Satgen459  Change. Useful or Not  by GM4IHJ   (BID SGEN459)  10Jan98

Satgen 455 addressing the Phase 3D satellite saga, has produced some
very interesting correspondence , including a packet from Johan PA3FPJ
who compares the Amsat situation with what is happening in other parts
of Amateur Radio, where , problems and choices closely resemble, the
present conflicting themes in the Amsat arena.

When this writer started in amateur radio , the rig was the cheapest
Hallicrafter HF Rx with no RF stages, and the only addition was a
converter to 56 MHz made from war surplus, for listening to the
ongoing 56 MHz transatlantics. Nearly 30 years later with a permanent
home and a transmitting license , the only serious addition was Single
Side Band reception via a 2m FT221R transceiver, plus receive
converters for 10m and 70cm satellite reception. 20 years further on
that outfit still works, and it is used regularly for satellite modes
A and J. A lot of Amateur radio fun for very little expenditure.

In all aspects other than straight forward voice and CW communications
. Nothing has stood still . Packet radio has appeared in both
terrestrial and satellite forms , and the financial outlay required to
follow even half the trends has been very large indeed. As Johan
points out. With terrestrial packet we have started with straight
forward 1200bps , but added 9600 bps , 7+ , TCPIP, HTML and now
several people are advocating flexnet. When all most folks want to do
is stick to one system which works and get on with the fun of
communicating. These terrestrial packet changes have their equivalents
and even more in the satellite field , where small groups of satellite
builders wish to continually change the technology with every new
satellite, building up a spiral of costs which rapidly surpass the
ordinary radio amateurs bank balance thereby denying him access to 
satellites to which he has been asked to contribute building funds.

The number of radio amateurs who can keep up with, all these almost
annual changes, is very small. Most of us simply want a good proven
terrestrial or satellite communication system . Unlike terrestrial
systems however, satellites have a relatively short life expectancy ,
needing replacement every 8 to 10 years or so. Presently we are seeing
a situation where many of the simple cheap to use popular satellites
are experiencing trouble as they come to the ends of their lives. AO10
has been geriatric for some years; AO13 has shuffled off forever; the
Russian Radiosports have been taking early retirement; and, long
serving FO20 is now showing signs of distaste for the Northern
Hemispheres winter time lack of daylight; while P3D has been left
waiting at the church. 

The cost of sophisticated equipment to deal with P3D when it does
launch is beyond the bank balances of many radio amateurs , and very
very few radio amateurs indeed will be able to afford to use its more
sophisticated features. So what can Amsat do about this problem. The
answer could be a more equitable use of future funds. Perhaps there
could be agreement whereby - The satellite builders get one half of
any funds available, with which to build their super dooper expensive
to use, latest state of the art gadgets. BUT, only if they use the
other half to build a complementary set of, plain robust relatively
simple comsats.