April 2011 - AMSAT-BB - mailman.amsat.org

Grids
by Kevin Deane 03 Apr '11

03 Apr '11

I still say it is cheating, maybe I will change my mind after I have exausted all the grid squares I possibly can and am dying for this or that. I think that will take a while though. I guess everyone ignored my sarcasim in the last post. :( Thanks for the info anyway. Very nice pass this morning on the Mad Bird, thanks for all the new contacts! Kevin KF7MYK

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KL7CN/MM 4-April-2011 01:09Z
by KL7CN 03 Apr '11

03 Apr '11

Will be on SO-67 from FK68 on the 01:09Z pass hoping to hear Western states. This is first pass for me since getting Arrow through TSA. Fun. -- bag Sent from an iPhone; replies are brief, but still attempt to be witty.

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Short Notice: CQ Europe de ZF2AE from EK99kh on AO7 at 20:40 UTC
by Adrian Engele 03 Apr '11

03 Apr '11

I know this is short notice but I saw there is a AO7 pass in a few minutes. I will try to listen for any European station within the footprint. Perhaps we can make contact 73, Adrian ZF2AE EK99kh

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How many Grids
by Kevin Deane 03 Apr '11

03 Apr '11

Can you be in at once? I mean we are pretty small on the scale of things, so how can you give out more than one grid square at a time?? I mean really, I hear it all the time. What do you do, put your antenna on one grid square, run some coax over and set your radio up on the other grid? Ok boys, hear is DM09 and DM08!!! Her - ert duh, how about I drive to where the four corners of four grids meet, stand right in the middle of that and give out all four of them at once? Is this how it is done. Just does not seem right to me, seems like cheating. Seriously...Is there not some kind of rules or something? I think I will leave it at that before I get too offensive. Kevin KF7MYK

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solder heat switch
by Dave Guimont 03 Apr '11

03 Apr '11

Hi Dom, I was pondering the temp reduction for the tip after we had our discussion the other day... The current is fully off for half of the cycle and reduced by some percentage on the other half, but I can't remember the procedure to determine it....The figure .7 sticks in my mind... That percentage would probably be close to the idling tip temperature, influenced by radiation and some other factors of course... These kind of things (queries) pop in, but the answerers don't pop in as easily any more!! Ready for a math lesson, tnx!! 73, Dave, WB6LLO dguimon1(a)san.rr.com Disagree: I learn.... Pulling for P3E...

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Re: Logs/Grids
by Jeremy Bomkamp 02 Apr '11

02 Apr '11

the HRD logger program can be used to automatically update eQSL, QRZ, hrdlog.net. And if you download HRD utilities, uploads to LoTW are a lot easier and will update your log as to who has returned a QSL through eQSL or LoTW. The HRD utilities can be downloaded at http://wd5eae.org/Software.html Or if you just want to keep track of what grids you have worked or confirmed: http://www.papays.com/sat/gridmaps/gridmaps.html and download the GCMWIN program from the link

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ZF2AE is now in EK99kh Unfortunately it is pouring heavy rain!
by Adrian Engele 02 Apr '11

02 Apr '11

All I has wifi connection issues and was going to post my passes for today. Well in the mean time a weather front has come in and there is very rain happening now as well as an AO51 pass in a few minutes. Will have to play things by ear to see if things clear up. If they do I will try: FO29 at 22:45Z SO-67 at 0128Z 4/3/11 Maybe VO-52 02:00 Again there is no guarantee I will be on due to the ongoing rain downpour. I am available tomorrow afternoon/evening. I will know schedule noon local time tomorrow. 73, Adrian ZF2AE now in EK99kh

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Mobile Operation; FL-OH
by John Papay 02 Apr '11

02 Apr '11

Thanks to all who worked or tried to work me mobile on my trip back to Cleveland from Melbourne, Florida. I operated while in motion on SO-67, AO-27 and AO-51. Equipment was the Kenwood V7A and a Larsen dual band mag mount on the trunk lid, no preamps. SO-67 has a dynamite signal and it was easy to hear the bird, however, with the road noise at 70mph, the weaker audio made it difficult to copy those whose audio was on the weak side to begin with. Even so I made some good contacts on two passes. AO-27 was also very good although not as strong as SO-67. I did manage to work KD8KSN while in EM94 right at the end of the pass. AO-51 was the real workhorse with it's high power output. Copying in the mobile was fairly good but you could really hear the antenna elevation pattern effect as the bird went over. It was really nice to work Yuri, UT1FG/MM, while in EM95 on I-77 in Charlotte NC. The last AO-51 pass was blocked right in the middle of the pass because I came up on the 5 mile grade over the Blue Ridge Parkway. I kept hearing WA4HFN calling and finally got into the bird just seconds before it disappeared over the ridge. This was in EM96 just inside the Virginia line. CO6CBF was also worked earlier on this pass. Headphones would have helped a lot. I didn't think to have them available. More contacts could have been made if I had been able to stop since the mobile fading would have been minimized. If anyone needs a card for a new grid, just send me an email with the qso info. No SASE needed. The trip was 1100 miles and took 17 hours. It was in the 30's here. Yuk! 73, John K8YSE

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Special Event April 12th
by santanaamt＠aol.com 02 Apr '11

02 Apr '11

Hi: Since posting a query and no reponse, I've decided to do a Special Event for the 50 years of the First Man in Space and 30 years of the first Space Shuttle Launch. It will be on HF and locally on 2 meters. It has been posted on QRZ.com. Also if you know of any other activation, let me know, I assume that in Russia there will be an operation of some kind. Cheers, Angel Santana - WP3GW

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Can SatPC32 track the moon?
by Bill Dzurilla 02 Apr '11

02 Apr '11

I've been using SatPC32 to track the ham satellites. Lately I've also been trying EME (moonbounce). Does anyone know if SatPC32 can track the moon as well as the amateur satellites? If yes, how is this done? 73, Bill NZ5N

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