[amsat-bb] Update: Rent GEO bandwidth for US

[Bill Gaylord]

I personally think that instead of spend money on renting GEO bandwidth a better idea would be trying to see if any companies going to GEO would be willing haul up and power a small Amateur Payload.  Or even just getting a highly elliptical orbit on a normal bird. (Which for de-orbiting sails/drags could be deployed.)

Unless that GEO bandwidth is actually in the Ham bands why bother. 

> On Aug 22, 2019, at 11:57 AM, KC9SGV via AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb at amsat.org> wrote:
> 
> Here is the narrow band WebSDR for QO-100 over Africa.
> Very active with all the latest sound card digital modes.
> From the Goonhilly ground station in England.
> 
> We will hopefully have the same type of WebSDR for our 1 MHz bandwidth on Echostar 9.
> 
> https://eshail.batc.org.uk/nb/
> 
> Bernard,
> KC9SGV
> 
> Sent from my iPad
> 
>> On Aug 22, 2019, at 10:44 AM, Joe via AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb at amsat.org> wrote:
>> 
>> There is that Geo bird over Africa.
>> 
>> I had the URL for a site that lets you listen to the whole bird passband.
>> 
>> When it first went up I listened to it a LOT and was amazed at all the different modes and coverage.
>> 
>> But I can't find the URL anymore. I was gonna go and listen to see what the activity level is now like since it is much older and the newness has worn off.
>> 
>> Joe WB9SBD
>> Sig
>> The Original Rolling Ball Clock
>> Idle Tyme
>> Idle-Tyme.com
>> http://www.idle-tyme.com
>>> On 8/22/2019 10:04 AM, Peter Goodhall (2M0SQL) via AMSAT-BB wrote:
>>> Hi Michelle,
>>> 
>>> Excellent that they came back with the price and while the project
>>> sounds potentially interesting it's of course, not an amateur radio
>>> satellite, has anyone considered any risks for example, does this have
>>> the potential to raise questions when AMSAT approaches gov/orgs for
>>> discount launches for satellites we build that they might say that we
>>> could just go rent some transponder space.
>>> 
>>> I know in the states disaster comms is a huge point (weirdly not
>>> something that's pushed in Europe), but agencies could already access
>>> this kind of technology just by purchasing sat phones, for example, I
>>> have an iridium unit that lets me make calls and access the internet
>>> although slowly but handy in highlands of Scotland with poor mobile
>>> coverage.
>>> 
>>> By the sounds of this, it will be access points that then aggregate
>>> into a central point via probably internet backhaul then its dumped up
>>> to the satellite, to me that doesn't really feel within the ham
>>> spirit, although I'm sure tons would argue :)
>>> 
>>> I know there's a big desire for GEO over North America, but do ops
>>> really think this is the ultimate solution? we're talking 96000 USD
>>> over 4 years.
>>> 
>>> Think it really requires some heavy thought before just jumping on the idea.
>>> 
>>> Just my thoughts, and I know I'm on the other side of the pond in the
>>> QO-100 footprint.
>>> 
>>> Peter, 2M0SQL
>>> 
>>> On Thu, 22 Aug 2019 at 02:36, Michelle Thompson via AMSAT-BB
>>> <amsat-bb at amsat.org> wrote:
>>>> An arrangement on Echostar9 for 1MHz of bandwidth for up to 4 years of
>>>> USA+Mexico+Canada coverage is on offer for $2000 a month.
>>>> 
>>>> I'm putting together a grant proposal for ARRL, FEMA, and others to pay for
>>>> at least year of access. I've gotten some positive feedback already. I
>>>> think we can make this happen with some fundraising effort. I'm willing to
>>>> provide the human resources and whatever incidental financing needs to
>>>> happen to secure a grant for rental.
>>>> 
>>>> The main purpose of this type of system would be to enable field deployment
>>>> of "legacy mode" aggregators, like the Phase 4 Ground ARAP (Amateur Radio
>>>> Access Point). This is where traffic on any ham band, using FM or analog
>>>> gear, is digitized by a local "collecting" repeater, and is then sent to a
>>>> satellite from that repeater. FEMA and ARRL have expressed a lot of
>>>> interest and support for this in the past. Phase 4 Ground needs an ARAP in
>>>> order to support legacy radios.
>>>> 
>>>> You don't have to personally have a microwave digital uplink. The
>>>> aggregator equipment does that part for you.
>>>> 
>>>> This is most useful for public service and emergency communications. A
>>>> communications emergency is declared, someone (FEMA, Red Cross, motivated
>>>> ham volunteer) drops in the aggregator, and all ham traffic it hears is
>>>> sent to the satellite and then transmitted to the entire footprint.
>>>> 
>>>> The downlink is 12-14GHz. This is not 10GHz, but is receivable by
>>>> individuals using very inexpensive gear. Traffic can be repeated over the
>>>> internet.
>>>> 
>>>> What does this get us?
>>>> 
>>>> An opportunity to do all the R&D for the aggregator and get some experience
>>>> with uplinks.
>>>> 
>>>> What do we not have?
>>>> 
>>>> A true ham band downlink. You can still receive the downlink yourself, or
>>>> you can get it over the internet from an earth station distributor.
>>>> 
>>>> That's where we're at with *this* proposal.
>>>> 
>>>> I think it's worth it to provide a US-based way to design, deploy, test,
>>>> and use real world aggregator equipment. We learn a lot about GEO comms and
>>>> figure out a lot of the ins and outs.
>>>> 
>>>> Comment and critique welcome and encouraged.
>>>> 
>>>> More soon!
>>>> -Michelle W5NYV
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>> _______________________________________________
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>>> to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed
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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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> _______________________________________________
> 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: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb