Zero Retries 0036

Advanced Amateur Radio - Data Communications; Space; Microwave… the fun stuff! The Universal Purpose of Ham Radio is to have fun messing around with radios - Bob Witte K0NR. Ultimately, amateur radio must prove that it is useful for society - Dr. Karl Meinzer DJ4ZC. We are confronted by insurmountable opportunities! - Pogo. Nothing great has ever been accomplished without irrational exuberance - Tom Evslin. Irrational exuberance is pretty much the business model of Zero Retries Newsletter - Steve Stroh N8GNJ.

Steve Stroh N8GNJ, Editor

Jack Stroh, Late Night Assistant Editor

In this issue:

• Special Issue - Starlink in Ukraine - Remarkable!
• Update 2022-03-06 - Overcoming Starlink Jamming
• Update 2022-03-21 - Washington Post and ARS Technica Articles

As I discussed in Zero Retries 0035 just a few hours ago, I’m just not mentally up to writing about the use of radio technology in Russia’s war against Ukraine. But I did hint that I would publish something about communications in Russia’s war on Ukraine “soon” using Substack’s “Threads1” feature but this “something” quickly grew beyond what Threads was intended for. Thus, this special edition of Zero Retries.

If you’re thinking Starlink isn’t Amateur Radio, you’re right. But this story deserves to be more widely known, including within Amateur Radio. Starlink is 21st century telecommunications infrastructure - mobile, wireless, software defined, and rapidly iterated.

Credit where due, YouTuber Steven Mark Ryan of Solving the Money Problem (one of my usual relaxations during my lunch break) tipped me off to this story. Ryan probably tells the story better than I’ll be able to in text. Skip ahead to 1:42.