Re: [amsat-bb] LONG and long overdue report

["Andrew Glasbrenner" <glasbrenner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Bob,

Thank you very much for the update on the Eagle transponder progress. The 
SDR based transponders sound very cutting edge and extremely adaptible to 
AMSAT's needs. I very much look forward to hearing them at the symposium in 
a few months. I'll have my satellite backpack station that was used for the 
Dayton demos, and will be glad to offer it up for demonstrating the new 
transponders. CC Rider is also very exciting and sure to open new realms of 
small stations and portable operation.

As someone primarily looking in from a user/member point of view I would 
like to offer two comments. First, I'd hate to think we are going to hang 
our entire mission on just the SDR transponders. Wouldn't it be prudent to 
include at least a bare bones analog backup transponder? Please tell me this 
is the plan. Second, I'd like to encourage that software development not lag 
too far behind the hardware. I'm not a big fan of the idea of writing the 
code once it's in orbit. One does not have to look too far to find where 
AMSAT has oversold or overpromised features based on writing the software 
after launch. Please take these comments in the spirit with which they were 
offered, with only my desire to see Eagle as succesful as possible.

73 and thanks for your efforts,
Drew KO4MA
AMSAT #33438 
----
Sent via amsat-bb@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
Not an AMSAT member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program!
To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe amsat-bb" to Majordomo@amsat.org