[amsat-bb] FM Birds, New Grids, and Chaos

[Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK)]

Hi!

AMSAT may encourage this sort of operating, but let's not
forget ARRL with its VUCC award, and the VUCC/r for those
going out and working from other places - and there may be
others, too. N8HM is correct about how AMSAT's Rover Award
encourages the use of linear transponders, but not as many
are on those passes. Same with using packet or other non-FM
modes.

A single-channel satellite will have crowds much of the
time. Compared to the days of AO-51 and AO-27 with their
70cm downlinks, I think AO-91 and AO-92 with their 2m
downlinks have brought out larger crowds. Unless you're
on in the middle of the night, or operating in another
part of the world with a small ham population (I saw
that in Australia a few years ago), it may be unrealistic
to expect to do much more than quick QSOs on FM satellites.
New operators are regularly showing up on the FM passes.

It is fun to regularly hear DX stations on AO-91 and AO-92
passes over the continental USA, something we really didn't
have as much when SO-50 was the only FM satellite we had
for a while. Is AMSAT a victim of its successes with AO-91
and AO-92? Maybe. I'd rather be in the current situation than
a few years ago, when we only had SO-50, AO-7 and FO-29 (plus
the ISS digipeater) as our amateur satellite lineup.

I like chasing grids from home, enjoy going out and working
from wherever I happen to be, and I do a fair bit of promoting
AMSAT and satellite operating at events. Crowds understand
that the single-channel FM satellites are going to be busy.
They also enjoy listening to those passes on their own radios
during the demonstrations - the best way to show how easy
it is to hear AO-91 and AO-92 downlinks, and previously AO-85.
Most in the crowds also understand there are some times where
it would be easier to get through than other times. And there's
always the opportunities to experiment with stations. Even if
I don't make a QSO on a given pass, it is still fun to try
different things.

73!




Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK
http://www.wd9ewk.net/
Twitter: @WD9EWK or http://twitter.com/WD9EWK









On Wed, Feb 20, 2019 at 4:32 PM Robert Switzer via AMSAT-BB <
amsat-bb at amsat.org> wrote:

>  AMSAT explicitly encourages grid chasing with it's new award system.
>
>     On Wednesday, February 20, 2019, 11:30:09 AM EST, Jerry Buxton <
> n0jy at amsat.org> wrote:
>
>  Not to deter grid chasing and awards, does every FM bird have to be that
> way?  I do miss my start with "portable stuff" a decade or so ago, and
> just having quick QSOs with new contacts on SO-50 from the pizzeria
> parking lot when I visited Mom and Dad...
>
> Jerry Buxton, NØJY
>
> On 2/19/2019 21:02, Bob wrote:
> > I can tell you from personal experience as a satellite mentor, giving
> > presentations which always excite potential new satellite users, then
> > having them go into the field to experience the bedlam of a FM Satellite,
> > that they too often become discouraged and give up.  Easysat is a very
> > deceptive name, especially on weekends.
> >
> > 73, Bob, WB4SON
> > _______________________________________________
>
>