[amsat-bb] Anyone on EO-88?

[Roy Dean]

What I can't understand is that people continue to shame other hams for not
operating on the linears.    Having only just recently obtained the
equipment necessary to work the linears (and then, only at the shack, my
equipment is not portable in any way), I can say that it was not cheap nor
easy to do.    Working the FM birds is both far cheaper and easier, for
sure.

Those that are stuck on the FM birds are likely not doing it by choice.
 It's all they have.  Please keep that in mind.

--Roy
K3RLD




> EO-88 is in a low inclination orbit and so stays close to the equator. Many
> of us in the northern part of the continental U.S. and Canada cannot access
> it because it never passes far enough north for us to be in the footprint.
> That said, it can sometimes be lonely on linear satellites on passes that
> cover much of the continental U.S. I can’t understand why people would
> prefer to step all over one another on a single channel FM bird rather than
> spread out on a nice passband. Yes, the linears require a bit more effort,
> technical skill, and possibly a
> bit more of a monetary investment. But by finding some bargains on used
> gear and learning a bit more about how things work, they are well within
> reach of the average ham.