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Author Topic: AMSAT BB Censorship  (Read 1240 times)

K6LCS

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Re: AMSAT BB Censorship
« Reply #60 on: November 17, 2020, 12:11:57 PM »

Gonna bow out of this thread. Two blatant misrepresenters of the truth have polluted it beyond reason ...

Want to talk to the board at AMSAT-NA? Their email addresses are all over the AMSAT.org site. The two polluters here are NOT board members ... one isn't even a member ...

Want to talk to me? 909-999-SATS is a message service - I don't get those messages until about 6PM daily. Personal cell phone is 951-533-4984 - on all the time.

Finishing up preparing three satellite presentations this week - each for the good of AMSAT.

Clint Bradford K6LCS
951-533-4984 - personal cell
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Clint Bradford, K6LCS
AMSAT Ambassador, ARRL Affiliated Club Coordinator
http://www.work-sat.com
909-999-SATS

WE4B

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Re: AMSAT BB Censorship
« Reply #61 on: November 17, 2020, 01:43:48 PM »

$10,000 for legal fees?  That's about 35 or 40 hours I guess.  What was the actual misdemeanor anyway?  I read the Amsat online explanation but it's pretty vague.

Anyway, $10k is about 230 members membership dues, so I guess those 230 people paid for lawyers instead of for building new satellites.

I also read the ORI website, which is pretty interesting.  The previously nicknamed "five and dime" basestation (to work with Golf-Tee mode C/X) is being developed there I see.

Very accurate observations on both the amount spent by conspirators, against AMSAT-NA bylaws and in violation of Washington DC corporate code and about the ground station station.

The over $10K which was spent is just what has been discovered. I am still calling for a forensic audit of AMSAT-NA's finances and a physical inventory of the corporation's assets. Guess what... the legacy, incumbent Board members do NOT want that to happen. I wonder why...

ORI has raised their own funds to do work on the base station (over $600K this year) and on other amateur radio satellite projects and do so as open source projects. It's kind of crazy when you think about how AMSAT-NA keeps advertising GOLF but they don't even have their own way to communicate and command it. Logical thought would be that they would develop a ground station to work with their satellite. If ORI decides to go in another direction, which would be their prerogative, AMSAT-NA wouldn't be even close to commanding a satellite which, at this point, is vaporware.

Cheers and 73
http://we4bravo.com
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WE4B

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Re: AMSAT BB Censorship
« Reply #62 on: November 17, 2020, 02:06:03 PM »

Gonna bow out of this thread. Two blatant misrepresenters of the truth have polluted it beyond reason ...

Why "bow out" now? You've already been posting as an official representative of AMSAT-NA. Now, as an AMSAT-NA Ambassador you continue to violate the AMSAT-NA Ambassador Code of Conduct by belittling members, non-members and prospective members. I am curious who you think is "misrepresenting" the truth? I know it's not me because I have only posted information that has come directly from two current AMSAT-NA Board members. I haven't posted any hearsay, just information about how the legacy, incumbent Board members refuse to have regular meetings, about how they attempted to 'shut out' the two Board members that educated the membership about the shenanigans that happen behind the smoke and mirrors and about the conspiracy that cost members over $10K.

You can "bow out" but you have proven to anyone reading the information posted here by members, non-members and potential members that if they join they will be called names and harassed by legacy, incumbent Board members and their cronies if they don't bow down and accept everything these legacy, incumbent Board members say and do. That has been quite evident in this thread. While everyone but you has been civil and discussed the OP's initial post, you have been insensitive to members, non-members and potential members and have done so while touting an AMSAT-NA Ambassador 'title'. You have been speaking for the organization by using that title in your correspondence. This goes to show that legacy, incumbent Board members don't really care or else they would have told you to back-off and to not offend anyone else while using the 'title' of AMSAT-NA Ambassador. Your words and attitude towards those of us that are members, those that are non-members and those that are potential members is absolutely horrible. You tried to hijack the OP's thread and did so by name-calling and by not being able to have a mature, civil debate. The lack of being able to debate what the OP said and I, and others, have echoed only serves as proof to outsiders of the issues within AMSAT-NA which can be directly traced to legacy, incumbent Board members that have used the organization as their clubhouse.

