[amsat-bb] Quad Grid Documentation
Hi Dave, Like many others, I'm looking forward to working you from the quad point. I'll finally be home to take advantage of your operation and hopefully get four new ones into my own log. Adding one point to WD9EWK's info, the GPS display needs to show an accuracy of 20 feet or less. Lower is better for stability of course, but 20 is the magic number. From your description of the quad point, the forest may not be friendly to your GPS. Just like when you're working through the birds, GPS sigs are impaired by the population density of nearby trees. Have fun! 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Ardmore, OK / EM14 Message: 1 Date: Tue, 2 Aug 2011 12:42:53 -0700 From: David Palmer KB5WIA kb5...@amsat.org Subject: [amsat-bb] KB5WIA California Lost Coast Expedition (CM79/CM89/CN70/CN80) August 7-8, 2011 To: AMSAT BB amsat-bb@amsat.org Message-ID: cao-vtpme_yj6tvputeufwucxtcvdcxww0vxhqa2wfzs0spg...@mail.gmail.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Hi Everyone, Just a reminder (and before the flood of ARISSat emails in the list tomorrow!), this weekend I'll be heading out to the California Lost Coast to work the satellites from that rare grid CM79. CM79 has no roads, no power, no houses, nothing but lots and lots of ocean and a small triangle of mountainous forest. Plans are to operate right from the northeast tip of CM79 so if all goes well I'll be providing four grids at once: CM79, CM89, CN70, and CN80. Weather looks reasonable (cloudy mornings, sunny afternoons) for portable solar-powered operation. I'll operate on Sunday August 7th and Monday August 8th, and I've posted a list of potential passes on my blog. Operation will be during local daylight only, due to the remoteness of the area I don't want to be hiking down off that mountain after dark! I'll aim to work all available satellites -- AO-51 (if it keeps going strong like it has been), SO-50, and AO-27 for FM. VO-52, FO-29, and AO-07 (primarily mode B) for SSB. If ARISSat is up and running I'll try to get on that too, depending on congestion and satellite performance. I'll have my SPOT Locator beacon with me, so my exact location should be available from the link on my QRZ web page. If the current beacon position shows that I'm right at the intersection of -124 and 40 degrees, likely I'll be available on the sats as they go by. More details on my website at http://kb5wia.blogspot.com 73! de Dave KB5WIA -- ___ 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
[amsat-bb] ND9M/P: DM66 in New Mexico
The first pass from DM66 was very successful this evening, but I expect to be on from DM66 again on VO52 tomorrow morning (Sunday) at 31/1613Z and then on AO27 at 31/1933Z (on about 1935Z). We may still be in the grid for the next AO27 pass, but we'll likely be on the way south and heading for home. APRS (ND9M-7) will be running at all times while we're on the road. 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Bloomfield, NM / Grid DM66 San Juan Co. ___ 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
[amsat-bb] ND9M/P: DM56 and DM66
I neglected to mention in my previous post that we're only a mile or so from the DM56 line, and that depending on weather, I'll try to set up on the DM56 / DM66 grid line for the VO52 pass at 31/1613Z. The AO27 pass at 31/1933Z should find us still in the DM66 grid but well away from the line. 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Bloomfield, NM / DM66 ___ 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
[amsat-bb] ND9M/P: DM66 and Heading Home
Cori and I are leaving the Phoenix area this morning (Friday) and will head up through northeastern Arizona and into New Mexico. We'll get to DM66 either tonight or tomorrow morning sometime and should be QRV there for a few passes on both FM and SSB birds. Hopefully APRS coverage (ND9M-7) will continue to give good results while enroute. If anyone needs some Arizona and New Mexico counties on HF, I'll be running them on both CW and SSB on 14056.5 and 14336 kc respectively. Our route toward DM66 will take us through Maricopa, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, Navajo, and Apache Counties in Arizona, and San Juan and Rio Arriba Counties in New Mexico. Our trip budget is pretty well tapped, so after we finish up in DM66, we're going to hot foot it back to Florida. 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Phoenix, AZ / Grid DM ___ 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
[amsat-bb] ND9M/P: DM36, DM37, DM46, DM47 / Utah for Sat WAS
Allowing for terrain (vice train in yesterday's post!), I'll be on the DM36 / DM37 line on the Arizona side of the AZ/UT state line on VO52 this morning at 24/1543Z. If I can't get on the line with an easterly view, I'll back track and do the pass from DM37 in Utah and then come back to operate the next VO52 pass at 24/1719Z from DM36. Similarly, we'll be in DM47 in Utah for the AO27 pass that rises locally at 24/1933Z (approx turn on time 1937Z). After that, we'll head back into Arizona and operate from DM46 on the next AO27 pass at 24/2112Z (T/O about 2116Z). 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Kanab, UT / DM47 ___ 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
[amsat-bb] ND9M/P: DM35 / DM36
Cori and I will be on from DM36 (possibly the grid line with DM35) on AO27 tomorrow (Monday) at 25/2043Z (approx turn on at 2047Z). Later on, we'll head south a bit and be on from DM34 and then green stamper DM33 after that. I don't know what pass(es) that will be however, but I know that Patrick, WD9EWK, has got those two pretty well covered anyway. We're still running all Arizona counties on HF CW and SSB, which really puts a dent in efficient grid ops, but we'll be turning toward the northeast in a couple days. Then we'll head for the much-in-demand DM66 grid in NM shortly after that. Also, now that we're back in AZ, tracking via APRS (ND9M-7) is more reliable again. 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Flagstaff, AZ / DM66 ___ 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
[amsat-bb] ND9M/P: DM36 l DM37
We took our time getting out of town (again) and missed most of the day's passes, but we're finally on the road and will overnight very close to the DM36 / DM37 line. If train allows, I should be to be on from the grid line on VO52 later tonight and again tomorrow morning. And if I get up easily enough tomorrow, I might AO51 in the 24/1100Z time frame. 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC ___ 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
[amsat-bb] ND9M/P: DM27, DM28, DM29
