My first contact on satellite was 29-Dec-08 via AO-51 and the QSO was appropriately with Clint Bradford, K6LCS. It is appropriate that it was with Clint because Clint is the one that sparked my interest in working satellites. I remember reading about amateur radio satellites in my Technician exam preparation book where it was discussing the various forms of amateur radio. I also distinctly remember the impression that the author said working satellites was challenging and not easy to do. Along comes Clint to do a demo at one of the PAPA System monthly breakfasts with his Arrow II and an HT and showed just how easy it can be.
At that point I was intrigued enough to put an Arrow II on my Christmas wish list and a few days after Christmas, I got myself on AO-51. I remember that first pass seemed very busy but Clint and I had pre-arranged to work it and having that successful contact fanned the fire. The next morning I got up early and drove over to a local hill with no trees and buildings so that I could work an early morning easterly pass of AO-51. I easily worked N9AMW, K8YSE and K9QHO and I would say that it was that pass that firmly implanted the satellite bug because that day I started designing an easy to use log sheet to keep track of AOS, Max El, LOS, call signs, etc.
Trying to hold the antenna, a clipboard/pen and radio while tracking AO-51 in the sky, making QSOs and logging call signs, times and grid squares must have looked pretty comical for the neighbors, but I never even noticed. I added a clipboard lamp, a little digital clock and figured a way to mount the antenna and radio on a tripod. This made things a lot easier but it was still a chore to set up.plus now that I was not totally consumed in all I had to do, I was noticing neighbors with raised eyebrows as I set-up in the driveway.
From that early start I graduated to a gable-mounted G-5500 with my Arrow II
and SatPC32.now I could operate from the comfort and privacy of my indoor shack (and yes, there have been many early morning passes worked while in a bathrobe). This past Thanksgiving I finally got a short rooftop tower with high gain antennas and polarity switches. What a world of difference! SO-50 is like a whole new satellite!
After year 1, I have 1500+ QSOs, 130+ unique grid squares and I'm still hunting for my last five states. I've made several friends that I QSO with regularly, sometimes multiple times in a day. I've enjoyed working the new birds SO-67 and HO-68, unusual modes like AO-51 SSB/FM and I'm working to get my S-Band set-up working and a couple of 70cm helix antennas built and put into use (thanks to Mike/K9QHO for the info and encouragement).
Happy New Year to everyone and hope to work you on the birds sometime!
73
David
K6CDW