Re: [amsat-bb] Apogee View

[Jeff Johns <jeffj@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Wed, 17 Feb 1999 21:18:54 -0500, "KF4FDJ (Mike in Ft. Myers, FL)" <seven77@gate.net> wrote:

> A good president will support the needs and desires of all
> members, including digitally challenged operators such as myself.

This was a _great_ post and I thought the same thing mysef when I sat down
and read the editorial. I did, however, think the article proposing numerous
amateur 'satellite clusters' to allow users with nothing but a HT to
somewhat balance this issue of the journal. Even though AO-27 is frequently
crowded and all you have time to do is trade grid squares, it's still nice
to hear a 'real' live person on the other end. I do a fair amount of short,
unproto qso's via Mir when the digi allows for it and even though I see the
text on the screen that allows me to know that someone saw my APRS beacon or
short unproto CQ, it's still nice to actually hear a voice comeing from 'the
sky' instead of just packet noise. I think one reason many amateurs don't
get more involved with the birds is the fear of having to buy all kinds of
fancy equipment. AO-27 is proof that it doesn't have to be that way. With
just a HT and a whip antenna the most financially challenged ham can work
one of the birds. I have helped many people with their first contatc via
AO-27 as others helped me and it's always a thrill to help a newcomer to the
hobby or even an old-timer to experience the thrill of using a satellite in
orbit around the earth at 16,000 miles an hour to communicate with others
using nothing but a 5 watt HT. I do it almost daily and it's still a thrill
to me when I patiently wait for AO-27 and have it arrive right on time and
to hear the activity on it. Anyways.... that's my $0.02 worth!

73 Jeff W4JEF

    *=-=-=-=-= Jeff Johns W4JEF - AMSAT# 32615 - QRP-L #1857 =-=-=-=-=-*
    |jeffj@scott.net  w4jef@amsat.org |     Reserve Patrol Captain     |
    |  Satellite: Mir R0MIR-1, AO-27  | Jefferson County Sheriff's Dept|
    |200LX+BayPac+FT50=Portable Packet|     QTH Birmingham, AL USA     |
    *=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-*

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