Re: [amsat-bb] Echo totally unuesable on an Arrow

["hasan schiers" <schiers@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Uhhhh....reality check, please.

The problem is uplink contention. There's a bajillion people trying to use
AO-51 at the same time. Relax, be patient, the rush will settle and you will
do just fine with your Arrow. Right now (at least most of the time) it's way
too busy for ANYONE to be able to make reliable contacts of more than a very
few seconds, no matter how well equipped they might be.

It's going to be this way for a little while, it is inevitable with a single
channel satellite. It's very apparent that the downlink signal is terrific
and only going to get better if the power budget allows. The uplink
contention will decrease significantly when the "newness" wears off.

Think about it...hoopla and hype (all justified, btw) for weeks leading up
to the launch. It's successful, telemetry pouring down and being copied.
Voice tests further excite the masses (me among them), and then bingo, it
opens. It's a miracle ANYONE can make ANY contacts at this point. Think
about what is happening! Literally hundreds of people keying up on the only
input freq at the same time...sheesh, what might we expect?

This is NOT a surprise. It is entirely predictable. There is absolutely
NOTHING to be disappointed about. Did anyone really think this wasn't going
to happen? What planet have they been living on? Remember the crush of
people trying to buy cabbage patch dolls a few years ago? If we are unable
or unwilling to wait for the dust to settle (and lest we forget, they nearly
had to give the dolls away after the craze wore off), then we ought not
bother in the first place. What's the real problem here? Look in the
mirror....we'll see the real source of any frustration or disappointment we
are currently experiencing.

The birds works as it should.
Users are over-burdening the uplink at this point. (completely predictable)
They will tire of it soon enough, and then it will be just fine. (also
predictable)

The instant gratification crowd has finally met its match. The system isn't
equipped to handle current demand, and the demand is driven by those who
just "have to make a qso, and RIGHT NOW", or they're going to be
"frustrated", or "disappointed" or "take their toys and go home". Even those
of us who have gotten to hear our own signals, could hardly consider the
results "pleasant". What it does show, however, is that things "work". All
in good time. Frustration and disappointment are the natural punishment of
the impatient.

After listening for three days, I can say with only some exaggeration, that
it isn't that "Echo is totally unusable on an Arrow", it's that Echo is
nearly totally unusable with EVERY SETUP <wry grin>. It won't stay that
way....so let's not get our knickers in a knot over a very predictable
TEMPORARY situation, that only an ostrich wouldn't  have anticipated.

Expectations need to be lowered, or at least moderated by the facts of life,
guys. The bird is fine, the launch was fine, the plan was fine and it will
all work out just fine. In the mean time, those without patience or in dire
need of instant gratification are learning a valuable lesson. Right now it's
a LOT more fun to listen than to talk. So enjoy the tracking and swl'ing
until the madness subsides a bit and then we can have more "reasonable"
contacts.

In the mean time, I have had several really nice chats on FO-29...one with
KO4MA that lasted nearly 15 minutes without a missed word. I also chatted
with a round table on SO-50, that was thoroughly enjoyable. So, I can listen
to AO-51 until it settles down, chat on FO-29 and SO-50, and await the
launch of vuSAT among others. No frustration, no disappointment here. I'm a
happy guy. Go figure...

...hasan, N0AN

I have interspersed some more comments in the original message below

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Keith Baker, KB1SF / VA3KSF" <kb1sf@kcbassociates.com>
To: "AMSAT-BB" <amsat-bb@AMSAT.Org>
Sent: Sunday, August 01, 2004 12:12 PM
Subject: [amsat-bb] Echo totally unuesable on an Arrow


> Greetings All!
>
> I've had two days of total frustration trying to even HEAR my own complete
> callsign on the downlink through AO-51 over multiple passes.

Yep, same experience everyone else is having...except many actually
understand what is going on and realize there is nothing to be frustrated
about.

> But, I have now put my trusty Arrow Antenna back in the bag, where it is
going
> to stay until:
>
> a.) The "alligators" either shut up

They will...it just takes a little time. In the mean time, chill.

>
> b.)  The satellite settles down in its orbit to the point where the
receive
> antenna is pointing correctly to receive low power stations and/or....

I don't think this has anything to do with anything. If the bird improves
for the lower power stations, the higher power stations will benefit
similarly, and....well...you know the rest of the story.

>
> c.)  The controllers (who have been doing absolutely yeoman service up to
now)
> decide to open up the uplink receiver sensitivity to allow lower-level
uplink
> signals to be heard.

What leads you to think that the controllers have artificially "closed down'
the rx sensitivty in the first place? I've seen nothing that substantiates
this asssertion. Is this founded on facts, or just frustration driven
speculation?

The only thing that is going to "allow lower-level uplink signals to be
heard" is a decrease in uplink contention. That will happen in time.

...hasan
----
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