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CX2SA > SATDIG 25.09.11 20:06l 851 Lines 32970 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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Today's Topics:
1. Re: Two Questions (K5OE)
2. DM84, DM85, DM86, DM96 activations = SUCCESS
(Clayton Coleman W5PFG)
3. ANS-268 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins (JoAnne Maenpaa)
4. Thanks for second Arissat-1 certificate (andy thomas)
5. Radioskaf, not radioskaf? (Gordon JC Pearce)
6. A Modest Proposal (Thomas Doyle)
7. Re: A Modest Proposal (Michael Schulz)
8. Re: A Modest Proposal (Jeff Moore)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Sat, 24 Sep 2011 15:51:57 -0400 (EDT)
From: K5OE <k5oe@xxx.xxx>
To: amsat-bb@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Two Questions
Message-ID: <8CE490A8CD47358-253C-5971E@xxxxxxxxxxxx.xxxxxx.xxx.xxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
K5TRI Wrote:
> Next project will be to build a 2nd IOio and phase them together 90 deg
off to
> see if that will help with the fading issue (mostly on FO-29) vs buying or
building a
> complex RHCP/LHCP switchable setup.
Good plan on building a second linear antenna. This is not as complex as it
sounds and only requires one coaxial relay and one section of delay line
(coax). Your choice on how you want to match the impedances, but the
simplest for two 50 Ohm feedpoints is to use 50 Ohms for the delay line and
at the output of the relay use a 37.5 Ohm matching section (pair of 75 Ohm
cables in parallel). You can various schemes in the literature, including
the ARRL Satellite Handbook.
> My IOio beats your Arrow or Elk in terms of price by leaps :). But then
again
> it doesn't look as nice.
Wow, I finally met a humble ham!
73,
Jerry, K5OE
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Sat, 24 Sep 2011 19:46:19 -0500
From: Clayton Coleman W5PFG <kayakfishtx@xxxxx.xxx>
To: AMSAT <amsat-bb@xxxxx.xxx>
Subject: [amsat-bb] DM84, DM85, DM86, DM96 activations = SUCCESS
Message-ID:
<CAPovOwc1KxjvVii6Y6jkiW-8CCJNx-EDT2DA-jxuTaa+Fc9G=Q@xxxx.xxxxx.xxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
It was a pleasure working some of you this week from the grids
mentioned in the subject line. I also operated from DM83, EM14, and
EM15.
It is very apparent that DM83 is much more rare than any other grids I
have activated in the region. Several hams had asked that I make a
trip specifically to put DM83 on the air. It is not very far out of
my business route so activating it was no trouble. I will be doing it
again and possibly before the end of this year.
If you need any of the following grids confirmed, we can setup a schedule:
EM02-07 EM11-14 EM21-26
DM82-85 DM92-96 EL28-29
It may take a few months before I travel to your desired grid but rest
assured I will go there and we can attempt contact. Some grids I
visit fairly regularly.
I've already started to input contacts into my electronic log and
upload them to Logbook of the World. If you sent me a QSL card and
SASE I will respond early this week. If you did not send me a card
but would like me to send you one, please email me the details of our
contact. If you do not see our contact confirmed in LotW by the end
of this upcoming week, please contact me.
For those whom I worked on the DM85/DM95 grid line, I will have a
special card related to the nearby attraction on Interstate 40 (7/10
mile east of the grid line.) No SASE req'd. I will be sending them
out in a week or two.
73
Clayton
W5PFG
On Tue, Sep 20, 2011 at 9:57 AM, Clayton Coleman W5PFG
<kayakfishtx@xxxxx.xxx> wrote:
> Over the next few days I will *attempt* to activate grids DM84, DM85,
> and possibly DM86/DM96 in the Texas Panhandle region using AO-27,
> AO-51, and potentially SO-50. ?I've scouted a few places where I can
> operate these grids in relative proximity to where I will be working.
