Re: [amsat-bb] One question for the BoD candidates....

[Robert McGwier <rwmcgwier@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

The following are brand new team members to the engineering team that I 
am responsible for recruiting:

Eric Blossom,  K7GNU
Frank Brickle, AB2KT
Phil Covington, N8VB
Paul Drexler, W2PED
Matt Ettus,  N2MJI
Marc Franco, N2UO
Howard Long, G6LVB  (Howard is not new to AMSAT, but I recruited him to 
help with our SDX).
Steve Hendricks,  College of New Jersey, EE student
John Stephensen,  KD6OZH
Paul Wade, W1GHZ


I am just naming the ones that come to mind as I type this out.  There 
are many others who have joined and are contributing that have been 
recruited by others.  We do not lack for new blood in engineering.  We 
lack a credible launch opportunity and we are working like mad to get 
our ducks in a row.  We have a truly massive fund raising effort in the 
planning stages and AMSAT has hired a top notch firm to help us.  


Without launches for our satellites,  for HEO,   given AMSAT's vision 
statement that it is building and launching HEO birds,   the vision 
statement is dead.  We must solve this problem.  We are attempting to 
solve it on multiple fronts.  Raise enough money to buy a launch (at 
bargain basement prices) and/or convince the correct authorities there 
are things we can do for them that will get us a launch if we do them.  
All sides of this problem are being worked in AMSAT-DL for P3E and 
AMSAT-NA for Eagle and P3E.   We have a complete drawing set of the 
launcher interface specifications for P3E and are trying to find an 
earlier alternatives to the launches AMSAT-DL has been working so hard on.

I do not think we have been hiding this information under a bushel 
basket.  It has been in the ANS and/or journal and/or President's 
letters.    You have a terrific slate of BOD candidates to choose from.  
It is healthy selection of the people who are working for AMSAT.  At 
Dayton our fund raising was way up and we have a great cadre of officers 
and volunteers outside of engineering running the other departments of 
the organization.   Like all people,  we are busy with regular lives.   
Without a new widget that is about to be launched in a minute,  it might 
seem like we are in the doldrums, but nothing is further from the 
truth.  We have exciting new missions and technologies we are attempting 
with AMSAT-DL and for our Eagle spacecraft.   We need a "big satellite 
in orbit", fully functional and providing services and much of this kind 
of talk will go away.   

Bob
N4HY
(Candidate BOD)

Dave hartzell wrote:
> Hello,
>
> One question for the candidates:
>
> What are you planning to do to ensure a healthy, stable future for
> AMSAT?  Space is a risky, expensive business, often a $0.50 part away
> from failure.  The amateur ranks are stagnant and there is a
> perception that little "new blood" is coming into the activity.
>
> If any of you could shed some light on your opinion about AMSAT's
> future, I would greatly appreciate your comments, as would other
> members I'm sure.  Please share some ideas about collaboration,
> sponsorship, education, fundraising, member grooming etc. if you have
> any.
>
> Thanks for volunteering your time and effort to AMSAT!
>
> 73,
>
> Dave
> N0TGD
> ----
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-- 
AMSAT VP Engineering. Member: ARRL, AMSAT-DL, TAPR, Packrats,
NJQRP/AMQRP, QRP ARCI, QCWA, FRC. ARRL SDR Wrk Grp Chairman
"An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be
made in a very narrow field."  Niels Bohr
----
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