[aprssig] ISS

[steve at dimse.com]

I should probably add the process of flight qualification is expensive, AMSAT is expecting to spend $150,000 to get the replacement built and flown. They are taking donations at ariss.org.

Remember, the ISS digi happened because APRS agreed to QSY in the US. We also got the continent wide single channel, and all for a few radios, crystals, and filters, mostly paid for by TAPR, AMSAT, and ARRL, as well as the individual owners (and huge amounts of hand-wringing from a handful that AMSAT was taking advantage of us). Any of the doubters that are still on APRS SIG, you should be the first to donate out of a sense of guilt! The APRS QSY was the greatest bargain ever!

Steve K4HG

> On Dec 29, 2017, at 11:03 AM, Steve Dimse <steve at dimse.com> wrote:
> 
> The replacement system has passed the first stages of flight qualification, but the hardest parts are ahead, late spring is the expected time for qualification, then it must be manifested, flown, and installed. It may well be fall until that hardware is operational.
>