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

Wed Dec 13 22:23:00 UTC 2017

I'd love to see Sean's guidelines included in the next "Getting Started
with Amateur Satellites" book.  Listening, Courtesy, and Situational
Awareness prevents many problems.

73 de Bill, KG5FQX

On Wed, Dec 13, 2017 at 4:00 PM, <kb2mjeff at att.net> wrote:

> 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
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> _______________________________________________
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> 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!
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>