I cannot even begin to imagine a representative of the ARRL being allowed to respond to members in such a manner under the banner of the ARRL but, when it comes to AMSAT-NA, it is a different story. It is both allowed and condoned. Members of organizations have the right to speak their minds. Leadership of organizations should be mature enough to accept criticism and learn from it. I have seen this happen with the ARRL. It doesn't happen with AMSAT-NA. Heck, the legacy, incumbent Board members of AMSAT-NA will even spend over $10K in order to persecute their own, fellow Board members in an attempt to silence them.

I've said it before in this thread and I'll say it again, if the legacy, incumbent Board members of AMSAT-NA are willing to break AMSAT-NA bylaws and Washington DC corporate code and spend over $10K to persecute two Board members, what would they be willing to do to someone that is just a lowly organization member? Trust me when I say that they will censor you. I'm living proof. I am banned from seeing any AMSAT-NA social media or participating on the AMSAT-BB mailing list. I'm censored because I spoke out, just like the OP did. This is fact. This isn't debatable. It can't be erased with snake oil or Tang. It's well documented. It will continue to haunt AMSAT-NA until the organization's members decide to clean house and install Board members that will act as fiduciaries and run the organization as a business rather than a clubhouse. Babylon must fall.

Cheers and 73
http://we4bravo.com
« Last Edit: November 17, 2020, 02:13:19 PM by WE4B »
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AC2EU

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Re: AMSAT BB Censorship
« Reply #63 on: November 17, 2020, 03:15:46 PM »

Gonna bow out of this thread. Two blatant misrepresenters of the truth have polluted it beyond reason ...

Want to talk to the board at AMSAT-NA? Their email addresses are all over the AMSAT.org site. The two polluters here are NOT board members ... one isn't even a member ...

Want to talk to me? 909-999-SATS is a message service - I don't get those messages until about 6PM daily. Personal cell phone is 951-533-4984 - on all the time.

Finishing up preparing three satellite presentations this week - each for the good of AMSAT.

Clint Bradford K6LCS
951-533-4984 - personal cell

I have been hoping that you would present a good counter-argument defending AMSAT with some facts of your own. All I see is bickering about who a member and what they said when. As a Ham, I don't care about your personal dislike for each other. That's a personal problem among you. ( not a good way for a club to operate , though)

However, I WOULD BE very concerned about how funds are spent if I paid dues. You have admitted there was a "legal budget", which is really odd for an amateur radio organization.

Did you bow out because there is no truthful rebuttal to his allegations?
It seems that way from reading this thread.
The president doesn't appear to think much of the dues paying members either, from what I read.

I have quite a bit a of technical skill to bring to the table,  but I wouldn't want anything to do with AMSAT from the awful representation I have seen here!
I also doubt that I would be allowed to touch the equipment anyway because that is the domain of anointed few.

What will it take to change this toxic environment and stagnation?

Good luck.

W4HIJ

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Re: AMSAT BB Censorship
« Reply #64 on: November 17, 2020, 04:20:38 PM »

Gonna bow out of this thread. Two blatant misrepresenters of the truth have polluted it beyond reason ...

Want to talk to the board at AMSAT-NA? Their email addresses are all over the AMSAT.org site. The two polluters here are NOT board members ... one isn't even a member ...

Want to talk to me? 909-999-SATS is a message service - I don't get those messages until about 6PM daily. Personal cell phone is 951-533-4984 - on all the time.

Finishing up preparing three satellite presentations this week - each for the good of AMSAT.

Clint Bradford K6LCS
951-533-4984 - personal cell
Just absolutely hilarious. The guy who is doing nothing but blatantly lying accuses others of "misrepresenting the truth". Then he finishes with a flourish of his endless self promotion that he claims is for the good of AMSAT. That may or may not be true considering the QRM caused by the bad advice he gives to new operators who may not know any better in his "presentations". The true nature of the grift in his "support and volunteer work" for AMSAT was exposed long ago yet they just let him continue on anyway. Just more evidence of how a once great organization has fallen so far.
73,
Michael, W4HIJ
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VE3WGO

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Re: AMSAT BB Censorship
« Reply #65 on: November 17, 2020, 06:56:14 PM »

it pains me to see how Amsat-NA has changed.  I am looking at my 1994 Amsat membership certificate (member # 28xxx) and wondering how it all went wrong.  Well for one thing, I was not a fan of their new, exclusive focused enthusiasm at the time on FM sats which I just could not get excited about, and that was the time I ended my membership.

