Thank you for shutting down QO-100!

  • GM

    One suggestion:

    To create a specific page for QO-100, independent from the AMSAT-DL homepage, where all the information and guidelines would be accessible, "translatable" (if this word really exists :) ) .

    Users should be encouraged to visit and read the rules.

    Also the freenode chat on the NB could be more attractive, (read user friendly) if it where to be similar to the one on the WB Webmonitor, where the users can immediately see the messages posted.

    Reminding that all of this is only effective if people adhere to the rules, when we're talking of pirates and idiots, no matter what the rules are, they ignore them.

    Let's hope that this is only a contingency and no further "harder" measures are taken by the sat owner.

    This is, as said before, an golden opportunity to all the Ham radio community, and we should be thankfull for it.
    If this particular case could help with further similar operations we could envisage a global network of GEO sats.


    73 de CT2IRJ

    Salomão Fresco

    Callsign: CT2IRJ

    GRID Locator: IM59re -- CQ Zone 14 / ITU Zone 37

    QTH: Fazendas de Almeirim, Portugal

  • Hi!


    As was mentioned under this topic don't understand why there should be any tolerance limit. With beacon level signal strength you have a great readable signal so why need to go over. Such signals can be even understood just with a LNB without the dish. Don't think anybody has problems of a huge local QRM on 10 GHz being unable to copy signals at beacon level...


    Concerning pirates, idiots and psychos don't think additional chat rooms would help. Will even make it worse. They are not doing that to test their technical abilities but to make troubles. What they enjoy is people speaking about them and knowing they are really making troubles. If we don't speak about too much most of them will lose interest.


    What I enjoy the most working QO-100 is making CW QSOs using just the upconverter giving out abt. 80mW into a 85cm dish and still getting a quite solid readable signal back. I find that fascinating that so low power can travel 36.000 km and still usable. Hope will complete soon a more stable LNB so can try digital modes and make tests what is the lower limit the signal can be decoded back. Know other have tried but like to do myself and have fun.


    Best regards,

    Andrej - s57rw

    • Official Post

    I think nobody expected these problems.


    I did.


    Having significant 'hands on' experience with SNG (satellite news gathering) in one of my former lives, and as former satellite co-ordinator of the Dutch government I spoke with several co-workers of Es'hailSat during IBC2018 and IBC2019 concerning 'how to deal with an 'undefined' user group'. They were flabbergasted ...


    Actually WE did!


    I'm not surprised that they were flabbergasted. These are mostly Sales people...

    I hope you did not scare them too much, since we are still hoping for a follow-up on Es'hail-3


    AMSAT-DL is not building linear transponders for the first time and I can assure you, that "uncoordinated multiple access" was our number one topic in the technical discussions! Already from the first day meetings with Es'hailSat and AMSAT-DL some 6 years ago, even before the manufacturer was selected.. Later on, we had several workshops and design reviews in Qatar and Japan regarding the implementation of these means. Except for TWT stage all other components of the QO-100 transponders are "non-standard" compared to their commercial TV transponders and in some cases specially re-designed to fulfill our requirements, including AGC and other functionalities which we will not describe here further for known reasons.


    There will be no damage to the satellite, but the owner of the satellite has an high (commercial) interest to extend the lifetime of the TWT. They are just getting nervous about what have happened recently.


    I think there is no need to discuss what we AMSAT or Es'hailSat could have done or should do..


    The message for the ham radio community is very simple: Stick to the Bandplan and follow the Rules!


    Be happy and thankful to the State of Qatar for giving us such a fantastic satellite and the opportunity to have the QO-100 transponders.


    operators using QO100 do know

    • where to point the antenna
    • which frequencies to use
    • which power is required


    and the easiest way to spread and share this information is not only via Twitter/Facebook/Chat, but on the transponder itself !! Yes, by You!

  • DB2OS: No no .. no scaring at all, but nice pleasant talks with a few technical people (they are not all sales). I am aware that the commercial satellite world is very well regulated in itself, for obvious reasons. I also had some conversations for business purposes concerning Ka tpx's. I advised one of them to obtain his amateur license after which he shook hands : -)


    I am also aware that the ∫ integral over the passband shall not exceed the nominal TWT power (OBPO included).

    Perhaps in Es'hail-3 a separate TWT (and back up ; -) for the amateur service ? ; -)

  • I fully agree with Achim DH2VA, QO-100 is a beautiful gift and we must preserve it . But you cannot relate two episodes that occurred at two different times to the Italian colleague. As DD0KP has already written, we don't blame here with their callsigns, or at least let's do it only if you are absolutely certain. We must try to help to avoid problems. Yesterday I did some good tests with him.


    Let´s hope that this was the first and last "alarm" on Es'hail-2 ground station.
    Also, I believe that this 2 incidents are related and caused by the same person.

    73 de CT2IRJ

  • @IK8XLD, hi.


    As I said in my post, "I believe"... I didn't said "I'm sure".
    Also didn't give a full callsign, so noone was fully identified here in the forum.
    The Colleague in question was approached by another italian ham that I personally contacted and he immdiatelly colaborated, and joined the webmonitor chat.
    I'm also happy that you've made some tests and it went well. We can assume on more DATV operator on the sat.
    And that's good.

    So, I was wrong, and the two incidents were not related, I assume it.

    Nevertheless some "strange things" continue to happen, at least on the WB side of the tpx.


    I have nothing further to discuss on this subject.


    73 de CT2IRJ

    Salomão Fresco

    Callsign: CT2IRJ

    GRID Locator: IM59re -- CQ Zone 14 / ITU Zone 37

    QTH: Fazendas de Almeirim, Portugal

  • Hmm


    Not the first time i sent some personal emails to operators who were having a signal which was too strong, 6-12dB above PSK bcn.

    Some do understand, others just blew away the comments.

    Let's make a public list with stations who do have such stronger signals then the beacons.

    Especially when a new dxcc is in the air, a lot of stupid op's use suddenly too much power to be the strongest in a pile-up.

    Why why why? Just follow the rules and enjoy the sat, even in a pile-up.


    Hear you all,

    73's de Jerry

  • Unbelievable.

    There is this country of Quatar, so generous with their gift (bottom line: that is, what it is) to the HAM community and, what do some folks do? Ignore the rules set by the operators and, on top, the rules of Hamspirit as well.


    I do not think that this is a matter of not understanding foreign languages or being unable to read and understand the rules declared, not only on amsat´s websites. It´s bad behaviour; some people enjoy being a prick - it´s as simple as that.

    By the way: the same behaviour can be seen in FT8... Crocs with their elbows out flattening most of the spectrum...

    Everybody knows what´s up on the Bands when there´s one of these contests is going on...Bandplan? Who cares! IMHO, all of this is a direct reflection of the our overall society´s condition. Well, this isn´t the right place do discuss that.


    I hope that this issue can be solved one way or another. My 8yrs old son and I have just finished the RX-part and plan to complete the TX-part before Christmas. The kid is so keen to contact the satellite (I got a DN-call assigned for him), it would literally break my heart if I had to disappoint him, just because of some Crocs disobeying the rules - risk leading the Quataries to terminate the HAM-transponders and fuck the whole thing up for all of us.

  • Although some of the "crocs" no doubt have an amateur callsign, there also pirates on QO100 that

    are not amateurs. Expecting those to play by the rules.. well, "not gonna happen".


    That said: let us at least do the right thing..


    Wilko