Hi!
The 1619 UTC SO-67 pass was a nice one covering virtually all of the continental USA and most of Mexico as the satellite moved southbound. I was operating from DM43iu, about 60 miles/100km northeast of Phoenix, where the satellite was up to a maximum elevation of 53 degrees. Stations were heard from Oregon to South Carolina, and as far south as central Mexico. You can hear my audio recording at:
(look for the MP3 with the filename starting with 20091227)
This was the first SO-67 pass I worked in over a month. It seems like most have compensated for this satellite's unique characteristics. Waiting for the carrier to drop, even for the briefest of moments, makes a big difference. If you don't wait for the carrier to drop, a quick unkey of the mic and then keying the mic again also works - as long as you are working full-duplex. Thanks again to AMSAT SA for the satellite and the generous scheduling over the last few days.
Near the end of that pass, Uriel XE2VAS was briefly heard from grid DM40 approximately 40 miles/60km south of Nogales AZ in northern Mexico. Uriel *may* be operating from DM40 over the next few days, FM satellites only, for those who may need/want a QSO for that grid. If you work XE2VAS, whether from his home grid DM41 at the USA/Mexico border or from DM40, you may send your QSL requests with SASE to my PO box.
73!
Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/