January 2010 - AMSAT-BB - mailman.amsat.org

Icom 471A/H Service Manual?
by Rich Dailey 01 Jan '10

01 Jan '10

Anyone have a lead on a service manual for this rig? I've googled until my eyes hurt, and cannot seem to find one available anywhere. Thanks, Rich, N8UX

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SKN ALASKA
by Dale Hershberger 01 Jan '10

01 Jan '10

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my first QSOs of 2010 (UTC time)
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 01 Jan '10

01 Jan '10

Hi! After I finished up at the office this afternoon, I went to my favorite city park (the park that straddles the DM33xp/DM43ap grid boundary where I do much of my satellite operating) to work an AO-51 pass around 0108 UTC followed by an AO-7 pass around 0207 UTC. I thought about trying the cross-mode repeater on AO-51 to work CW, but decided to stay on the normal FM repeater. I worked 5 different stations from central Mexico to western Canada, and heard a couple of others. The AO-7 pass in the next hour was interesting... At the start of the pass, I found myself on the transponder and made a few CQ calls in SSB. No responses, but there were a few CW signals - even above the middle of the passband. I did not have a straight key with me, so I did the next best thing to have something that would work as a straight key. I turned off the keyer in my FT-817ND, which turned my small Mini-Paddle into a straight key of sorts. The lever that normally sent dahs did nothing, but the lever for the dits functioned as a straight key. Now I could work Straight Key Night for the first time in the 32+ years since I got my first ham license... and I'm trying it on a 35-year-old satellite, with a paddle-turned-straight key on my portable all-mode satellite station (two FT-817NDs, Elk Antennas handheld 2m/70cm log periodic). Glenn AA5PK in west Texas found me within a minute of my first CQ call. I was able to tap a quick QSO with him, followed by another QSO with Kerry WC7V in Montana. Sorry if my CW was tough to copy; it's been a while since I worked CW without using a keyer, and sending it left-handed on a vertical straight key while holding my antenna was something I had never tried before. :-) I should have rigged up a camera to either snap some photos or record video while I did this. After my QSO with WC7V, about halfway through the pass, CW signals were spreading out across most of the passband. I heard a couple of SSB signals, and switched back to SSB for the last few minutes of the pass. I worked Larry WA6DIR and Bob W7LRD before AO-7 went away. This was a fun way to start the new year on the UTC clock, before going home and watching assorted New Year celebrations on the TV. QSOs in FM, SSB, and CW; working through two different satellites. Happy 2010 to all, and 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/

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Happy New Year
by Rocky Jones 01 Jan '10

01 Jan '10

in 2010 DE WB5MZO _________________________________________________________________ Hotmail: Trusted email with powerful SPAM protection. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/177141665/direct/01/

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[Fwd: SKN 2009 Rooftop Photo]
by Dale Hershberger 01 Jan '10

01 Jan '10

SKN Alaska style. This is Craig, KL4E at his Eagle River home on last pass. 73, Dale/kl7xj 73, kl7xj

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virtual serial ports
by Peter Jordahl 31 Dec '09

31 Dec '09

Alan, WA4SCA, The MicroHamm USB Device Router program generates virtual serial ports, but I don't know for sure that they are straight-through; I see no reason why they would NOT be. The program can be downloaded at the microham site: http://www.microham-usa.com/downloads.html. Joe W4TV is the American representative for MicroHam and might be able to give you more advice. 73 Pete K5GM Pete Jordahl, K5GM k5gm(a)amsat.org

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Here a dit ... there a dit....
by Tim - N3TL 31 Dec '09

31 Dec '09

Heck . there were dits - and dahs - all over the place on AO-7 just now. That was really wonderful to hear - and it was a joy to work so many stations in CW on a single pass. Thanks to everyone for lighting up Grand Old AO-7 with your straight-key CW. I hope some of you can work Mode A tomorrow. It sure would be nice to have SKN contacts in the log here using both modes. 73 and Happy New Year to all! Tim - N3TL Athens, Ga. - EM94ha

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