[amsat-florida] The Florida AMSAT net is in trouble

[Andrew Glasbrenner]

We've got a real problem coming up. The KG4YZY repeater is going to be 
removed from the NI4CE system no later than January 31, 2010. YZY-R is 
the Echolink source for NI4CE, and from what I've been told there are no 
plans to replace Echolink on NI4CE. The majority of our checkins are 
from the NI4CE system by a very wide margin. KG4YZY-R may be relocated 
to a lower site, or it may go QRT by that date.

Further compounding the problem is our continued unanswered need for 
additional net control stations. As some of you know, I have a baby 
coming next month, which is only going to make it harder to be net 
control. With the number of check-ins we have, I'm amazed we cannot find 
one or two motivated individuals to step up and be net control once a 
month or so.

As I see it there are a few ways forward. NI4CE can simply be dropped 
from the net, and Echolink connections can be shifted to the ZPZ 
repeater in Orlando. We can find another wide area Tampa repeater that 
will host here, or the net can continue without Tampa. This is 
problematic since two of the three net controls are outside of the 
Orlando repeater range.

I'm open for suggestions.

73, Drew KO4MA