>
> 73
> Clayton
> W5PFG
>
------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Sat, 24 Sep 2011 20:30:57 -0500
From: "JoAnne Maenpaa" <k9jkm@xxxxxxx.xxx>
To: <amsat-bb@xxxxx.xxx>
Subject: [amsat-bb] ANS-268 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
Message-ID: <001d01cc7b22$c6ed0b70$54c72250$@xxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-268
ANS is a free, weekly, news and information service of AMSAT North
America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS reports on the
activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an
active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating
through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites.
Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to:
ans-editor@xxxxx.xxx
In this edition:
* Invitation to Participate in the ARISSat-1/KEDR Operations Survey
* Frank Bauer, KA3HDO Retires From NASA After 36 Years
* AO-51 to support 54th Jamboree On The Air October 15-16, 2011
* Symposium Reminders!
* Portable Satellite Operations Qualify for Reverse-VUCC Award
* Mobile Satellite Operation From Island of Skye On-The-Air Now
* AMSAT Member N8MS in Newspaper Feature With Students
* Special Event NW2C 911 Portable Satellite Station Video Posted
* Satellite Shorts From All Over
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-268.01
Invitation to Participate in the ARISSat-1/KEDR Operations Survey
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 268.01
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
September 25, 2011
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-268.01
Steven Bible, N7HPR says that the ARISSat-1 Team has put together a
survey on ARISSat-1 operations. Please take a few minutes to answer
the questions at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/arissat1-operation.
The survey results will be posted to the Official ARISSat-1 website:
http://www.arissat1.org.
Meanwhile, Alan Biddle says the ARISSat-1/KEDR Team is still looking
for entries in the Chicken Little Contest. This involves your prognos-
tications/calculations/guesses/darts-in-the-calendar submissions for
when ARRISSat-1/KEDR makes its final orbit. We have a fair number of
submissions from all over the world from adults, but very few from
students. If you know of one who might be interested, encourage them
to enter. The details are here:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/ARISSat/ARISSatContest
While it is not going to receive the coverage of UARS, the closest
submissions in each category will be recognized. Right now, the
deadline is the 15th of October, though since ARISSat-1 is "floating
like a butterfly" that MIGHT get extended.
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-268.02
Frank Bauer, KA3HDO Retires From NASA After 36 Years
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 268.02
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
September 25, 2011
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-268.02
After an illustrious 36 year career with NASA, Frank Bauer, KA3HDO,
has retired from the agency.
In his farewell note to his colleagues, Bauer said that for someone
who dreamed about space exploration as a very young child and start-
ed at NASA when the Apollo program was in its twilight, it has been
truly a pleasure to spend over 3 decades developing and operating
systems as part of the NASA team. Bauer said that he has had what he
called a phenomenal time contributing to countless Human and Robotic
spacflight missions, flight tests, technology experiments, pioneering
systems, studies, formulations and on-orbit operations activities as
well as numerous agency-level, U.S. Government and international
strategies and initiatives.
In addition to his job with NASA, KA3HDO, had a parallel volunteer
career as one of the leaders of the manned Amateur Radio in Space
program. Among his many achievements was taking manned ham radio
operations on-orbit from the now retired space shuttles under the
SAREX operation over to the International Space Station and into
the ARISS program.
Bauer, who stepped down from ARISS and AMSAT duties in March of
2009, had served as ARISS Program Leader and ARISS International
Working Group Chair. Since 1991, he had also held the title of
AMSAT Vice President for Human Spaceflight Programs.
In May of 2009 Bauer was presented with the ARRL President's Award
for his many contributions to ham radio's part of mans exploration
of space.
[ANS thanks the Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1780 - September 23 2011
for the above information]
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-268.03
AO-51 to support 54th Jamboree On The Air October 15-16, 2011
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 268.03
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
September 25, 2011
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-268.03
The AO-51 Command Team is happy to announce support of the Scouting
Jamboree On The Air (JOTA) during the weekend Oct. 15-16, 2011. The
AO-51 satellite will remain in its current configuration, with an
understanding that contacts involving Scouts will be given first
priority during this period.
