Satgen 371    Digi - Mania or Phobia  by GM4IHJ           4 May 96

Over the years, the automobile industry has produced some spectacular
models. But on todays highways, the Rolls Royces and the Ferraris are
few and far between. Most of us drive the standard pickup, tin lizzie
or Dagenham Dustbin ( explanation for those unfortunate enough to live
outside the UK - Ford UK locate at Dagenham Essex ). Roughly the same
rules apply with amateur satellites. For reasons of cost or general
harmony ( the kids need shoes, we did'nt have a holiday last year ).
Most satellite users gather on RS10, RS12 RS15 or Fuji Ao20.
Uncomplicated but thoroughly useful birds , which deliver hundreds of
good QSOs each day. However , in spite of this clear user preference
Amsat et al no longer build these simple satellites. The dichotomy
Amsat worlwide appears to be ignoring, is that, while there is a
vociferous group anxious to build more complex expensive to use
digisats, it is the simple analog satellites which get the heavy
usage.

It is of course understandable that the folks who put weeks and years
into building our satellites like to build new gadgets. The more
complex , the more exciting. But surely there needs to be a compromise
somewhere. For years now, the cop out excuse has been that - the
Russians build the BEGINNERS satellites - so WE do not need to provide
any. That excuse is evaporating fast, and we cannot go on expecting
our Russian friends to provide for ever. 

Despite the above ,there has been very clear evidence at times that
"WE " have no intention of changing , This was forcefully demonstrated
a year or so ago at a Surrey Colloquium , when a long time amsat
stalwart who presented a paper on Mode A satellites , was rudely
abused by the Digicrats who make most noise at meetings of that sort.
This despite the fact that :-
a. That particular amateur has contributed more to Amsat through his
magazine columns, papers, and operating ( Ao6 to the present sats) ,
than the whole Digi crowd put together.
b  The majority of Amsat members want modes A , K , J and KT, and , it
is their continuing funding which is needed swell Amsat coffers,
making them just as important as the Digicrat builders.

So where is the even break for the relatively silent majority. Indeed
are they likely to continue to contribute to Amsat if there are no
satellites that they can use ? We will not all be able to afford
Phase3D operation, with its 29 MHz digital speech etc. Probably a good
experiment, but to the ordinary Amsat user it sounds a mite like the
work of the guy who habitually goes from Boston to New York by way of
San Francisco.

The fact is we need both analog A,K,KT,J sats and digisats
So is there any hope that Amsat will come down at least partially from
Digital Cloud Seven? If you want to make sure they do , please make
your views known to Amsat boards and or committees around the world. 
It is all very well that you write to me as you have done , but it is
the opinions at the top that you have to shift.