Re: [amsat-bb] SDR Prototype transponders

["Woody" <kj4so@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Steve:

Steve wrote:  "Well, that's a bit harsh and doesn't help our cause to 
attract new members :)"

You are correct, it was harsh.  However, it IS true.

Steve wrote: " It's not freeloading if AMSAT is giving it away without 
membership requirements".

Yes, I agree with you.  If AMSAT is going to succeed as a viable 
organization, I think that some things need to change.  We need to find 
ways to attract new members as well as retain current members.

We can not, and should not make ALL resources available to "Members 
Only".  However, I think that if some resources were available to 
"Members Only", more people would be encouraged to join AMSAT.

As I wrote before, I would like to see many of AMSAT's resources made 
available to "Members Only", beginning with email forwarding.  I had 
always "assumed" (yes, I know what that means), that email forwarding 
was only available to AMSAT members.

Over the years, whenever I saw the AMSAT logo on someone's QSL card or 
website, I assumed that they were a member of AMSAT.  Likewise when I 
noticed an email address with a Ham's call @AMSAT.org, I assumed that 
person was a member of AMSAT.  Then I noticed that someone who was 
bragging about having never been an AMSAT member, was also using the 
AMSAT email forwarding service and prominently displaying the AMSAT logo 
on his website.

Now, I am still trying to recover from the shock of finding myself in 
total agreement with Luc LeBlanc over the proper use of the AMSAT logo . 
:-)

AMSAT is a member supported organization with limited resources.  I am 
very frustrated by the attitude of some people who make use of those 
resources for years, but never do anything to contribute to the 
organization.

Sure, someone who was only interested in a "free ride" might quit, but 
if all they wanted was a "free ride", the organization would be better 
off without them anyway.

If everyone waited for their favorite type of satellite to be in-orbit 
and operational BEFORE joining AMSAT and contributing to its success, we 
would still be trying to raise money
to build Oscar 6 & 7.

AMSAT has some very good website resources and some of these could 
possibly be made available as "Members Only" to help encourage 
membership.  The ARRL did this a few years ago and it seems to be 
working for them.

I hope that the BOD will work to find new ways to help build membership. 
One idea that I thought of is a personalized credit card like a lot of 
other organizations offer.  I would love to have an AMSAT Visa card with 
the AMSAT logo on the front of the card, and the bank that issued the 
card contributing a percentage of their profits from my account to 
AMSAT.

Woody wrote:
"I would like to see many of AMSAT's resources made available to 
"Members
 Only", beginning with email forwarding".

Then, Steve wrote:
"In principle I agree, but I also recognize the fact that transitioning 
to that type of configuration can be delicate. We want to give something 
to members that is exclusive, but we'll be taking away services that 
we've given away for a long time. I think we (the greater we) should 
make a decision very soon about this and advertise for at least 6 months 
to a year that the free services will be going away. I think if you take 
them away any sooner people will be less inclined to become a member'.

Yes, I agree completely.  The goal is to encourage membership and make 
AMSAT even more successful, and PUT EAGLE IN-ORBIT.

73,

Woody
KJ4SO
AMSAT # 5562
----
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