The current operating mode of AO-51 is as follows:
Uplink: 145.880 MHz FM (No PL tone)
Downlink: 435.150 MHz FM
The World Scouting Organization in Switzerland posted JOTA informa-
tion on their web: http://tinyurl.com/3rfp2cn (www.scout.org) and
http://scout.org/information_events/events/jota/the_54th_jota_2011
Also, visit the World Scouting Radio Library at:
http://tinyurl.com/5sz7tf5 (www.scout.org)
The Boy Scouts of America has several resources on-line for amateur
radio stations participating in JOTA: http://tinyurl.com/6d93qb7
(Boy Scouts of America www.scouting.org)
[ANS thanks the Scouting Movement and AO-51 Command Team for the
above information]
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-268.04
Symposium Reminders!
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 268.04
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
September 25, 2011
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-268.04
2011 AMSAT Space Symposium Papers Deadline Approaches
-----------------------------------------------------
Your papers for the 2011 AMSAT Space Symposium are due by October 1
for inclusion in the printed proceedings. Yes, that's just a couple
of weeks from now! Papers should be sent to Dan Schultz, N8FGV, at:
n8fgv@xxxxx.xxx.
Symposium Registration is Now Open
----------------------------------
The 2011 AMSAT Space Symposium will be held on Friday, November 4th
through Sunday, November 6th in San Jose, CA. Our annual gathering
will feature:
+ Space Symposium with Amateur Satellite Presentations
+ Operating Techniques, News, & Plans from the Amateur Satellite World
+ Board of Directors Meeting open to AMSAT members (Nov. 3-4)
+ Meet Board Members and Officers
+ Annual General Membership Meeting
+ Annual Banquet-Keynote Speaker and Door Prizes
The 2011 Symposium hotel and registration web pages are now available
on the AMSAT web site. You may register for the Symposium and Annual
Banquet at the AMSAT Store:
http://www.amsat-na.com/store/SymposiumReg.php
Visit the Symposium and Annual General Meeting web page for details
and the latest information:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/2011/index.php
Symposium Registration including a copy of the Proceedings is:
+ $50 per person starting September 20, 2011
+ $55 per person at the door
The Saturday evening banquet is $45 per person. The Sunday morning
Area Coordinator's Breakfast is $15 per person.
Hotel information for the Wyndham San Jose is posted at:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/2011/Hotel.php
Martha at the AMSAT Office (Phone: 301-589-6062) is available to
be of assistance with any hotel questions or problems with your
registration.
[ANS thanks the 2011 Symposium Committee for the above information]
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-268.05
Portable Satellite Operations Qualify for Reverse-VUCC Award
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 268.05
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
September 25, 2011
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-268.05
The Central States VHF Society has updated their website to reflect
applications for VUCC-r, Reverse VUCC.
This award is given to those who have operated via satellites in more
than 100 grids away from their home grid.
The rules require that applicants submit proof of contacts made from
these away from home grids. So if you work someone signing "portable"
(meaning they are operating away from home), please remember to in-
clude your grid as well as the grid they were operating from on your
QSL. You can read all the details on-line at:
http://www.csvhfs.org/vuccdesc.html
There are now four operators who have achieved VUCC-r distinction:
N7SFI-200 grids, N5AFV-109 grids, ND9M-325 grids, and KD4ZGW-100 grids.
[ANS thanks John, K8YSE and CSVHFS for the above information]
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-268.06
Mobile Satellite Operation From Island of Skye On-The-Air Now
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 268.06
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
September 25, 2011
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-268.06
Paul, 2E1EUB will be active on satellites as 2M1EUB, depending on the
weather, from the Island of Skye in western Scotland beginning on Sept-
ember 24 for one week. This will be from grid IO67vj.
During Paul's second week of mobile satellite operations he plans to
operate from the eastern side of Scotland.
Paul advises that mobile/portable internet coverage is spotty in these
locations but he will attempt access occasionally. He has posted more
informaion on his 2M1EUB information at http://www.qrz.com
[ANS thanks Paul, 2E1EUB for the above information]
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-268.07
AMSAT Member N8MS in Newspaper Feature With Students
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 268.07
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
September 25, 2011
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-268.07
Matt Severin, N8MS, principal of Dowagiac Middle School in Michigan,
took some of his students outside to track and listen to the satel-
lite ARISSat-1 on Tuesday, September 13.