Cori and I will stay in southern Nevada for one more day tomorrow (Friday). While she kicks back, I'm going to head north with the plan to operate from DM27, DM28, and DM29 while northbound and possibly DM19, DM18, and DM17 on the return run. Which grid(s) on what passes? Dunno; this will be an on-the-fly run into the desert. I'll have APRS running (ND9M-7), but I have no idea what the coverage is in that part of the state. I'll also be running counties on HF CW (14.056.5 kc) and SSB (14336 kc) as well; hopefully I'll be spotted on the ch.w6rk.com website. We're planning to start our trip back to Florida (and its cooler temps only in the 90s!) on Saturday morning by way of DM37 and DM47 in southern Utah before re-entering Arizona. 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Las Vegas, NV / DM26 ___ 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
[amsat-bb] ND9M/P - DM31 / DM32 and DM22 / DM23
Cori and I spent a chunk of this afternoon visiting with Leo, W7JPI and his XYL in DM41. The visit was very enjoyable but prevented us from getting to DM31 as we'd planned. We're overnighting in DM32 which I'll operate from tonight on VO52 when it comes up locally at 18/0340Z. Then tomorrow morning, we'll head back down the road and expect to hit the DM31 / DM32 grid line on VO52 at 18/1532Z. I should be somewhere around 145.910 on both passes. After that, we'll head up to do the DM22 / DM23 line on AO27 when it rises locally at 18/2042Z. 73 for now, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Ajo, AZ / DM32 ___ 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
[amsat-bb] ND9M/P: DM51
Cori and I will try to be on from DM51 tomorrow (Sat) for some ops that missed us there the last couple times. I'm not sure what pass(es) it be on however since we're still doing the tourist thing, although operation from that grid will likely be in the afternoon. After that, we'll be on from DM31 on Sunday as we head out towards the Yuma area and then up along the AZ/CA border for the grids in that area. For Mervyn Hecht (sorry, I don't have your call or e-mail address), we'll be on from Utah (DM37) in a few days and then New Mexico (several grids including the high demand DM66) several days later. You can keep an eye out for W1AW/5 from NM before that though. I'll keep the BB posted on the schedule. 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Tucson AZ / DM42 ___ 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
[amsat-bb] New Bird Op
I'm very happy to report that my XYL (and grid-pedition driver) Cori passed her Tech license exam at the Dayton Hamvention today. Now comes the long wait (or so it will seem) for her callsign to appear in the FCC database before she can get on the air. But she'll be ready and packin' when we head out to AZ in July. And yes, her family AMSAT membership is already on the books! 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Dayton OH / EM79 ___ 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
[amsat-bb] ND9M/MM QSLs - Dayton
Hi all, QSLs for my recent maritime mobile grid trip are due in from the printer (finally!) on Tuesday. Cori and I will hopetully leave for Dayton on Wednesday (no later than Thursday). I'll get as many cards answered and in the mail as possible in the short time before we leave. We'll be back home a few days after the madness ends, and I'll get everything else caught up then. If you'll be at Dayton also and would like me to bring QSLs for you, contact me off list and we can set something up for an in-person drop. 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC ___ 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
[amsat-bb] ND9M Road Trip Update #14
Depending on this afternoon's weather, I'll operate from EN17 during the AO27 passes that rise locally at 26/1824Z and 2002Z and hopefully on AO51 at 26/2141Z and 2320Z. We've got rain today and a blizzard warning starting this afternoon. We can hardly complain about the timing of course since we're wrapping up the state. We've been incredibly fortunate that every day of the seven weeks we've been on the road, the daily temps have been in the 60s or higher, and yesterday was the first day we had rain! Sounds like a good time to blow out of North Dakota! A return to EN16 is possible for tomorrow, hopefully from the MN side and away from the blizzard! This will conclude the focus on running grids on this trip. After we leave ND, we'll be taking the interstate (probably I-94 to I-65 with a three-day stop off in EN61) back to Florida. I'll still operate from the grids that we hit when it's pass time, but the ones we'll be in aren't likely to be greatly needed. Feel free to contact me off list if there's something in particular you need along that route. 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Grand Forks ND / Grand Forks Co. / EN17 ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] ND9M Road Trip Update #13
The crystal ball says that I'll be QRV from either DN88 or DN98 during Sunday's (23 Oct) HO68 pass that rises locally at 23/1721Z and probably DN88 during the AO27 pass that comes up here at 23/1948Z and in DN98 for AO51 at 23/2201Z and 13/1228Z. I should be on from grids EN08 and EN18 on Sunday (24 Oct). 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Minot ND / Ward Co. / DN98 ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] ND9M Road Trip Update #12
We're forced to detour a bit. I should be in EN06 and EN16 today. I'll be in the northern grids over the next few days. 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Bismarck ND / Burleigh Co. / DN86 ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] ND9M Road Trip Update #11
I'm back to running counties on HF CW and SSB. With 53 counties in North Dakota to put out, it's difficult to predict when I'll be in a particular grid square. You can check a county hunting website (http://ch.w6rk.com) for spots on my HF ops and see where I'm at. For the time being, it's the best thing I've got for tracking since I'm not on APRS yet. We should be in DN86 and DN96 for much of today (17 Oct). But since we're just a few miles from the ND / SD state line, we're going to swing across into SD to hit the DN85 / DN95 line for the AO27 pass which rises locally at 17/1919Z. At this latitude, I'll miss the first minute or two of voice operation, but I'll do my best with the limited time. After this pass, we'll return to ND to focus on the grids and counties there. 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Bowman ND / Bowman Co. / DN86 ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] ND9M Road Trip Update #9
Not surprisingly, a lot of ops jumped on DN68, DN76, DN77, and DN78 that we operated from today. During the 14/1905Z AO27 pass alone, 18 ops got into the log. Not only is that a for a seven-minute pass, but the bird didn't rise at my QTH for nearly two minutes after it switched to voice, so those 18 contacts were crammed into five minutes! Cori and I are going to spend an extra day in DN76 taking care of travel-related chores that we've been ignoring. I'll be on from this grid during various passes tomorrow and may sneak away to make a quick run down the road to put out DN75 again for a single pass; not sure yet. We'll head back out on the road on Saturday and cross into North Dakota. There are 16 grids in the state (aside from some slivers), and we'll get to them all. DN86 will be the first grid. 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Miles City, MT / Custer Co. / DN76 ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] ND9M Road Trip Update #10
