As you say, If this has a transponder of any kind we are all in for a real treat. Looks like the 'Best DX' from the UK to the west would be Eastern Texas up to North Dakota. !!
David G0MRF
Not even close. From the Shetland Islands, it looks like there's at least some overlap to 49 states. For example, my predictions show 1.4 minutes from Lerwick, UK to Redding, CA [Tue 27May08 23:30:20-23:31:45] and 1.2 min. overlap from Lerwick, UK to Flagstaff, AZ [Wed 28May08 22:39:07-22:40:18]. Even Inverness, Scotland has 1.3 min overlap with Redding, CA (while AO-7 barely has half that overlap).
I known because i'll be in the Shetlands for almost a week in August...
It sure would be nice to have some kind of voice transponder in that type of orbit... Aside from HEO, only RS-15 [if it worked] could beat that.
-- KD6PAG