Re: [amsat-bb] ECHO Voice operations

[Margaret Leber <maggie@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I think the idea of bringing some order to SO-51 voice ops via a 
directed net or some similar approach is very appealing.

Going to the trouble and expense of orbiting an LEO FM bird seems a bit 
of a waste if the result isn't a usable communications system at least 
sometimes, instead of *always* sounding like CB Channel 19 during 
evening rush outside a major US city in 1975.

If we can't hammer out a workable way of doing this in discussion on 
this list, and getting the word out to other ops, something's wrong. 
We're supposed to police our own operations as much as possible. The 
amount of silence on the SO-51 downlink (which I beleive represents 
colliding signals) tells us flat out how much channel space the current 
chaos wastes.

We know how to run nets on terrestrial repeaters. My local club runs one 
every Sunday morning, and we check in 50-some operators, and pass 
announcements and a little message traffic in half an hour.

Can it be that much harder on an orbiting one?  With a little 
streamlining and attention to the mechanics of satellite operation, I 
think it could be done. Wouldn't it be better for everyone to queue up a 
little to have a reasonable chance of getting some time on the downlink, 
instead of all rushing for the exit at once?

  73 de Maggie K3XS

-- 
-----/___.   _)Margaret Stephanie Leber CCP, SCJP/"The art of progress /
----/(, /|  /| http://voicenet.com/~maggie SCWCD/ is to preserve order/
---/   / | / |  _   _   _    `  _  AOPA 925383/ amid change and to  /
--/ ) /  |/  |_(_(_(_/_(_/__(__(/_      K3XS / preserve change amid/
-/ (_/   '        .-/ .-/        ARRL 39280 /order."-A.N.Whitehead/
/________________(_/_(_/_______AMSAT 32844_/<maggie@voicenet.com>/
----
Sent via amsat-bb@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
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