Now with Golf-Tee, I wish there could be a way that I could make sure my membership dues would be used exclusively for that satellite, perhaps minus the portion to pay for Martha and rent.  Since that's not possible, I feel very reluctant to send in membership dues. 

As it now stands Amsat-NA would only spend a small part of my dues on satellites, because according to their 2019 financial report, if I read it correctly, they spent $194k on Satellite Operations and Development, out of a total expenditure of $583k.  In other words they spent only 33% of their total 2019 budget directly on satellites.  Is that reasonable?

I realize that communications and annual symposium are necessary, and an office is needed too, but nearly $400k?  That's 67% of the total spending budget.  Can't more of these activities be self-funded... and leave more money for satellite development?  Because to me, 67% seems like excessive overhead.

73, Ed
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W4HIJ

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Re: AMSAT BB Censorship
« Reply #66 on: November 19, 2020, 12:15:18 PM »

Not only do they misuse membership funds, they took a COVID-19 PPP loan. I wonder how the average taxpayer would like that given that other non-profits like churches have been roundly vilified for doing so. Some were even forced to give the money back. Last I knew, they had one salaried employee.
73,
Michael, W4HIJ
« Last Edit: November 19, 2020, 12:17:36 PM by W4HIJ »
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AC2EU

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Re: AMSAT BB Censorship
« Reply #67 on: November 19, 2020, 12:37:35 PM »

Not only do they misuse membership funds, they took a COVID-19 PPP loan. I wonder how the average taxpayer would like that given that other non-profits like churches have been roundly vilified for doing so. Some were even forced to give the money back. Last I knew, they had one salaried employee.
73,
Michael, W4HIJ

Why doe the membership allow this to continue? 67% overhead? wow! Someone is having good time on member dues! Must be really posh office digs!

They should be able to run that out of very inexpensive rental real estate. It's not like they are building the rockets or need prime office space.
Unless the members wake up, I guess the downhill spiral will  continue.

WE4B

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Re: AMSAT BB Censorship
« Reply #68 on: November 19, 2020, 02:03:48 PM »

Unless the members wake up, I guess the downhill spiral will  continue.

The problem, IMHO, is that most members really don't care. All they are interested in is working someone in a new grid. It's really a major problem of apathy that allows the legacy, incumbents to maintain their power and to continue to run the organization as their clubhouse.

In the last election, only about a 1/3 of the membership cast a vote. Out of those that voted, 57% voted for incumbents and 43% voted for those of us that were challengers. Even though the incumbents won, it was only by a small amount and from less than half (1/3) of the AMSAT-NA membership.

The legacy, incumbents would want you to think that there was a mandate by the members, there wasn't. Only 1/3 of the members voted and legacy, incumbent Board members only got 57% of 1/3 of the members' votes. This obviously shows great apathy within the organization. This apathy has allowed legacy, incumbent Board members to do as they wish with no oversight from members.

When a member such as myself of the OP speaks up or speaks out, we are quickly silenced by censoring us and banishing us from being able to use any of AMSAT-NA's social media. The legacy, incumbents, apparently, do not believe in democracy within the organization because this would cost them their power of using the organization as their clubhouse.

I am a paid member and, as such, I will continue to speak out against these malfeasances and will attempt to educate others but if only 1/3 of the membership votes and those 1/3 vote based solely on name recognition we will end-up with the same results.

AMSAT-NA is definitely in a downward spiral. They are no longer the premier satellite organization. Members are to blame for allowing this to happen. When things spiral downward enough, they eventually hit the ground and crash... much like a satellite coming out of orbit and burning up in the atmosphere.

