Re: Fw: Miles Mann and SSTV

[BillWA6ITF@xxxxxxx]

To all,

It is obvious that this person, and many others, have totally missed the
reason for the action taken by the folks who put manned ham radio into space.
In my view as a writer and also as a person who works for one of the nations
largest broadcast networks, this transcends ham radio, hams in space, AMSAT,
or anything so unimportant. Rather, it seems to me that this is all about
respecting the word "protocol."

Protocols are politically based, having been established over hundreds of
years of human endevor -- and transcend the 'hobby' aspect of hams wanting to
'play ham radio' in space.  

Like it or not, said protocols exist, and it is not for any of us to violate
them.  And all international political protocol states that only envoys who
who are empowered by a given government, corporation, organization, etc (take
your pick -- you get the idea) have the authority to deal with a given matter
-- or given matters with any other government, offshore corporation, off-shore
organization, etc. (again, you get the idea).

Lets take Mr. Mann out of the picture because this is really not about him.
The fact that any of us may be a "volunteer" means nothing.  Volunteer means
only that you or I agree to work for nothing.  It does not mean that any of us
can do anything that we might want in the name of  government, company or
organization.

Be you or I a paid employee or a volunteer, when you take on a task for a
specific organization, you and/or I are totally -- and legally -- subject to
the direction of the leadership of that organization.  We do not have the
authority to make decisions and/enter into agreements with any other entirty
without the express pemission of  the leadership of your organization unless
expressly tasked to do so.  To proceed otherwise is a breach of both
organizational rules and of said protocols.  As such, and regardless of our
pay scale -- the organization, company, etc.  has the legal right and the
moral obligation to meter out punishment.

Let me propose this example.  Suppose you or I work for a company and our job
was to gain the confidence of a potential customer so as to open the
proverbial door to permit your company's "sales department "to negciate a
deal.  Instead, we take it upon ourself to negociate this sale and proudly
aproach our superior with a signed agreement in hand.  We expect to be patted
on the back for bringing major income to your organization.  Instead the boss
calls us into his office, reems us out and fires us!

Why?  Its because our superior recognized a trait tha is intollerable in the
worlds of business and politics.  Our inability to follow orders and abide
strictly by corporate policy.  These are far more important to the survival of
a company, organization -- or even to a government -- than is corporate
income.  By trying to hard, we become a liability rather than an asset.

The same holds true in the world of international ham radio and ham radio-in-
space politics.  Over the years, certain protocols have been established.
Right or wrong they exist, and it is not for any one of us -- for any reason
-- to violate them.  If you or I do so, we not only risk the wrath of our
peers but we place in jepordy the entire future of what the collective is
attempting to accomplish.

Yesterday afternoon,  CBS network radio news reported that the Russians' may
de-orbit the Mirr as early as this fall.  Possibly September.  If this is
accurate, then Mir is a dead issue within ham radio and we must focus our
energies on tnext step in hams radio's conquest of space -- the ISS.  

Remember, STTV to/from orbit is nothing new.  Tony England used this mode on
the second-ever ham radio shuttle mission back in the mid' '80's.  Its very
old technology that is in reality nothing more than a buzzing noise on a
carrier wave.  Its from before Mir' s era and was an old technology even then.

It is time to say goodbye to Mir.  It is time to say "thank you" to our
friends in Russia who have made ham radio from Mir available to the world and
-- most of all -- it is time to turn all of our attention and all of our
energy to the ISS.  That is where manned ham radio's future is in space.  To
make the ham station on ISS a reality we must all strictly observe any and all
international protocols.  If we fail to do so, we place our own future in
jepardy. 

