RE: [amsat-bb] FM Satellite Etiquette

[Rip Smith <rip.smith@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Greetings all ...

 >>Paul Weiss <p_weiss@yahoo.com> wrote"
> > I should have started this with the "Lack of FM
> > Satellite Etiquette".
> >
> > Seems the AO-27 and UO-14, our "Easy Sats" are only
> > easy if your in the click.

I have tried a number of times to make a contact through UO-14, The first 
problem was that I had difficulty finding a point where I felt it was 
appropriate (from the standpoint of courtesy) to make a call. So many 
people are calling on top of one another most of the time that it is 
difficult to figure out when a QSO is complete or who might be available 
for a call.

 >>"Bruce Paige" <kk5do@arrl.net> wrote
>  ... the w4ami award. it is issued in multiples of 1,000 contacts. up to 
> 5,000. that is why you will hear a bunch of people
>saying hello to the people they know.

If that kind of contact qualifies for the award, it is an absurd award. 
Better would be one that rewards you for working *different* stations. That 
way there would be an incentive to look for new stations.

>  ... i am sure you would not want each of those people saying...
>xx1xx this is aa1aa over
>aa1aa roger roger, this is xx1xx
>xx1xx qsl qsl, i am in xx11
>aa1aa roger your xx11 i am in xx12

Well ... yes ... actually, I would.

But what I hear over and over again is:
xx1xx this is aa1aa over
aa1aa this is xx2xx
xx2xx this is xx3yy
xx5yy
xx3yy this is xx4zz ...

... and nobody gets a contact until ultimately, whoever is the quickest 
with the mike with the most ERP gets a contact.

For those of us who are trying with a 5-watt hand-held and hand-held 
antennas, it is frustrating indeed.

>How much ERP does a station really need?

This response certainly sums up the problem:

"Michael P. Olbrisch" <kd9kc@elp.rr.com> wrote
>That depends.  Do you want to have a chance to work a few
>contacts, or do you want to play nice?

I'd rather "play nice", thank you very much, or is basic courtesy really a 
thing of the past in Amateur Radio the way it is in most other aspects of 
our lives.

>But I never had much luck
>breaking the group until I put up an AO-10 class station.

I think that confirms the "clique" problem. If you have a strong enough 
signal, you can join the group.

>It would be nice if EVERYBODY used 5 watt radios.  But since
>they don't, you either need to compete, or fail to compete.
>Like they say, you can't run with the big dogs if you pee
>like a puppy.

Nice ... (who says that?)

>I run some decent ERP, and I (infrequently)
>make 2 or 3 contacts, then stop and let others in.  Basically,
>I stopped complaining, put up the antennae, and started
>making contacts.
>
>I don't think you will have much luck changing the way
>people do things, you would be much better off changing the
>way you do it.

No, I don't have to do it at all.

I've given up on the FM satellites because of the totally chaotic operating 
that goes on there. It's worse than trying to bust a pileup on 20 meters!

I enjoy RS-12, where I can get a word in edgewise on CW even with my indoor 
antennas. I am gradually building up my capability for the FO birds.

73 de K3XO
Rip

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