I'll be making a side trip to the DN75 / DN76 line for the late afternoon AO51 pass that rises locally at 15/2358Z. Other passes today and tomorrow morning will be from DN76 only. Cori won't be with me, so hopefully I won't get lost! 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Miles City MT / Custer Co. / DN76 ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] ND9M Road Trip Update #10A
I'll be on both FO29 at 15/2310Z and AO51 at 15/2358Z from the DN75 / DN76 line. 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] ND9M Road Trip Update #8
Here's our tentative sked for grids tomorrow (14 Oct): DN68 - SO50 - 1513Z (Earlier AO51 and SO50 passes are possible, but it's COLD outside here at those times!) DN68 / DN78 - AO27 - 1906Z DN68 / DN78 - AO27 - 2045Z DN68 / DN78 - AO51 - 2123Z DN77 - AO51 - 2259Z (possibly on the line with DN76) DN76 / DN77 - AO51 - 0039Z (15 Oct) We may stick around the local area an extra day on Friday before heading into North Dakota; we won't know for sure until tomorrow night. 73 for now, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Glasgow MT / Valley Co. / DN68 ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] ND9M Road Trip Update #7
We're looking at DN48 and DN58 during the AO27 passes that rise locally at about 12/2002Z and 12/2142Z (VOX a couple minutes later) and possibly DN57 when AO51 comes up locally at 12/2239Z. 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Great Falls MT / Cascade Co. / DN47 ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] ND9M Road Trip Update #6
We'll be leaving the Glacier Nat'l Park vicinity around midday tomorrow (11 Oct) and start heading east. The following plans are tentative, and I'll update when I can. Although grid lines are measured linearly, the roads in this area aren't; mountains and foothills will eat up a lot of the afternoon's drive time. We're just a very few miles away from the DN28 / DN38 line, but we probably won't get to DN37 until mid- to late afternoon. The crystal ball puts us on the DN37 / DN47 line for the AO51 passes that rise locally at about 11/2142Z (low easterly) and 11/2318Z (high easterly). On Tuesday (12 Oct), I may still be in DN47 (on US 87) when HO68 comes up, but I'll try to be on the DN48 / DN58 line for the AO27 passes that rise locally at about 12/2002Z and 12/2142Z. We'll probably still be in DN58 when AO51 comes up. Three days is a lot to forecast, but we'll see about DN56 and DN57 for Wednesday. More to come... 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Columbia Falls MT / Flathead Co. / DN28 ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] ND9M Road Trip Update #5
Cori and I will be in the Glacier Nat'l Park area for a couple more days. She's under the weather after two weeks of camping in the other parks, so we're done with camping for the time being. Most of our time here is in DN38, but our motel is just across the line in DN28, so I'm putting out both grids depending on where we are when pass time comes. We'll likely start out on the official return trip on Saturday. Our plan at that time is to head east along the 47 North latitude across Montana, through North Dakota, and into Minnesota before turning south. FM sats are still the birds of choice, mainly because I've made so few contacts on the various linear sats that I've been on. Setting up and breaking down the portable station takes up to a half hour, and since this is still a vacation trip rather than an actual grid-pedition, I'm inclined to stick to that regimen. That said, if someone needs me to be on one of the linear sats, feel free to contact me off list and I'll do my best to work something out. Depending on where we are at any given time, both e-mail and cell service (850.960.8566) may be intermittent, but let's give it a try anyway. 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Columbia Falls MT / Flathead Co. / DN28 ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] ND9M Road Trip #4
Sorry for the late notice, but I'll be heading for the DN46 / DN47 grid line for today's AO51 pass that rises locally at 04/2258Z, allowing for road conditions of course. Cori and I will leave Butte tomorrow and head for the northerly US grids in DN2x and DN3x. 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Butte MT / Silver Bow Co. / DN35 ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] ND9M Road Trip Update #3
Here's a tentative schedule for Cori and me tomorrow (Wed, 22 Sept) as we take the grid hunters route from Thermopolis, WY, to Grand Teton NP. Emphasis is on tentative, but with several passes available to my QTH, including two HO68 passes, we should be able to get to five and maybe even six grids if we keep our stops to a minimum. Sat / local AOS / Grid(s) HO68 / 22/1707Z / DN53 DN63 HO68 / 22/1855Z / DN52 AO27 / 22/1931Z / DN52 AO27 / 22/2110Z / DN62 AO51 / 22/2235Z / DN51 DN61 On Thursday, we'll swing up along the western side of the state and hit DN41 and DN42 along the way. Our current destination will be at Grand Teton in DN43 where we're expecting to camp for three days. For the 6M ops, I'm still CQing for several minutes on 50.125 MHz after each pass, but I've heard nothing but noise. Even though I'm running the rig off batteries on a short leash and with the car shut off, I'm also getting S8 noise. That's not unusual when I'm in or near a town, but following today's DN54 / DN64 operation at Bald Mt. in north central Wyoming, there was nothing around for miles, yet the S meter was sitting on 9. I'll keep trying though. 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Thermopolis WY / Hot Springs Co. / DN53 ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] (no subject)
Cori and I will be on the DN74 / DN75 grid line for the AO27 pass that switches to VOX at about 18/1947Z. This is another line that doesn't quite fall exactly on the state line. In this case, the grid line at 45N appears to be about 50 feet inside the Wyoming line so contacts will count only for that state. (WC7V has Montana pretty well represented anyway.) The HO68 sked starting tomorrow hasn't been published yet, so I'll try to be on from DN74 on VO52 during its 18/1619Z pass as we head for the line. We'll head for DN64 and DN63 after the AO27 pass following the 1947Z pass. 73 for now, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Gillette WY / Campbell Co. / DN74 ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] ND9M Road Trip
