>; AMSAT BB <amsat-bb at amsat.org>
Sent: Wednesday, December 13, 2017 3:11 PM
Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] FM Satellites: Good Operating Practices for 
Beginning and Experienced Operators

Hello there!  I am one of the ones you speak of and my only issue was how 
the suvesstions were presented and that someone can just post to AMSAT site 
with out a vote or discussion.

Sent via the Samsung Galaxy Note8, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone

-------- Original message --------
From: "R.T.Liddy" <k8bl at ameritech.net>
Date: 12/13/17  12:20  (GMT-06:00)
To: AMSAT BB <amsat-bb at amsat.org>
Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] FM Satellites: Good Operating Practices for
  Beginning and Experienced Operators

Dave,

Thanks for the good words about the reality of SAT operations.

Apparently, some people do not appreciate DX and/or Roving
or Gridding QSOs on our Satellites. They don't realize or care
that there is a LOT of time and expense involved with providing
these contacts for other SAT users from rare locations.

Amazingly, it seems that some of the vocal folks are objecting
to being reminded to use courtesy when the resources are busy
with highly sought stations. There are very many SAT passes that
are not busy at all. Is it that inconvenient to use those passes?

Even more amazing is that it has been pointed out that some of
the objectors haven't been actual users of the Satellites. One would
wonder why they are voicing objections in the first place.

Our hobby often has a problem getting folks to volunteer to do
some of the needed tasks that we all would benefit from. Then, when
someone steps forward to help with a needed task (writing an Operating
Practice) there are folks that do nothing but complain about what that
volunteer actually does! Go figure!!!

73 & Merry Christmas to ALL!!!  de Bob K8BL  (AMSAT #6593)

________________________________
From: David Swanson <dave at druidnetworks.com>
To: AMSAT BB <amsat-bb at amsat.org>
Sent: Wednesday, December 13, 2017 12:08 PM
Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] FM Satellites: Good Operating Practices for 
Beginning and Experienced Operators

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
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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 

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