The reason satellites aren't used is their location is known, and because of this they are easily jammed or listened to. I'm not sure that the reasons you gave

The reason satellites aren't used is their location is known, and because of this they are easily jammed or listened to. I'm not sure that the reasons you gave are really valid, especially for reception. > Difficult to transport I transmit to low earth satellites each weekend using a hand held radio that fits in a jeans pocket. > high power usage I use about 5w. > radios can be acquired easily most anywhere You can easily buy a radio that can do this for $20 on Amazon. I don't need a specific view of the sky on passes where the satellite is high enough in the sky, which happens one or two times a day.