Two years earlier, Severin, then principal of Sister Lakes Elemen-
tary School, had a picture taken of the students and submitted it
to be flown on ARISSat.
On Tuesday, the students were able to track the satellite, listen to
greetings in several languages and receive telemetry as well as SSTV
(Slow Scan Television) images with a goal to promote STEM (Science,
Technology, Engineering and Math). The Daily News posted a story on
this activity: http://tinyurl.com/3z39yst (www.dowagiacnews.com)
Matt is also an instructor in the ARRL Teacher Institute and has
helped several other educators bring STEM education, based on ama-
teur radio and satellites, into their classroom.
Student submissions for ARISSat were stored on a memory chip that
was attached to ARISSat-1 and are flying along with the craft as it
orbits the Earth. The student projects and photos can all be viewed
ARISS Europe web site at: http://www.ariss-eu.org/arissat-1.htm
[ANS thanks the ARISS Status Report and Carol, KB3LKI for the above
information]
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-268.08
Special Event NW2C 911 Portable Satellite Station Video Posted
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 268.08
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
September 25, 2011
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-268.08
Pete, WB2OQQ operated a portable satellite station on September 11
using the call NW2C, at Historic Fort Totten, located in Bayside New
York, only a few miles from ground zero. Fort Totten was one of many
placed used in recovery and healing during 911.
Pete operated all available FM satellite passes that day. For those
that made a confirmed satellite contact and wish to receive a Certifi-
cate of Confirmation, visit: http://www.nw2c.org/911.html.
A video tribute is posted at: http://vimeo.com/29077529
[ANS thanks Pete, WB2OQQ for the above information]
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-268.09
Satellite Shorts From All Over
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 268.09
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
September 25, 2011
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-268.09
+ Videos and slides from the Summer CubeSat Developers' Workshop,
held August 6-7 at the 25th Annual AIAA/USU Conference on Small
Satellites, are now available for download:
http://tinyurl.com/3sgnrn3 (AMSAT-UK)
+ The well publicized re-entry of the UARS satellite may have al-
ready occurred at press time. An interesting video simulation of
the re-entry can be viewed at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5laK2JopaVE&feature=player_embedded
+ An interesting article about three recently declassified American
spy satellites can be read at:
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1109/19nrodeclassified/
+ The NASA Education Express Message for September 22, 2011 reports
that registration is open for the Team America Rocketry Challenge
2012. This a national model rocket competition for U.S. students
in grades 7-12. Teams of three to 10 students are challenged to
design, build and fly a model rocket that will climb to 800 feet
with a payload of two raw eggs and stay aloft for 43 to 47 seconds.
The payload must then return to earth unbroken. Cash prizes are
awarded to the top finishers. NASA invites top teams to participate
in their Student Launch Initiative, an advanced rocketry program.
Participation is limited to the first 1,000 teams who register by
November 30, 2011. For more information, visit:
http://www.rocketcontest.org/
+ The dates for the next Hudson Valley Satcom nets are September 29,
October 13, and October 27 at 8:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time
(UTC - 4). You can tune in via the 146.970 MHz Mt. Beacon repeater,
PL 100.0 or via EchoLink on the N2EYH-L node. More info is available
at: http://www.hvsatcom.org (Stu, WA2BSS)
+ A new video from NASA's Dawn spacecraft takes you on a flyover jour-
ney above the surface of the giant asteroid Vesta. The data obtained
by Dawn's framing camera, used to produce the visualizations, will
help scientists determine the processes that formed Vesta's striking
features. It will also help Dawn mission fans all over the world vis-
ualize this mysterious world, which is the second most massive object
in the main asteroid belt. The video and article is posted at:
http://tinyurl.com/3tn932m (science.nasa.gov)
+ NASA has made historic and interesting sounds and sound bites from
space missions available for download as ringtones or on your computer
for events, errors, alarms and notifications. These are available
in both MP3 and M4R (iPhone) files. To listen to and download the
sounds, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/connect/sounds
The NASA App for Android allows users to easily preview and set the
sounds as ringtones can be found at:
https://market.android.com/details?id=gov.nasa
+ Radio-Electronics.com provides concise guides, information, tutor-
ials and data about radio frequency, RF, technology and RF design
on their Radio Frequency, RF, Technology and Design pages at:
http://www.radio-electronics.com/info/rf-technology-design
[ANS thanks everyone for the above information]
In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the
President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors
to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive additional benefits.
Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office. And with that,
please keep in mind the ham who discovered that a positive attitude may
not solve all his problems, but it certainly annoyed enough people to
make it worth his effort.
73,
This week's ANS Editor,
JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM
K9JKM at amsat dot org
------------------------------
Message: 4
Date: Sun, 25 Sep 2011 08:33:29 +0100 (BST)
From: andy thomas <andythomasmail@xxxxx.xx.xx>
To: amsat <amsat-bb@xxxxx.xxx>
Subject: [amsat-bb] Thanks for second Arissat-1 certificate
Message-ID:
<1316936009.22789.YahooMailNeo@xxxxxxxx.xxxx.xxx.xxxxx.xxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Many thanks for the certificate from tlm report!
?
73 de andy G0SFJ
------------------------------
Message: 5
Date: Sun, 25 Sep 2011 09:18:19 +0100
From: Gordon JC Pearce <gordonjcp@xxxx.xxx>
To: amsat-bb@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: [amsat-bb] Radioskaf, not radioskaf?
Message-ID: <20110925091819.44234649.gordonjcp@xxxx.xxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
I was listening out for ARISSat on the 8am GMT (-ish) pass this morning, and
heard nothing from it.
On 145.919 I heard the following tones though:
http://www.gjcp.net/~gordonjcp/notradioskaf.ogg
At first I thought it was a beacon on ARISSat, but they didn't get any
stronger during the pass. Now with the satellite somewhere over the Indian
Ocean, I can still hear the tones.
Does anyone recognise them? They sound too "deliberate" to be RFI from
something.
They are, as you can hear from the recording, just barely discernable with
the preamp on, using an omnidirectional antenna, from my QTH in IO75vv. I
guess I'll have to go and climb a hill with the yagi...
--
Gordon JC Pearce MM0YEQ <gordonjcp@xxxx.xxx>
------------------------------
Message: 6
Date: Sun, 25 Sep 2011 13:14:48 -0500
From: Thomas Doyle <tomdoyle1948@xxxxx.xxx>
To: AMSAT-BB@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: [amsat-bb] A Modest Proposal
Message-ID:
<CAHnRQR+i+wrAsLip2=4eAR3rM0L+WOyWo8+3ux7qWTbZEhK0Dg@xxxx.xxxxx.xxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
The bulletin board system AMSAT is using is well suited for information that
is useful for only a relatively short time. If there is a trip to a rare
grid location that information is of little use after the event takes place.
IMHO what is missing is a way to share information that has relevance beyond
a few days.
When I became active again on the sats I asked a question on the board. I
received an email telling me that "that question has been asked several
times before". It was helpful beyond belief.
In the last few days someone posted a nice check list of things to do to try
and get your SatPC32 station running. A bit later someone posted a
correction that added a vital step that was missing in the first posting.
Suppose a newbie subscribes to the board today - he has already looked at
the articles from 1997-2004 in the new users section on the AMSAT website
but needs a little current info. He posts a message on the board asking
about getting his SatPC32 station working. Lets hope no one sends him a
message telling him that "that question has been asked before". I also hope
no one sends him a message suggesting he uses the search funtion. That would
be like the 4th grade teacher who responded to my question "How do you spell
pneumonia ?" - by telling me to "Look it up in the dictionary" - I spent a
lot of time looking for words that started with "N" before asking my folks
when I got home.
If they did search - what would they look for. What are the chances that
they would find the initial post AND the correction post. I realize
everything is perfect as it is but perhaps it would be nice to have
something similar to the Yahoo Groups where subscribers can post files and
pictures of things that would be of interest for more than a day or two.