Please note that not once here in this thread, nor anywhere else, has anyone stated that legacy, incumbents were (most recently) not involved in a conspiracy that violated AMSAT-NA bylaws and Washington DC corporate code and cost members over $10K. It cannot be denied because it happened and has been documented. The conspiracy occurred in a vain attempt to keep two, good AMSAT-NA Board members from spilling the beans about what's been happening behind the smoke and mirrors that the legacy, incumbent Board members use to deflect from the real issues.

If you really want to get the legacy, incumbent Board members riled-up, ask them for a failure analysis of A0-92 which died a premature death or about AO-95 that never worked. Guess what? You'll hear crickets. The modus operandi is to ignore legitimate questions and just keep saying GOLF, GOLF, GOLF. Why should we spend good money when we don't even know why or satellites fail (or don't work) at a rate greater than other organizations'?

I could go on and on and on with what's wrong within AMSAT-NA. I have cited the two current Board members that are maintaining blogs documenting what they have uncovered within the AMSAT-NA leadership. Nothing they have written in their blogs is in dispute, yet 57% of 1/3 of the membership reelected the legacy, incumbent Board members that continue their same antics in the cushy AMSAT-NA clubhouse.

Apathy has allowed and, is allowing, this to happen. Thank goodness the Chinese and other countries have some very robust satellites in orbit because AMSAT-NA only has one modern, FM satellite in orbit (AO-91) that functions. AMSAT-NA does still have AO-7 that works in sunlight but it was launched in 1974 and it's a miracle that it's still quasi-functional. With current legal restrictions, odds are, that AMSAT-NA will never be able to replicate the HEO of AO-7 even those that's what legacy, incumbent Board members used in their campaign. Under current law, that's just not going to happen.

Once again, I've typed a lot of words but you are exactly right about members needing to wake up and to not blindly follow those that have already been caught in an illegal conspiracy. There will soon be another election, one never knows what else might come out about the legacy, incumbent Board members which will run for reelection but it will be up to the members to make a change. Apathy kills.
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K6LCS

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Re: AMSAT BB Censorship
« Reply #69 on: November 19, 2020, 02:17:25 PM »

WE4B>> ... I've typed a lot of words ...

Ever wonder why - after ALL your "words" and charges and allegations and blogs posts and Web sites cited - you received the fewest votes of any running AMSAT-NA  board member the past two elections?

Could put be that folks see through your conspiracy theories, blatant misrepesentations of the truth - and voted appropriately?

Asking for a friend ... I've got another AMSAT presentation I'm placing finishing touches on for this evening - too busy to get involved in this nonsense.

Clint Bradford K6LCS
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Clint Bradford, K6LCS
AMSAT Ambassador, ARRL Affiliated Club Coordinator
http://www.work-sat.com
909-999-SATS

W4HIJ

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Re: AMSAT BB Censorship
« Reply #70 on: November 19, 2020, 02:45:32 PM »

WE4B>> ... I've typed a lot of words ...

Ever wonder why - after ALL your "words" and charges and allegations and blogs posts and Web sites cited - you received the fewest votes of any running AMSAT-NA  board member the past two elections?

Could put be that folks see through your conspiracy theories, blatant misrepesentations of the truth - and voted appropriately?

Asking for a friend ... I've got another AMSAT presentation I'm placing finishing touches on for this evening - too busy to get involved in this nonsense.

Clint Bradford K6LCS

I thought you were already gone conman.  I mean, didn't you already say you were leaving? Where has anyone misrepresented the truth? This thread is truth, it can't be censored and your BS doesn't fly here.  It's all out there in black and white for anyone that cares to look.
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WE4B

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Re: AMSAT BB Censorship
« Reply #71 on: November 19, 2020, 03:13:27 PM »

Sigh... even though the deflector said he was bowing out, he had to return and attempt to use smoke, mirrors and powdered Tang in a vain attempt to try to deflect from the documented truth. Of course, once again, nobody said that the legacy, incumbents didn’t involve themselves in a conspiracy because they did. It’s documented and they even admitted it.

It’s a shame that members are so apathetic about how their membership dues are wasted by the legacy, incumbent AMSAT-NA Board members. I wonder if they keep a glass of Tang in the refrigerator of the AMSAT-NA clubhouse.