My XYL, Cori, and I will be leaving Cheyenne (DN71) tomorrow, 17 Sept, and take the long way to camp at Grand Teton Nat'l Park (DN43) and later on at Yellowstone in the northwestern corner of the state. There are 16 grids with significant chunks in Wyoming, and our plans are to operate from as many, if not all, of them on the way there. Most operating will be on the FM birds (including HO68 when it's in that mode), but I'll also be QRV on the linear sats as well. Several ops have indicated that the eastern-most grids are the most needed, so we'll start there; DN73 seems to be the most wanted in this area. I'll also be running counties, both CW and SSB, on the HF bands; along with hitting all the grids, there are 23 counties in Wyoming, so our route will vary as we zig zag to hit everything possible. Because of all the multi-band operating, we'll probably take three days to get to the first campsite. After our stays in those parks, we'll head into Montana for more camping at Glacier Nat'l Park in DN28, and then it'll be on to North Dakota. More on that part of the trip later. I don't have APRS (yet), but the county hunters have a spotting web site set up, which is http://ch.w6rk.com. (No registration is necessary.) The info will show where I am, but it'll only be as accurate and current as the spotter who puts it in. It'll give a good idea of what part of the state I'm in at the time. For the Fred Fish Award chasers, I've got 6M with me as well. I won't be monitoring the band - two modes on three HF bands plus the birds will keep me busy enough - but if a band opening appears, give me a call (850-960-8566) and I'll be glad to switch over to the Magic Band and put out the grid I'm in. Cell service in Wyoming and Montana is far from solid, but otherwise feel free to call any time during the day or evening. I'll post planned grids as the trip progesses. 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Cheyenne WY / Laramie Co. / DN71 ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] Dot Lowe of Arrow Antennas
My XYL, Cori, and I are in Cheyenne WY for a few days. We were here earlier this year and were treated to a terrific tour of the Arrow Antennas shop by the owners, Al and Dot Lowe, who do everything involved with running the business from designing the equipment, machining the components, and kicking everything out the door. During our present visit, we thought we'd stop off at the Arrow Antennas shop to say hi. Unfortunately, Dot suffered a major heart attack recently, and the shop's operations are understandably shut down for the time being while she recuperates. We wish Dot all the best in her recovery as well as to Al who is giving her the best care possible. 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Cheyenne WY / DN71 ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] Missing AO27 Callsign
Don, You worked K8YSE/P in EN57 at 30/1851Z, just before AO27 switched back to digital. 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC == Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:37:41 -0400 From: Donald Pittman don1...@comcast.net Subject: [amsat-bb] RE AO27 18:45z To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Message-ID: c8a180c5.242%don1...@comcast.net Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII I had a little technical difficulty when working this pas. Had a good QSO wit a K0w?? And the thing is my recorder was on pause EK. By chance did any one get a recording of that qso or if your read this K0??? Please let me know the info we worked to get it done and I have a memory that can be measured in nano meters HI Any help drop me a email or here is ok WB8ZOM @ARRL.NET It was near the end of the pass. Thanks DON ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] Missing AO27 Callsign - Time Fix
Don, It was actually at 30/1854Z (vice 1851Z) that you worked K8YSE/P in EN57; my Fat Finger Syndrome acted up a bit a little while ago... 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] Locating a Grid Line
Tks Norbert. It was definitely a lot of fun for both of us. To answer your question and even go a bit farther, every grid line and particularly the four-grid point in KS I operated from was measured using a Garmin 60CSX GPS. The VUCC rules indicate that an GPS receiver shows an accuracy of 20 feet or better is required for operating from a grid line or point. Each critical operating position during this trip was identified to this standard. Numerous photos were taken from various angles at every location so that additional identifying references were included. The GPS' display was photographed at close range as well. In most cases, the photos of the set up show the GPS placed directly in front of the rig sitting on the car's hood. (That said, several of the grid line operations were alongside roads with nothing but non-descript crop fields and asphalt as backgrounds, but the pix were taken anyway.) By the way, as I held the GPS at a grid line and directed my XYL, Cori, at the wheel, she'd move the car back and forth until the car's hood was exactly on the line. She found out just how tricky (and annoying!) it can be when the GPS would appear to have stabilized on the line, only for one of us to grab the camera and find that the last digits had changed to .999 or .001. That's only an error of about five feet, but it wasn't good enough, so she'd have to move the car again! 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Message: 16 Date: Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:06:31 + From: Richard Cubero tarami...@hotmail.com Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: ND9M Road Trip To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Message-ID: bay141-w15096c0722a8915cdc5fc1a8...@phx.gbl Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 To: Jim ND9M Thanks for a great article, I see you had a lot of fun on your road trip. Quick question, what tool were you using to find the grid lines ? 73s Norbert KP4WK Tampa FL EL 87 ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] ND9M Road Trip - Final