Regards
Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF



In a message dated 98-06-05 00:31:42 EDT, you write:

<< > From: Jose Mihotek KF4VND <jmihotek@gte.net>
 > To:Frank Bauer , Roy Neal ,sarex@amsat.org
 > Subject: Miles Mann and SSTV
 > Date: Thursday, June 04, 1998 7:12 PM
 > 
 > In response to your worries about the future of Amateur Radio in Space,
 > based on the way you present your case, I think they are unfounded.
 >  As a practicing Satellite Radio Amateur that I am, I think that if Mr.
 > Miles Mann has the hardware  for his SSTV Experiment ready to fly, you
 and
 > everybody else should be helping him instead of getting in the way.
 > 
 > Why should I, and everybody else, have to wait for your SSTV experiment
 in
 > another space-craft that has not even been launched ?
 > 
 > I would love to experience SSTV as soon as possible through MIR and  then
 > when you have your experiment ready on the ISS as well.
 > 
 > I don't know Mr. Mann, but have read his Mir SSTV Esperiment letter that
 he
 > posted on this BBS, and he presents his case much more accurately than
 you.
 > He proposes frequencies, explains the pros and cons of each option,
 speaks
 > with knoledge of the existing hardware aboard Mir, and more importantly,
 is
 > ready to fly on the next launch to Mir. 
 > 
 > Mr. Mann strikes me as a doer.
 > 
 > I dont see how his SSTV Experiment would jeopardize your experiment
 aboard
 > the FUTURE    International Space Station. Perhaps you care to elaborate
 on
 > that point in a response to this BBS.
 > 
 > Why dont you and your team concentrate on  your experiment, and if you
 dont
 > want to co-operate with Mr. Mann, at least get out of the way and  let
 him
 > fly his experiment so that I, along with all the rest of Ham Radio
 > Operators in the world have the oportunity to practice for when you are
 > finally ready we can better enjoy your experiment aboard ISS.
 > 
 > I dont think that your position is in the best interest of the Ham Radio
 > Operators. I think you are trying to play politics. It seems to me that
 > this has become a personal issue between against Mr.Mann. 
 > 
 > I am not interested in the reasons why Mr .Mann is no longer with MIREX.
 > Maybe he got tired of the politics  and stones you put in front of him
 and
 > he quit. I don't care. All I care is that if HIS experiment is ready to
 fly
 > and YOUR'S is not, his experiment SHOULD FLY FIRST.  This matter should
 be
 > treated on a first come, first serve basis.
 > 
 > I don't see anything wrong with Mr. Mann's personal goals, they seem to
 be
 > in the best interest of HAM Radio.  Perhaps you care to share with us
 what
 > your personal goals regarding Amateur Radio are.
 > 
 > If AMSAT backs you on this effort to make all Hams wait for you, until
 you
 > are ready to fly, it will not be acting in the best interest of all the
 > Amateur Radio Operators.
 > 
 > If that is the case, I think Mr. Mann should be talking to the russians
 > directly. After all, they are the owners of MIR and I am sure they will
 not
 > give him all the trouble you're causing.
 > 
 > I say again: 
 > 
 > It is in the best interest of Amateur Radio in Space to support Mr. Mann
 in
 > this particular effort to make SSTV through MIR availiable to all Ham
 > Operators at the present time. This has nothing to do with ISS because
 that
 > is in the future. 
 > 
 > Regarding your statement that MIR has only another year of life, who are
 > you to say ? You are not the owner and have no right to decide that. It
 is
 > in the best interest of the World-wide Scientific Communnity to keep MIR
 > flying forever.  I'd like to remind you that it has been re-orbited once
 > already and could very well be re-orbited once again if need be.
 > 
 > There is nothing wrong with Mr. Mann acting as an individual  trying to
 > make SSTV availiable to us. And let me tell you, he is not alone. He has
 my
 > support and I'm sure the support of all Ham Operators that want to enjoy
 > SSTV from space this year.
 >  If we were to conduct a poll on how many support this immediate
 > possibility as opposed to waiting for your experiment in the future,
 common
 > sense tells us that the support is behind  the immediate possibility. We 
 > always have the future ahead of us and it is always uncertain.
 > 
 > I hope this leter is food for thought and many Hams speak up in support
 of
 > Mr. Mann's efforts to give us SSTV from space.
 > 
 >  I think you and your group have some soul-searching to do regarding your
 > efforts to hinder the progress of Amateur Radio. You seem to have missed
 > the spirit of this wonderful Hobby.
 > 
 > Best regards,
 > 
 > Jose Mihotek
 > KF4VND
 > jmihotek@gte.net
 >  >>