[amsat-bb] AMSAT-NA solution: DX (HEO) to attract more interest and revenue

[Jerry Buxton]

On 7/30/2019 11:34, Zach Metzinger via AMSAT-BB wrote:
>
> This resonates with me, as I see a general decline in the ability of
> newly minted engineers coming out of our "higher education"
> institutions. Too many distractions have made the average youngster
> impatient, sloppy, and poorly focused. 
I'm not commenting either way on this observation, but it did make me
think of another consideration in the return to HEO or for that matter,
non-LEO and anything with a hefty price tag.  There has been a fair
amount of outcry over not so much the failure of AO-95's receive
capability and yes we are still working on possibilities to help
determine what went wrong or perhaps, get it working (I'm an optimist)
but take that to the level of a $1M or more project and the scrutiny
probably becomes pretty hard to bear, as you can imagine. 

Given the money to do a HEO it is also necessary to exercise the caution
and care to make sure you succeed, lest a mistake cripple the satellite
and run off half the membership kind of like AO-40's unfortunate tale,
not to mention running off investors.  That takes a bunch of time and
dedicated volunteers who have the expertise and stick around long enough
to make it work and pass along the knowledge.  To my knowledge, all of
the prior HEO took a lot of time, money, and effort.  I would be happy
to be involved with such a well subsidized effort but I honestly don't
see it happening quickly in terms of member-years, although 5 or
possibly more years in the "construction" business is nothing and no
matter how many years, is always amazingly short.

Just sayin', return to HEO is as much my desire as anyone else and I
still have my AO-10/13/40 antennas so I have every incentive to
succeed!  (That's partially a joke, son.)
It just may not be fast, it has to be careful, and it sure has to be a
mission set in solid requirements from the get-go and free of politics
or personal desires to change the course once the requirements are
written and design begins.  And with volunteers, that's not always as
easy as you might think, especially because they come and go. 
Volunteers are in my experience, less inclined to stay around the longer
times needed for things like this, at least 'these days'.  Look at how
many worked long and hard at AMSAT's prior HEO and projects.  And these
satellite things, they will frustrate and contradict you every step of
the way.  It's almost like they resist being easy, perfect.  They are
the embodiment of Capt. Edward A. Murphy's law.  Ya gotta love it!

Jerry Buxton, NØJY