Thanks! Cori and I arrived at home this past Wednesday and found everything at home in good order. (That doesn't include having so much mail waiting for us at the post office that we overloaded up a hand truck to get it to the car!) Thanks to everyone we worked during our road trip and especailly to the AO51 Operations and Command Teams for their support throughout! Cori drove most of the time while I navigated. She's not a ham, but she's been with me on a lot of ham radio related trips. I really appreciated her willingness not only to meet every satellite pass, but also to move the vehicle back and forth to nail down the exact GPS coords for a grid line. After I climbed back into the car after many of the passes, her first response was when's the next pass? That's what makes a successful road trip! Thanks also go to everyone who provided information along the way, especially to WA4NVM, K8YSE, WB3JFS, and WB3JFS for the regular updates by phone and e-mail throughout the trip. QSL Info. Pse send me an e-mail off list indicating the grid squares you need confirmed. QSO data is helpful but won't be needed as I'll simply do a search on the Excel log and find the contacts. I'll mail the QSLs to you at the address on your QRZ.com page; if your mailing address is different, pse advise accordingly. QSLs are very welcome and appreciated but not necessary. Also there's no need to send an SASE or postage. Numbers. For those who like 'em, here are a few to summarize the trip. Driveway to driveway, we drove 10,022 miles through 13 states during the seven weeks we were out there. The planned route included operating from 85 different grid squares; we made it to all 85 of the originally scheduled grids plus two more for a total of 87 or 18% of the grids in the continental US. In all, 1076 contacts were made during 92 passes. Of those passes, 51 were from two-grid lines and one more from a four-grid point. A total of 177 different stations were worked. Of those, 44 worked me in 10 or more grids. K8YSE led the pack by working me in 78 of the 87 grids! WA4NVM was next with 64 grids, and KB0RZD, N5UXT, and WA5KBH with 50 or more! Trip updates were sent regularly to the AMSAT-BB as well as to my distribution list containing more than 70 e-mail addresses. Hopefully the 20 or so updates were enough to keep everyone informed and interested but not feeling inundated. Two grids were the main focus for this trip: DL88 and El15. For the 6M buffs, DL88 is on the Most Wanted List for the 6M world. I had 6M with me - tks to WA4NVM for providing the antenna! - but unfortunately there were no band openings while we were there. EL15 at Brownsville, Texas, isn't hard to get to; there's just not much activity from there. Using simple rounding, a grid square measures 60 miles by 120 miles which comes up to an area of 7200 square miles. Multiply that area by 87 different grids and Cori and I were able to operate from enough territory representing more than 600,000 square miles. That's a lot of turf! (K8YSE plotted all the grids we covered on a GCMwin graphic and made it available on his web server. The address is www.papays.com/nd9m.jpg; check it out if you haven't already.) We would have loved to have spent a full day or more operating from each grid square to maximize the availability, but that wasn't possible. Still, several grids were available during multiple passes. DL88 came in first with being on during 9 passes during which 98 contacts were made. Second was DM72 at 6 passes and 59 contacts. The EL15/EL16 grid line was on for 5 passes that netted 37 contacts. Grids DM82, EL07, and EL08 were on four times; eight grids were on during three passes, and 14 others were on twice. Equipment. The gear used for this trip included an FT-897D for TX, and an FT-817ND was velcroed to the top of the 897 and did the RX work. An Arrow-2 was the antenna for all contacts. But we were on guard for Murphy's Law, so I had a spare FT-817ND still in the box as a back up, plus just in case the Law really kicked in, I brought my trusty TH-F6A HT. An Elk antenna rode shotgun for the duration, but it never came out of the trunk until we got home. I took out the Arrow's diplexer and fed the antenna with separate RG-58 coaxes. Before the purists scream about how lossy 58 cable is, the length of each cable was about 10 feet; the loss tables show that even at 70cm, that length would cost me a bit more than a dB of signal. Certainly that's nothing to disregard, but the flexibility of RG58 easily made up for the loss. Also less lossy cable types like RG-8, -213, and 9913 would still have introduced about a quarter to a half dB of loss themselves, so the benefit of using it really wasn't justifiable. A bag of silver teflon connectors, a 100-foot roll of spare coax, a butane soldering gun (with a can of refill gas), a couple rolls of wire, lots of spade connectors of both genders, a toolbox,
[amsat-bb] ND9M Road Trip Update #19
Cori and I will be at the BVARC Greater Houston Hamfest tomorrow; hope to CU there. Once we leave the 'fest, we'll head north a bit, and I'll operate from the EM20 / EM21 line during the 06/2339Z AO51 pass. Sunday (7 Mar) should find us on the EM22 / EM23 line for at least one (probably both) of the AO27 passes at 1856Z and 2034Z. Then I'll be on AO51 for the EM32 / EM33 line at 07/2300Z. Since EM33 seems to be fairly sought after, we may overnight there so that I can put it out again during the next morning's SO50 pass at about 08/1651Z. After that, AO27 at 08/2006Z could find us in EM31 or on the EM30 / EM31 line. That would allow us to get through EM30 and possibly to the EL39 / EM30 line for the 08/2221Z pass or the one after that at 09/Z. 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Rosenberg, TX / EL29 ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] ND9M Road Trip Update #18
I'll be on tomorrow after all as the family get together was delayed by a day. Thursday's now the off day. I'll be on from the EM02 / EM12 line during the SO50 pass at 03/1746Z as well as the first and probably both AO27 passes at 03/1910Z and 03/2049Z. After that will be EM13 possibly on the AO51 pass at 03/Z but definitely at 03/2359Z. 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Cisco, TX / EM02 ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] ND9M Road Trip Update #17
I'll be on the DM91 / DM92 line for tomorrow's SO50 pass at 02/1857Z as well as both AO27 passes with go VOX at 02/1943Z and 2124Z. From there, we're hoping road conditions will allow us to get up to the DM93 / EM03 line for the AO51 pass at 02/2300Z. We'll be visiting relatives in Dallas on Wednesday so that'll be an off day. 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9jC San Angelo, TX / DM91 ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] ND9M Road Trip Update #16
My thanks go to the AO51 Ops and Command Teams for making AO51 available for tonight's 01/0018Z pass. It turned out to be a very busy one. Also, thanks go to Rick, WA4NVM, for giving me the heads up phone call while we were on the road that the bird would be in V/U mode for that pass after all. As for tomorrow's ops, we should be on the EM10 / EM11 line for the early SO50 pass which rises locally at 01/1828Z and AO27 that goes VOX at about 01/2012Z. From there, we'll head west with the EM00 / EM01 line as our target for the AO51 pass that comes up at 01/2339Z. 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Buda, TX / EM10 ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] ND9M Road Trip Update #15
