RE: [amsat-bb] diagrams

["Rick Hambly \(W2GPS\)" <w2gps@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Kevin,

AMSAT has always been "a very tiny group of builders working in secret"
designing "the latest bleeding edge" stuff.  That's not new.  Business
issues were not, in most cases, the motivation for those developers, merely
a positive outcome of their efforts.

There is no way to make satellites simple enough for the average Ham to
design and build.  The approach that is being used lately by AMSAT and
others (Like WB4APR and the USNA) is to buy what we can and put our limited
development resources into the things you can't buy or don't want to buy.
That way we are not designing one Battery Charger module after another after
another.

Anyone who wants to try their hand at a design is welcome.  What we need
mostly is RF designers.  Call me if you want to do this.

Rick
W2GPS

-----Original Message-----
From: kevin schuchmann [mailto:kschuchm@pacbell.net] 
Sent: Friday, December 05, 2003 10:54 AM
To: Rick Hambly (W2GPS); G0MRF@aol.com
Cc: 'amsat-bb'
Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] diagrams

Hi Rick and David,

  I'm aware that ao40 belongs to AMSAT-DL they are in control of that info, 
and David I'm glad to hear that the book exists and that the "builders"
share 
info... 
  
     I have seen the lament from you Rick that its hard to get Sat builders 
interested in things unless its new and interesting and leading edge, so 
wouldn't it be in everyones best interest to have more Sat builders?

     Ham Radio , at least to me is a learning adventure, not a business 
proposition, now I can understand if someone comes up with a new design that

is radical in nature, they could patent the design, and still release the 
info...   on the other hand do we really need the latest bleeding edge 
design?  wouldn't something that is more mundane but that works also be OK?

Hey it may be the absolutely right thing to continue doing things the way
they 
are being done today... but  It just seems to me (my opinion)  that the pool

of satellite builders is shrinking, the Sats are becoming more and more high

tech and beyond the average ham, not a slam either way but lets face it 
because of time constraints we had to turn to "off the shelf" components for

a lot of ECHO.

   Kinda makes me think about Tom Clarks W3IWI  description of the AMSAT
seti 
group "Radio amateurs have built more than 40 OSCARs (Orbiting Satellites 
Carrying Amateur Radio) and hardware flying on the Shuttle, MIR and Space 
Station. The Titanic was built by professionals; we are amateurs in the
proud 
tradition of the Wright Bros."
   
     I guess I'm questioning where is AMSAT headed?  will we become a group
of 
appliance users, and a very tiny group of builders working in secret?

     As for me  I would rather see a lower tech Sat org with a large group
of 
builders and thinkers trying to build sats that are smaller cheaper and last

longer, and where the entire membership understands the workings of their 
sats.

    What does the other readers of this BB think?  does anyone else care
which 
way it goes?  is it just give me sats to use?  and I don't care how they 
work, or do more people people want active knowledge in the sats they use?

Thanks
73
Kevin WA6FWF

 



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