[HCRA] ISS is a satellite isn't it?

[Rick Lindquist, N1RL]

<sigh> You guys just don't seem to get this, do you? Either that or
you're just trying to be difficult.

Yes, it's a satellite, but no, it's not a satellite for the purposes of
Field Day, with the SOLE exception that you may get satellite contact
credits for packets digipeated from one station to another and back VIA
the ISS, as I explained earlier and about which I quoted Dan Henderson
in the W1AW bulletin. 

It's not a matter of being "right" here in a pedantic sense. The issue
is what the rules permit and do not permit. 

If you work a contact through AO-51 (ie, one Earth station to another
Earth station via the satellite), for example, it counts for FD credit.
If you exchange packets via the ISS, same deal. 

Contacting the ISS crew is just another contact, however, and you'll
just have to deal with that, no matter what it says in some dictionary
(which does not dictate rules for ARRL operating events).

I'm not sure why we end up having to explain this over and over again
every year. Seems pretty clear to me. In any event, yes, you'll need
your 2 meter station to "get it done."

73, Rick, N1RL 

-----Original Message-----
From: hcra-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:hcra-bounces at mailman.qth.net]
On Behalf Of Eric Richardson
Sent: Thursday, June 16, 2005 10:00 PM
To: Jim Harrington; HCRA
Subject: RE: [HCRA] ISS is a satellite isn't it?

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If you want to be technicial....

from m-w.com

Main Entry: sat.el.lite
Pronunciation: 'sa-t&l-"It
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle French, from Latin satellit-, satelles attendant
1 : a hired agent or obsequious follower : MINION, SYCOPHANT
2 a : a celestial body orbiting another of larger size b : a
manufactured object or vehicle intended to orbit the earth, the moon, or
another celestial body
3 : someone or something attendant, subordinate, or dependent;
especially : a country politically and economically dominated or
controlled by another more powerful country
4 : a usually independent urban community situated near but not
immediately adjacent to a large city
- satellite adjective


>From m-w it states that it is one, since it's orbiting the earth, and I
really don't think that the ISS is bigger than earth. Although the ARRL
states that it doesn't count.

> ARRL Contest Branch Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND, notes that ISS
> voice or direct packet contacts with the ISS do not count for bonus
> satellite contact points because the ISS is not an ''Amateur Radio
> satellite'' as event rules specify. Packet contacts relayed via the
> ISS are valid.
>
> ''The ISS contacts do not count for satellite credit, since they are
> point-to-point, whereas the traditional satellite QSO is a relayed
> Earth-satellite-Earth two-way contact,'' he explained. Field Day has
> no specific rules relating to ARISS operation because there's no
> guarantee that the crew will be able to get on the air for the
> annual exercise.

Looks like we will need our 2M station to get it done.

KB1JVI

Eric
------Hampden County Radio Association-------
An ARRL Special Services Club for over 50 years
------------http://www.hcra.org------------
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Address any comments to:
-Jim, KK1W  -  jmullen at rockys.com
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