I'll be on from the EL17 / EL18 line tomorrow (Friday) on two SO50 passes (local AOS at 26/1840Z and 26/2022Z) as well as AO27 which switches to VOX at 26/1957Z. We're taking Saturday off, but I'll operate from the EL28 / EL29 line on Sunday on the four AO27 and SO50 passes between 28/1800-2050Z. 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Corpus Christi, TX / EL17 ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] ND9M Road Trip Update #13
We wound up having to stay put for the day. We needed to buy auto insurance for driving in Mexico, but every sales office was closed for the day. With the unexpected time available, I took advantage of the deferred AO51 mode change and operated from the EL15/EL16 during the late afternoon pass. My thanks go to the AO51 Ops Team for the heads up that the switch would be delayed by a day. I'll do the EL15/EL16 line again on Tuesday (vice Monday). It'll be from a different spot on the grid line though; the place I set up today was a mosquito fiesta. I couldn't keep the Arrow antenna aimed at the satellite because I was swatting so many bugs! (If you're old enough to remember the Off commercial from the 60s with the actor's arm inside the mosquito tank, you can appreciate what I found.) 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Brownsville, TX / EL15 ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] ND9M Road Trip Update #12
I expect to be on from the EL08 / EL09 line during three afternoon passes today: two AO27 passes (VOX at 20/1927Z and 2108Z) and one pass over SO50 which rises in my area at 2047Z. AO51 rises locally at 20/2258Z at which time I should be in EL07. The next pass will be at 21/0037Z; we should be in EL06 for that one. Cori and I will get to Brownsville this evening and goof off tomorrow. I'll be on the El15/EL16 line for the afternoon AO27 and SO50 passes on Monday. AO51 makes its switch to V/S mode tomorrow evening, so ops for the week following will be primarily on the AO27 and SO50 birds. 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Eagle Pass, TX / DL98 ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] ND9M Road Trip Update #9
We were supposed to leave for DL88 today, but my XYL, Cori, over-exerted herself yesterday and needs to mend today. She'll be raring to go tomorrow. Cori's driven all but about 30 of the nearly 5000 miles we've racked up on this trip. We're only about half way, so she deserves a day to kick back. My apologies to those expecting to pick up the new ones in the Texas panhandle today. On the brighter side, this actually helps our operating sked as today's AO27, SO50, and AO51 passes allowed very little margin for delays of any kind if we expected to operate from the DM71/DM81 line as well as DL79/DM70 with any decent footprint coverage. All that said, I might be on for the AO27 pass that rises at 13/1923Z, but I'm figuring on being on from DM71/DM81 on that bird's next pass at 13/2101Z. After that, we should be in DM80 by the time SO50 shows up at 14/2224Z. AO51's AOS here immediately follows SO50's LOS, so although AO51 will be at a fairly low elevation here (13 degrees), I'll hit that one too. Then, an hour later, we should be sitting on the DL79/DM70 line for another SO50/AO51 tandem pass. From there, we'll overnight in Alpine, TX (DM80) and should arrive at Big Bend Nat'l Park (DL88) on sunday where we'll camp for two or three days. Our campsite in DL88 is just a mile from the DL89 line, so while we're there, I'll operate from that line at various times during our stay. Once we leave Big Bend, I'll be on from DM80, DM90, and several others in south TX as we drive to Brownsville, TX, in EL15; that sked will be posted later. By the way, I should be on from the DM72/DM82 line later today after all. 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Carlsbad, NM / DM72 ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] ND9M Road Trip Update #6
The snowfall we received in southern Colorado last night wasn't as bad as what was predicted; we had about 4 inches overall instead of 10. Assuming southeastern New Mexico is in good snow shape tomorrow, we should be able to get to the DM84 / DM85 line for the AO27 pass which rises at 09/1937Z. From there, we'll head a bit southeast and be in DM74 for the next AO27 pass at 09/2116Z. Finally, AO51 should find us on the DM73 / DM83 line when it comes up at 09/2336Z. Wednesday, 10 Feb, will be a short grid day for us as we'll pull into Carlsbad, but I'll be on the DM72 / DM82 line at least for the AO27 pass at 10/2047Z; not sure about the AO51 passes later that afternoon. We expect to be in Carlsbad until Friday morning. 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Santa Rosa, NM / DM74 ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] ND9M Road Trip Update
We'll try to hit the DM86/DM87 and DM75/DM76 grid lines during the AO27 and AO51 passes tomorrow (Monday) and continue the southbound trek along 104W. We're currently holed up near the New Mexico border where we've got a few inches of fresh snowfall and looking for up to several more overnight. Predictions don't sound that bad though. 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Trinidad, CO / DM77 ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] ND9M Road Trip Update #5
We were minutes away from resuming our trip today (Friday) when I tested the theory against pouring a cup of coffee (with creamer and sugar of course) on to the keyboard of the laptop; the machine got 8 to 10 ounces center mass. Luckily for me, my stepson here in the Denver area has his own IT engineering and service company, and a quick 911 call to him got full and immediate attention. He and I got everything drained out and cleaned up, and the laptop is back up and running. (All log contacts and photos from the last two weeks' portable ops had already been backed up on a thumb drive as well as a second laptop, so other than pride, I wouldn't have lost anything except for the day's travel that got eaten up.) But now we're ready to hit the road again tomorrow afternoon (with the coffee safely somewhere else...). Our route tomorrow (Saturday) will take us initially to the DN80/DM89 line, hopefully for the AO27 pass that rises here at about 06/1925Z. I'll definitely be on during the next AO27 pass at 06/2103Z either from that line (if I miss the previous pass from there) or the DM78/DM79 line for AO51 at 06/2357Z. While southbound into Texas, I'll operate from all grids on both sides of the 104W longitude line. There have been several requests for contacts with the DM7x and DM8 grids; those grids look to be particularly in demand. As we head south; our next day off will be in the vicinity of Carlsbad Caverns in DM72. After that, we'll move over to Big Bend Nat'l Park alongside the Rio Grande River in DL88 where we'll camp for two or three days. Focus will continue on afternoon AO27 and AO51 passes. I'll run grid lines where possible, but as before, grid lines will be run only where accessible. 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Longmont, CO / DN70 ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] ND9M Road Trip Update #4
