[Ground-station] Call for discussion: ORI satellite program

[Phil Karn]

On 4/23/18 10:14, Michelle Thompson wrote:

> Another surprising thing I found is that no one in the US academic scene
> had any idea of who AMSAT was.

Yes, my experience too. As you know, I couldn't agree more strongly with
your comments on this topic.

> This was not the case at all for the
> European and Asian and South American professors/industry people that
> presented work where amateur radio was incorporated and highlighted.

At least that's encouraging.

> Asking around industry and labs in the US, I didn't get a different
> result. Most people I talked to were surprised that amateur radio was
> still around as an experimental force - like, surprised it still existed
> at all - and were really surprised that we had a satellite service. 

EXACTLY!! And AMSAT has become so hidebound that they have absolutely no
clue that this is the case. Or at least they refuse to admit it. They
still seem to think that the small satellite world maintains a shrine to
AMSAT's pioneering role in creating their field. In fact, most have
barely even heard of AMSAT, if at all.

It's a classic case of resting on your laurels. AMSAT did some truly
novel and innovative stuff in the 1980s, but that was 30+ years ago!

And now they're flying an unending series of unstabilized satellites
carrying single-channel analog FM repeaters with link budgets that
barely work. I can't think of a worse modulation choice for a multiple
access satellite system.

And to add insult to injury, whenever I propose a digital alternative
I'm accused of being an elitist out of touch with what the members want.

Next week I'll be at the Cubesat conference in San Luis Obispo. I was
there two years ago, and among the crowd of university students and
researchers, entrepreneurs and military people I think I met just one or
two other AMSAT people. The world has left AMSAT behind.

Phil
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