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

[Bob Keating]

Couldn't agree more with Patrick. I have found the FM birds are most crowded on the weekends especially when someone has announced a rove and everybody is chasing those rare grids. Weekday passes are not so crowded and evenings are even better. In fact, on last night's pass of AO-92 at 8:47 PM PST, Kristy KB6TLY, was the only person I heard.
73,
Bob N6REK

-----Original Message-----
From: AMSAT-BB [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org] On Behalf Of Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK)
Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2019 9:25 AM
To: AMSAT <amsat-bb at amsat.org>
Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] FM Birds, New Grids, and Chaos

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
> > _______________________________________________
>
>
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