Re: [amsat-bb] P3D information

[Richard@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Richard W L Limebear)]

Phil Karn said:

> Oh yes, members of Amsat-thirdworld are in a much better position to
> put up the multi-kilobuck towers, antenna arrays and rotors and to buy
> all the necessary transceivers and transverters needed to work Mode B
> than anyone in North America.

In third-world places I know they'll: 
get a big bamboo, straighten 12AWG wire from a dead transformer, and *make*
as many elements as they need. That just takes time. They'll do their
tracking with look-up tables and EQXs; if they've really saved their
pennies they might have an 8MHz XT to run some old tracking software.

Towers ?  why do we need towers (for satellite working) ? 
To hold the beam above: take three shorter bamboos, tie one end together, 
splay the other ends and bingo ... a tripod. Rotator ? give the kid next-
door a handful of rice and he'll happily rotate for the loudest signal 
whenever you tell him. The kid's brother will likewise pedal to generate 
the electricity for the (25-year-old) rig.

Laura said:

> Ham radio is a rich person's hobby in all but a tiny
> handful of countries, and if you can't ante up, you can't play.

If we don't help the less-able, they'll stay downtrodden forever. I thought
"America" was about helping the world's oppressed.

Our target is the person with interest but without resources, not the rich
person who can *buy* anything he wants.

I just looked up my Tucson (1996) paper. One of the final paragraphs puts
it in a nutshell:

"I believe that Amsat-world, while not guilty of neglect, have been over-
enthusiastic in their pursuit of excellence; we cannot blame them for that
but what chance do the beginners have when (first-world) users' opinions 
are followed to the exclusion of all else."

I don't have a problem with new technology; just leave something for those
who still want to use the old - please.

73
Richard W L Limebear G3RWL
g3rwl@amsat.org
FOC # 1188

          So many beautiful girls ..... (sob) so little time
----
Via the amsat-bb mailing list at AMSAT.ORG courtesy of AMSAT-NA.
To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe amsat-bb" to Majordomo@amsat.org