On 07/20/2014 10:00 AM, Paul Stoetzer wrote: > A good number of > amateur radio operators are only vaguely aware of the amateur > satellite program and consider it to be quite esoteric.
Precisely. Huge az/el yagi arrays don't help that image either. Nor does an occasional, brief, noisy pass of an FM voice-only satellite carrying 1 QSO at a time do much to impress a young person with a mobile phone in his pocket that he can use to talk or message anywhere in the world. The term "easysat" doesn't seem appropriate when said FM voice satellite requires pointing an ungainly-looking 2m antenna at the sky even if that antenna is very small by usual ham satellite standards. Most mobile phones don't even have visible external antennas anymore. I'm not trying to make ham radio into a utility to compete with either the Internet or mobile phones. That's not what it's for. But for those who'd like to learn, hands-on, about modern communication technology -- for which ham radio *IS* still uniquely suited -- you have to offer something that's actually halfway modern! I can't do anything about the occasional, brief passes of a LEO without going to a higher altitude orbit. But I certainly *can* do far better with a LEO satellite and a ~1/2 meter ground antenna by: 1. Adding 3-axis attitude control to the spacecraft. 2. Moving up to the microwave bands. 3. Going digital. Instead of one voice conversation (interrupted by deep, noisy fades) you could support many. Although the LEO passes would still be occasional and brief, alternatives to real-time voice would be available. Bulk data (including recorded and possibly lengthy voice messages) could be sent up and delivered to an entirely different part of the globe. For those who don't really care to talk, satellite-generated data (e.g., telemetry, imagery) can be multiplexed with the downlink data. > The bottom line is that AMSAT-NA needs a significant boost in > membership and visibility and that boost needs to be soon. Putting two > satellites into orbit that nearly every single ham will be able to > easily hear (even a $30 Baofeng and it's stock duck should hear high > passes of the Fox-1 satellites) along with the accompanying publicity > should provide that boost. Suppose it were just as easy and cheap to build or buy an amateur digital microwave satellite earth terminal? In this age of mobile microprocessors that would at one time have been considered supercomputers; handheld GPS receivers; Sirius/XM receivers with postage-stamp antennas; and direct broadcast satellite dishes -- just to mention a few now-widespread consumer items -- do you really think it so impossible to set our sights as hams just a little higher than 1960s technology? --Phil _______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