Take a look at the SDR-Radio or Softrock groups on Yahoo. There are files
and pictures that have been very helpful to me. There was a recent posting
here from someone asking for a current Doppler.SQF file. I sent him mine but
it would have been better if there was a place to store it where anyone
could access it.
Some people have their stations working well but are not all that excited
about spending a lot of time documenting it and posting it for a handful of
people who might look at it before it disappears into the abyss of the
message archive.
You may not like what you read but be thankful I fought the urge to include
some sort of Jonathan Swift reference.
------------------------------
Message: 7
Date: Sun, 25 Sep 2011 13:45:55 -0500
From: Michael Schulz <mschulz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx>
To: amsat-bb@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: A Modest Proposal
Message-ID:
<CAGagf3x8gMTtLmbG9hcFqa5=4DnhOwRDXRZK+SkLSC=xb_wdew@xxxx.xxxxx.xxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Thomas,
I bet you'll get the "has been asked before" response at some point during
this discussion
since it has literally just been disc a few weeks back :).
On Sun, Sep 25, 2011 at 1:14 PM, Thomas Doyle <tomdoyle1948@xxxxx.xxx>wrote:
> The bulletin board system AMSAT is using is well suited for information
> that
>
To be precise, it is not a BBS but a mailing list or reflector.
> is useful for only a relatively short time. If there is a trip to a rare
> grid location that information is of little use after the event takes
> place.
> IMHO what is missing is a way to share information that has relevance
> beyond
> a few days.
>
The discussion after the trip with the learnings can be of interest longer,
but you're
generally right, it's mostly interesting in the days prior.
> When I became active again on the sats I asked a question on the board. I
> received an email telling me that "that question has been asked several
> times before". It was helpful beyond belief.
>
You did ask the mighty Google, did you? :) Google never tells you that and
is always
nice. Ok, just kidding.
> In the last few days someone posted a nice check list of things to do to
> try
> and get your SatPC32 station running. A bit later someone posted a
> correction that added a vital step that was missing in the first posting.
> Suppose a newbie subscribes to the board today - he has already looked at
> the articles from 1997-2004 in the new users section on the AMSAT website
> but needs a little current info. He posts a message on the board asking
> about getting his SatPC32 station working. Lets hope no one sends him a
> message telling him that "that question has been asked before". I also hope
> no one sends him a message suggesting he uses the search funtion. That
> would
> be like the 4th grade teacher who responded to my question "How do you
> spell
> pneumonia ?" - by telling me to "Look it up in the dictionary" - I spent a
> lot of time looking for words that started with "N" before asking my folks
> when I got home.
>
Now the question again is: did he search the archives? I'm not referring to
article
archives but the mailing list archives. You hopefully are aware of those.
Btw. they're
plain text and platform independent.
> If they did search - what would they look for. What are the chances that
> they would find the initial post AND the correction post. I realize
>
In this specific case starting with Satpc32 would be a good start.
> everything is perfect as it is but perhaps it would be nice to have
>
Then why change it? Never change a running system.
> something similar to the Yahoo Groups where subscribers can post files and
> pictures of things that would be of interest for more than a day or two.
>
If Yahoo groups, then the problem becomes that the content will be locked
into Yahoo's
format. One of the big problems we have to today in the computing world is
the use of
proprietary formats which lock information into the products of certain
vendors. Yahoo (or
Google for that matter) are not too different from that. Questions here are:
can you extract
all data from your Yahoo group when necessary at any time into a useable
format to use
it somewhere else? Are Yahoo groups open to searches from Google so that
when someone
looks for something it comes up? There are plenty of ways to host a file
somewhere
and share the link. It is a good idea to not share files through a mailing
list. Not everybody
cares for the files. I know Yahoo groups can convert them into links and
they're hosted with
Yahoo. What I find always interesting is that groups much larger who produce
pretty much
all of the essential software that today allows you to actually use the
Internet (Apache, sendmail,
Bind, Linux, *BSD) use either Majordomo or the newer mailman. Why? Because
it just works.
Take a look at the SDR-Radio or Softrock groups on Yahoo. There are files
> and pictures that have been very helpful to me. There was a recent posting
> here from someone asking for a current Doppler.SQF file. I sent him mine
> but
> it would have been better if there was a place to store it where anyone
> could access it.