Once again, an AMSAT-NA Ambassador attempts to belittle a paid AMSAT member in a violation of the Ambassador Code of Conduct. This is why people turn-up their noses at AMSAT-NA. This Ambassador isn’t doing the organization any favors with his behavior here in this thread and is doing it under the AMSAT-NA banner. As such, we all can see that AMSAT-NA condones and encourages this type of behavior. This is why AMSAT is seen, by many, as a joke. It's sad how AMSAT-NA is the only amateur radio organization, that I know of, that is abusive to paid members and allows its representatives to also be abusive. It doesn't really project class and decorum.

This is why AMSAT-NA is in a downward spiral.

I’m off to spend some time with my ham kiddo. A nice ISS pass will be here in a bit and it’s a visible pass. It will be fun.

I’m glad my arms aren’t sore from reaching around and patting myself on the back like some AMSAT-NA Ambassadors do. It must get old having to do that yourself. Babylon must fall.

Cheers and 73
http://we4bravo.com
« Last Edit: November 19, 2020, 03:31:34 PM by WE4B »
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WE4B

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Re: AMSAT BB Censorship
« Reply #72 on: November 19, 2020, 03:45:40 PM »

I can't imagine why there would be any doubt about what the OP started this thread with. After all, it's been proven that the legacy, incumbent Board members were involved in a conspiracy in an attempt to silence two other Board members that aren't part of the AMSAT-NA clubhouse mentality:

http://amsat.wd9ewk.net

These folks spent over $10K in this conspiracy. This is fact. It's not debatable. If they would spend over $10K in an attempt to silence duly elected Board members, just think what they would do to a non-member like the OP or to just a paid member like me. It really doesn't require much critical thinking to deduce what legacy, incumbent Board members might do to try and make those that don't agree with them go away.

I have no reason to doubt what happened to the OP. It happened to me too and I was actually a candidate for election when the legacy, incumbents violated bylaws and censored me from the AMSAT-BB mailing list. This is documented and cannot be debated. They also block me from seeing any of their social media. As a paid member, I am denied the benefits of being a member... all because I have taken a stand for what I believe to be the right thing to do.

I sleep really well at night. I don't have to worry about being a Board member that violated bylaws and Washington DC corporate code and I don't have to worry about the IRS sending a letter to the organization questioning the non-profit status of the organization. Board members are supposed to be fiduciaries. That comes with a lot of responsibility. Unfortunately, the legacy, incumbent Board members just think AMSAT-NA is a clubhouse and they can do whatever they want to do with the money in the organization's coffers.

Threads like this one in public forums helps to shed light on what's really happening with AMSAT-NA. It's not all happy rainbows and butterflies. In reality, it's conspiracies, wasted money and failed satellites all while a select few get to play in their clubhouse. Babylon must fall.

Cheers and 73
http://we4bravo.com
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W9FIB

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Re: AMSAT BB Censorship
« Reply #73 on: November 20, 2020, 03:18:21 AM »

Funny how the "ambassador" feels being negative to others is an appropriate response. Not very diplomatic or inviting to someone on the outside looking in. Shows that maybe the "old boys" theory really does apply here.

Just an observation. FWIW
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73, Stan
Travelling the world one signal at a time.

AC2EU

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Re: AMSAT BB Censorship
« Reply #74 on: November 20, 2020, 07:01:30 AM »

Funny how the "ambassador" feels being negative to others is an appropriate response. Not very diplomatic or inviting to someone on the outside looking in. Shows that maybe the "old boys" theory really does apply here.

Just an observation. FWIW

The AMSAT president is the same way.
The AMSAT members have no one to blame but themselves. They have turned a blind eye to what is happening to their organization and elected these people back into office.

It's not unique to AMSAT. I call it the "cadre syndrome" where a small group seizes control of a club. Nothing happens without this group's implicit approval, no matter what the majority wants.
The cadre gets re-elected because they are willing to "do everything" while the membership goes along for the ride. After a while the cadre takes more and more liberties with their total control until it becomes their personal clubhouse. The members are just there to pay the expenses.

I have also seen a membership revolt ( after a period of years) taking place where a faction of the membership starts questioning the actions of the cadre. This sometimes results in the angry resignation of one or more of the cadre.
Stay tuned...
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