OBSERVATIONS FROM SCOTLAND                            16_June 2008                                GM1SXX

The IARU, Satellite Frequency Co-ordination and the CUBESAT Bands.

14 years and still counting.... but not holding my breath!

Having read through the material pointed to by Trevor M5AKA, at...

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eu-amsat/message/1653

It seems the case that unco-ordinated satellites and the proliferation of University CUBESATs on 2M and 70Cms (the prime bands for linear transponder birds), are indeed a problem that is not being addressed, or about to be addressed, any time soon. Sure, there will be talk about addressing the problem, but that's all.
 
As best I can understand, the IARU believes it is an issue for local (National) radio societies. With no-one 'steering the ship', as it
were, it's hardly any wonder it ran aground a long time ago.  Complaining to your national radio society is unlikely to carry much clout for a satellite builder at the other end of the world. In short, it's a free-for-all.
 
It's not a new problem either, see Altruistic radio amateurs (1994)  ftp://ftp.amsat.org/amsat/articles/satgen/sgen268.txt
 
John GM4IHJ noted this growing problem 14 *years* ago, and yet nobody seems to care. Perhaps we really do get what we deserve.
 
It's likely that AMSAT will be a forgotten organisation once the two most useful band segments we are allowed are littered with 'me-too'
satellites.  They will be relegated to just being another competitor, an 'also-ran'  for band space.
 
Can you imagine a future conversation between radio amateurs ....not too far in the future.
 
'Linear transponders on 2m & 70Cms?'.... don't be silly, those are the Cubesat bands :-)

Remember.... you *didn't hear it hear first.... Commander John Branegan GM4IHJ said it all FOURTEEN YEARS ago!
 
73 Al.
GM1SXX