[amsat-bb] idle comments - Idle SATs

Sat Mar 17 19:37:14 UTC 2018

Sign of the times! Younger hams, like me, like the thrill of the chase.  Im going to quote a young teenager that wanted to know what ham radio was about and i told them about chasing DX. Grids, counties,states etc.  I got the comment of its like the app Pokemon Go then?
EXACTLY!
There is still room for ragchewing. If thats what someone wants to do. I honestly admire some of the guys who can hold the pass and have a ragchew qso.   My setup isnt great.  I can hold some very well, others not so much. Of course im tracking everything manually. Labor of love in the moment!

-------- Original message --------From: John Geiger <af5cc2 at gmail.com> Date: 3/17/18  3:18 PM  (GMT-05:00) To: Jerry Buxton <n0jy at amsat.org> Cc: amsat-bb at amsat.org Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] idle comments - Idle SATs 
Now I have had some nice ragchews on FO29 the past couple of days.  There
seems to be a group from W6 land that get on their quite reqularly and QSO
with each other.

73 John AF5CC

On Sat, Mar 17, 2018 at 2:13 PM, Jerry Buxton <n0jy at amsat.org> wrote:

> It is a fact that I get on the birds infrequently, often it's a timing
> issue of when I have free time vs. what is going to pass during that time.
> Taking that into account as you are reading this, the last couple or
> three times I was on a linear bird which would have been 1H 2017 to my
> recollection, nobody wanted to have a rag-chew or even a short
> weather/shack/shoe-size QSO.  Grid exchange was it.  Honestly, I don't
> care about grids or awards although I will work some when they are out
> in the rare spots on the FM birds if the timeslot fits just to have them
> in the log in case I change my mind some year (love that you can just do
> that with ham radio, change your interest/tactics any given day).
> So I haven't tried so much to get on a linear pass after that, it wasn't
> what I was looking for.  CQ for the whole pass to exchange grids three
> or four times.
> This is not an editorial on what current op trends are, just my two
> cents worth on the subject.  Maybe I hit the birds during a lull in
> rag-chew interest.
>
> Jerry Buxton, NØJY
>
> On 3/15/2018 22:06, Paul Stoetzer wrote:
> > I admit that the launches of AO-91 and 92 have reduced my linear
> > operating time. As much as I enjoy operating on the linear sats,
> > operating portable as I do, I'm not going to be able to operate every
> > pass. I have made fewer than two dozen linear sat QSOs this year.
> >
> > Perhaps some linear satellite operating days are in order where
> > everyone decides to work as many passes of the XWs as possible or
> > CAS-4B or UKube-1 or something. FO-29 and AO-7 do seem to draw a
> > decent amount of activity still.
> >
> > 73,
> >
> > Paul, N8HM
> >
> > On Thu, Mar 15, 2018 at 11:00 PM, R.T.Liddy <k8bl at ameritech.net> wrote:
> >> Unfortunately, I've been roving the past couple weeks and operating
> >> from several uncommon Grids/Gridlines and usually find no one or only
> >> one on the Linear SATs. Does that make me want to drive to some odd
> >> place and set up to rarely make a QSO? People shouldn't worry abt
> >> being exactly zero-beat, if that puts them off. Just get close & we'll
> >> find you. If people keep avoiding them, eventually no one will bother
> >> using them, period. Maybe, the "Easy SATs" are so easy that folks don't
> >> bother with the others.
> >> 73,    Bob  K8BL  /4/5/9
> >> ________________________________
> >> From: Joe N3XLS via AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb at amsat.org>
> >> To: Bob- W7LRD <w7lrd at comcast.net>; amsat-bb <amsat-bb at amsat.org>
> >> Sent: Thursday, March 15, 2018 6:43 PM
> >> Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] idle comments
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Its not too many satellites,  not enough ops!
> >> -------- Original message --------From: Bob- W7LRD <w7lrd at comcast.net>
> Date: 3/15/18  6:23 PM  (GMT-05:00) To: amsat-bb <amsat-bb at amsat.org>
> Subject: [amsat-bb] idle comments
> >> Hello from Seattle
> >>
> >> I read the bb almost thoroughly throughout the day.  A small common
> denominator is subtly appearing.  I read, "I was on the bird all alone",
> or something like, "no one to talk to".  The unusual conclusion, we have
> too many satellites!  I never thought this ham would even think of it.  If
> I look at Satpc32 with "only" a dozen listed, in fast forward a bewildering
> barrage of circles floats across the screen.  I am not saying this is a bad
> thing, it just spreads us out and at times, there is, "no one to talk to".
> I do testing like try different power levels, talk to myself til as close
> to AOS as I can get.  You know the drill.  From what I read there are more
> on the starting block.  I'd like to see more L band time,  maybe a bird
> with a S band DL a MEO, a HEO- I know, idle comments.  We have the five &
> dime coming at us, which sounds like a whole other world, I'm looking
> forward to it.  Then there is the massive off air time making all this
> stuff work.  Currently testing between two
> >   L
> >>   band antennas and between two different 70cm antennas.  At this time
> I have my Satpc32 talking fine with the radio but not with the rotor.  A
> com port issue which currently I can not figure out.  Assistance
> solicited.   On the ISS it would be fun to see one of the "hams"  up there
> have that "burning in the belly"  to yuck it up, get  WAS, VUCC, DXCC or
> whatever.  Again, just idle comments not a criticism of the ARISS system.
> Sunny day in Seattle, xyl says yard work.
> >>
> >> 73 Bob W7LRD
> >>
> >> Seattle
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>
> _______________________________________________
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> to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions
> expressed
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> AMSAT-NA.
> Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program!
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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