>
The best place would've been your blog where not only you could share the
file but also the
knowledge you gathered while creating it thus making more people smarter.
Remember,
what you learn you must share, what you know you must teach.
> Some people have their stations working well but are not all that excited
> about spending a lot of time documenting it and posting it for a handful of
> people who might look at it before it disappears into the abyss of the
> message archive.
>
See my quote above. People who aren't willing or interested to share and
help others improve
and better themselves will not necessarily care for your approach to change
over to another
service :).
Bottom line is, the system of today is working. The feature of sending files
is probably not as
strongly desired to warrant a change. Biggest problem being reliance on
somebody elses service
which can be gone tomorrow including your data. Then what?
On a side note regarding search functions etc. I do find a lot that people
ask indeed questions
before even attempting to do their homework and show a little initiative.
This is true for multiple
areas, not just ham radio lists. People today seem to have become to lazy to
actually go out
there and do a simple Google search and instead just post questions to
forums or lists that
they could've answered by themselves in the same amount of time it took to
post the question.
Like Thomas Watson jr. once said: "All the problems of the world could be
settled easily if men
were only willing to think. The trouble is that men very often resort to all
sorts of devices in order
not to think, because thinking is such hard work."
73 Mike K5TRI
p.s.: You may not like what I wrote in return, but at least I threw a Thomas
Watson quote in there :)
------------------------------
Message: 8
Date: Sun, 25 Sep 2011 11:51:47 -0700
From: "Jeff Moore" <tnetcenter@xxxxx.xxx>
To: <AMSAT-BB@xxxxx.xxx>
Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: A Modest Proposal
Message-ID: <B7CB3A289F15421BA4977C6DB38077D2@xxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
So, What is your "modest proposal"??
Jeff -- KE7ACY
----- Original Message ----- From: "Thomas Doyle" <tomdoyle1948@xxxxx.xxx>
The bulletin board system AMSAT is using is well suited for information that
is useful for only a relatively short time. If there is a trip to a rare
grid location that information is of little use after the event takes place.
IMHO what is missing is a way to share information that has relevance beyond
a few days.
When I became active again on the sats I asked a question on the board. I
received an email telling me that "that question has been asked several
times before". It was helpful beyond belief.
In the last few days someone posted a nice check list of things to do to try
and get your SatPC32 station running. A bit later someone posted a
correction that added a vital step that was missing in the first posting.
Suppose a newbie subscribes to the board today - he has already looked at
the articles from 1997-2004 in the new users section on the AMSAT website
but needs a little current info. He posts a message on the board asking
about getting his SatPC32 station working. Lets hope no one sends him a
message telling him that "that question has been asked before". I also hope
no one sends him a message suggesting he uses the search funtion. That would
be like the 4th grade teacher who responded to my question "How do you spell
pneumonia ?" - by telling me to "Look it up in the dictionary" - I spent a
lot of time looking for words that started with "N" before asking my folks
when I got home.
If they did search - what would they look for. What are the chances that
they would find the initial post AND the correction post. I realize
everything is perfect as it is but perhaps it would be nice to have
something similar to the Yahoo Groups where subscribers can post files and
pictures of things that would be of interest for more than a day or two.
Take a look at the SDR-Radio or Softrock groups on Yahoo. There are files
and pictures that have been very helpful to me. There was a recent posting
here from someone asking for a current Doppler.SQF file. I sent him mine but
it would have been better if there was a place to store it where anyone
could access it.
Some people have their stations working well but are not all that excited
about spending a lot of time documenting it and posting it for a handful of
people who might look at it before it disappears into the abyss of the
message archive.
You may not like what you read but be thankful I fought the urge to include
some sort of Jonathan Swift reference.
_______________________________________________
Sent via AMSAT-BB@xxxxx.xxx. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program!
Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
------------------------------
_______________________________________________
Sent via amsat-bb@xxxxx.xxx. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
Not an AMSAT member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program!
http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
End of AMSAT-BB Digest, Vol 6, Issue 536
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