Re: [amsat-bb] Amateur Satellites (definition?)

[GMemory@xxxxxxxxxxx (Gary)]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bob Bruninga" <bruninga@usna.edu>
To: <amsat-bb@AMSAT.Org>
Sent: Saturday, February 02, 2002 7:22 PM
Subject: [amsat-bb] Amateur Satellites (definition?)


> The point I was trying to make was that just because an amateur satellite
> does not have a user transponder, does not then by definition make the
> satellite NON AMATEUR in the context of the ITU rules.  (see OSCAR 1).
>
Indeed!  I'd say that 70 percent of my use of Amateur Radio involves
communication with nothing more than some kind of remote platform that I
communicate with for the purpose of satisfying my own educational thirst.
For example, a couple years ago I built my own Earth-bound satellite
platform just to see if I could do it.  My goal was to get at least a 1
percent flavor of what it is like to build, use and control a real
satellite.  It included an ATV camera transmitter, a few weather instruments
(as if such were any value in the real outer space environment) and several
other scientific experiments.  I used solar power and in the end tried to
emulate a completely self contained package.  Am I ready for the real
thing....heck no...but it was fun and I learned a ton about power management
and bi-directional remote control .  I never one time ever communicated with
any other Ham operator with this package.

I also fly remote controlled aircraft using Amateur Radio as the link.  I
know all about what it means when someone else attempts to use the frequency
I am then using.

I know my above text is not aligned exactly with your overall point, but my
point is that Amateur Radio means a ton of different things to different
people.  Sometimes I think we jump to flash point conclusions before all the
facts are either known or are possible to know.

Gary Memory, N7BRJ/DA1BRJ

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