My XYL and I are spending a few days in the Denver area. We'll likely resume our trip and head south on Friday, 5 Feb. Today (2 Feb), we're heading up to Cheyenne, WY (DN71) to visit family. Along the way, we're stopping off at the Arrow Antenna shop. I'll be on from there on the AO27 pass that rises here around 02/1938Z. 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Longmont, CO / DN70 ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] ND9M Road Trip Update #3
Yesterday's snowfall in SW Kansas complicated road conditions and especially safety so I opted to hold off getting to the DM98/EM08 line until today (Friday). I'll operate from that line during the AO27 pass that starts at about 29/1950Z. Depending on accessibiltiy, I may get to the quad grid point and add DM99/EM09. From there, we'll head north to Nebraska and put out DM99/EM09 during the AO51 pass at 2236Z and then either put out the DN90/EN00 grid line or the DM99/EM09/DN90/EN09 quad field point on the AO51 pass starting at 30/0014Z. We have to focus on getting to Denver now, so time permitting, Saturday's game plan will be to hit the DN91/EN01 line on AO27 at 30/1922Z, stop again in DN91 for the second AO27 pass at 2101Z, and then the DN80/DN81 grid line on AO51 at 30/2335. After that, we'll be in Denver (DN70) and Cheyenne (DN71) with family for a few days before heading south through NM and into TX. 73 for now, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Wekeeney, KS / EM09 ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] ND9M Road Trip Update #2
We'll be running the DM95/DM96 and EM06/EM07 grid lines tomorrow (Wed). (All planned grid line ops assume that we can actually GET to the line itself; we've been very lucky so far...) From there we'll overnight in Dodge City, KS, which sits on the DM97/EM07 line. With a winter storm warning in effect for this area on Thursday, we might sit tight in Marshall Dillon's corral for a day before resuming our northbound leg. So far, all my ops have been on AO27 and AO51, mainly because I'm having a bit of difficulty finding my downlink on the linear birds (AO7, VO52, and HO68). No doubt it's a simple error that I'm overlooking since I was able to use all three birds before we left FL. I'll give VO52 another go during tomorrow's 27/1632Z pass and HO68 an hour later. 73 from Rt 66, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Shamrock, TX / DM95 ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] ND9M Road Trip Update
My XYL and I will stay in Oklahoma City (EM15) for much of Monday, 25 Jan, so I may not be QRV tomorrow until the AO51 pass at about 25/2333Z. If we cut out early, I'll be on during the AO27 pass that starts at about 25/2002Z. Either way, I'll be looking to operate from the EM04/EM05 line during the first pass and then DM94/DM95 the next time. After that, we will start making our way north along the 100W longitude. Pse note that I only have e-mail access at night. If you have a query and need a quick answer, give me a holler at 850.960.8566, cell signal permitting. 73, Jim, ND9M ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] ND9M Road Trip
My XYL and I are heading toward Denver and will be putting out a lot of grid squares over the FM sats during the next several weeks. Our general route will initially be along the 35N latitude line to 104W. Once we hit 104W, we'll turn north and put out all grids on both side of that line into western Nebraska, then head for Cheyenne (DN71) and Denver (DN70). (We might keep going north along the same line into South Dakota, but that depends on available time.) All grids on each side of the line will be activated; grid lines will be hit for double credit as much as they're accessible. During today's driving leg, we'll be on from EM44 and EM45 followed by EM34 and EM35. Tomorrow, we expect to be on from EM24 and EM25, then EM14 and EM24. If you have any queries, drop me an e-mail or call me at 850.960.8566. 73, Jim, ND9M ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] Road Trip
I'll be QRV from the mostly wet grid square EL86 during the AO27 pass starting tomorrow at 20/1846Z; VOX starts at 1852Z. From there, I'll overnight in EL96 and then head for two or three days in the Keys where I'll put out EL94 and EL95 on the FM birds. Since my XYL is with me, I may not be on during every pass, but I'll be on when possible. While we're at Key West, I'll also be looking into the boats that make daily tourist runs to Fort Jefferson in EL84. We won't go there during this visit, but we're thinking about doing a short camping trip that would of course include the sat gear. Afterward, we'll be heading up to Georgia for a few days where I'll be on from EM81, EM82, EM90, EM91, and EM92. CU on the birds. 73, Jim, ND9M ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] Re: Acer Aspire One SatPC32
Hi Tim, I'm curious about what symptoms you're experiencing with your Aspire One, which I'm also using. ? In my case, during the short time I had available?to use SatPC32 with mine netbook just before leaving the country, I found that the Doppler corrections from the program were slow in keeping up with what the satellites were actually doing. That is, once I had a station tuned in on the 70cm freq, the?corrections would kick in at the right intervals as I'd set them, but the corrected?downlink freq would soon be off a bit following the next correction. (The downlink freq displayed on SatPC32 matched what the rig's display showed, so the rig and program are talking fine.) With each correction applied, the disparity between the new downlink freq and what I?was actually hearing would quickly widen. Soon, I would have to manually re-tune the station again to clarify the signal; the uplink?seemed to follow my hands on?changes though, so that seemed to be a functional band aid. There's one issue on my end that may figure in. My FT-817ND is at Yaesu for a warranty repair, so I'm currently limited to half duplex only with my FT-897D. With that single-rig config, I can't use a rapid correction interval because the rig switches VFOs at the specified intervals (currently set at 50 cycles), and I lose my RX capability for a noticable amount of time, say about a half second each time. The VFO switches become more frequent as the bird passes overhead of course, so it's a trade off. I've been stuck in Bahrain for the better part of a week while waiting for the military hop that goes to Diego Garcia where my ship is located. My rig is on the ship waiting for me, so it'll be a few days?before I can try anything new. With luck, my 817 will be shipped to me while I'm at VQ9 and I'll be able to go full duplex with a much faster Doppler interval setting. 