On 3/28/14, Clayton Coleman <kayakfis...@gmail.com> wrote: > The past 7 days there has been a noticeable increase in activity on > most satellite passes over North America due in part to a grid > expedition by AC0RA. Wyatt posted his expedition here on the BB a few > weeks ago. Over the course of this past week I understand he has made > hundreds of contacts. > > Some of the grids Wyatt visited have not been activated on the birds > in several years. This was evident by the number of people who are > leading the ARRL VUCC Satellite standings needing those grids. > Fortunately Wyatt put forth an effort that accomodated many working > peoples' schedules and whether or not people who needed that grid were > in the footprints he worked. > > One thing that can be done to encourage such activity is by mentoring > new stations. I cringe at the "anti-handheld in the backyard > mentality" because those operators are our future. Some of them may > take on roles in AMSAT engineering, some may focus on operations (grid > trips,) and more importantly some may desire to educate the next > generation about satellite and space communications. > > Last night I worked a station who told me I was one of his first > contacts. We've exchanged a few emails and now he's looking to > operate from a rare, neighboring grid square situated a mere 5 miles > from his home. > > It's been a fun week for many of us chasing these seldom-heard grids. > If you have the equipment to operate outside the confines of your > shack, I would encourage you to do so. Not only is it an opportunity > to refresh your basic skills, it attracts others to do so, and gives a > chance for you to activate grid squares absent of any regular > satellite operators.
<snip> It looks like I'll be working with a student group at my alma mater designing a cubesat. Perhaps by the time the project's completed, some of the undergrads might be interested in getting their own callsigns. Now if I could only convince them to include a transponder for us hams.... 73s Bernhard VA6BMJ @ DO33FL _______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