73 for now, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Manama, Bahrain -Original Message- From: amsat-bb-requ...@amsat.org To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Sent: Fri, Aug 7, 2009 6:34 am Subject: AMSAT-BB Digest, Vol 4, Issue 387 Date: Thu, 6 Aug 2009 12:21:19 -0700 (PDT) From: Tim Lilley n...@bellsouth.net Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: HRD software question To: david.bar...@dbelectronics.co.uk, Simon \(HB9DRV\) si...@hb9drv.ch Cc: amsat-bb@amsat.org Message-ID: 484785.88782...@web180213.mail.gq1.yahoo.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Simon, ? I will be thrilled if you are able to get the Doppler-tuning function to work with stability on a netbook with an Intel Atom processor driving an 8.9-inch screen (the one built in to my Acer Aspire One). :) ? Tim - N3TL --- On Thu, 8/6/09, Simon (HB9DRV) si...@hb9drv.ch wrote: From: Simon (HB9DRV) si...@hb9drv.ch Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: HRD software question To: david.bar...@dbelectronics.co.uk Cc: amsat-bb@amsat.org Date: Thursday, August 6, 2009, 2:47 PM Well, When I get to this stage I will offer to help anyone using teamview - I did this yesterday with a beta-tester in Holland and in just a few minutes found a serious resource leak. The main problem with netbooks is the graphics chip isn't too fast, but I do have some poor code in the satellite tracking anyway :) My general aim is to be able to run HRD 5.0 on a netbook driving a 24 display. Simon Brown, HB9DRV www.ham-radio-deluxe.com - Original Message - From: David Barber david.bar...@dbelectronics.co.uk That's excellent news, most encouraging.? Wish I was able to do more to assist. ___ Sent via amsat...@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 -- ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] Original 13 Colonies Special Event Update - K2T
Instead of signing K2J as initially planned, I was able to get K2T (T since North Carolina is the Tarheel State) assigned to me at the last minute for the 1-4 July time frame. K2J will still be on the air from NC, at least on HF, and I'll be QRV on both HF as well as the sats. I'll be on the FM birds at the least; the linear sats will be used as well if I can get my Acer netbook to use SatPC32 to talk to my 897 and?adjust the freqs for Doppler. Contacts with either K2J or K2T will count for North Carolina toward the certificate offered for the event. Nine of the 13 colonial states will have sat stations on during the event. We're still looking for ops for Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Pse note that the special event runs the calendar days of 1-4 July; per the event web site, it officially runs out at 05/0400Z July. Finally, for?any sat op who is a county hunter, I'll be running North Carolina counties on both CW and SSB on 20, 30, and 40 meters as K2T throughout the event period and then using my regular call afterward on the way home to Florida. Spots of my HF county hunting operation will be available at http://ch.w6rk.com/?and will include the county that I'm in at the spot time shown. Although the grid square is not indicated on this web site, it shouldn't be difficult to identify since the county I'm in is shown. 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC / K2T ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] ND9M in FM13
I'll be in the mostly wet FM13 grid square tomorrow for both morning SO50 plus at least the first AO27 passes tomorrow (Thursday). I will probably stick around and operate from there during the second AO27 pass as well, but that's not for sure yet. From there, I'll spend tomorrow night in Charleston, SC, so that I can run another mostly wet grid square, FM02, on the 18/2327Z SO50 pass as well as Friday morning's pass at 1339Z. After that, I'll hit the road and head for south Florida (EL96) before returning home to EM70 and tackle the QSLs for last weekend's Delaware Day. 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Southport, NC / FM03 ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] Re: Your Almost First Sat Contact
Hi Leroy, Yes, that was me on the other end. I was doing a portable operation in a parking lot in Viola, Delaware / FM29 at that time. Your signal was plenty strong; too bad the Doppler got the better of you. I know the feeling all too well! I recorded the comms and can send it to you if you'ld like to hear what you sounded like from space! Welcome to the birds! 73, Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC Martinsburg, WV / FM19 Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2009 23:07:45 + From: kd8...@aol.com Subject: [amsat-bb] My first contact - almost To: amsat bb bb amsat-bb@amsat.org Well thanks to everyone who gave me helpful hints and ideas I did almost make a contact today! I know I got into the SO50 today at about 11:10 - 11:11 est (local time) I heard some one give my call back and a brief report Unfortuntally at the same time doppler shifted on me and I wasn't fast enough to keep up I am using a th-d7ag and unfortunally there is not a way to program the odd band split in memory (at least not that I have found) so no matter what you have to hit two buttons. Anyways I diegress I replayed my recording serveral times and think - I think The man who came back to me was ND9M in FM29 (delaware) Which would be cool if it was - I was not able to complete the contact - so that doesn't really count does it After all of my frustration thou I am still chulking this one up to a WIN!! I would like to confirm somehow that it was ND9M that heard me So I am posting here :-) Thanks again to all who have helped! LeRoy, KD8BXP ___ Sent via amsat...@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
[amsat-bb] ND9M Sat Trip to Delaware
I'll be making another grid-pedition, leaving tomorrow, 11 June; this run will initially be to Delaware where I'll be QRV in both FM28 and FM29, perhaps on the grid line, on all FM sats on Sunday, the 14th. If Murphy takes the day off, I'll also hit the FO29, VO52, and AO7 birds as well. There are at least two ops that I know of that need Delaware to wrap up their WAS, so hopefully the satellite gods will be on our side. On Monday, the 15th, I'll start heading south again and will put out all FM0x and FM1x grids that have land in them and some, maybe all, of the FM2x grids, then into southeastern GA and on south to Fort Lauderdale in EM96. A couple of the less accessible grids appear to be FM02 and FM13. (An aqua-duck would be a great asset!) The trip up will be via interstate with no particular grids in mind, but I'll stop and operate from whatever grid I'm in during each pass as I head northeast. I don't know what, if any, grid boundaries I'll hit this time, but as before everything will be fully photo documented for anyone who may need it. CU on the birds. 73, Jim, ND9M ___ Sent via amsat...@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
