Friends and Colleagues,
I'll be up in EM35 tomorrow, scouting out a fabled spot in the Ozarks that I've heard of from other ham radio operators and off-road travelers. Supposedly this mountain is 500' higher than anything else around it, has 360° unobstructed views, is miles from the nearest power line, and has a somewhat respectable Jeep trail to the top. If such a mystical spot truly exists, I plan to hang out for a few hours and operate the following passes from the site:
2016-01-17 1529z SO-50 2016-01-17 1649z AO-73 2016-01-17 1700z SO-50 2016-01-17 1736z FO-29 2016-01-17 1758z AO-7(B) (Big EU Footprint) 2016-01-17 1848z SO-50 2016-01-17 1918z FO-29
For western hemisphere chasers, I will try to hand out anyone needing EM35 on all birds other than AO7. There's plenty of passes on both linear and FM, so I should get you in the logs no problem, even if the mountain turns out to be a bust.
On the AO-7 pass at 1758z though, as it will only be 1.6° in elevation from this location, I will be using it for something a little special. I'll be using a couple of precision clocks and cameras in order to record actual AOS and LOS times, and compare that to the times that the computer calculates for my location. As I've indicated before, I have some theories of just how much elevation can affect satellite visibility, but I'm always trying to collect more data to back these theories up. As soon as I can get into the bird I'll begin CQing in SSB around 145.945 and will continue until I have lost it again some minutes later. The computer says I should have 7 minutes and 18 seconds of visibility, but based on my observations, the Height Above Average Terrain (HAAT) of this location should grant me an additional 55 seconds on the front and about 45 seconds on the end of the pass. I would appreciate any listeners out there with bigger footprints that I will have (if they're not chasing new contacts that is) to note the time they first hear me, and the time that I disappear into the noise, and email me with the results. I would also welcome any DX stations to stop by and have a quick QSO, if they're interested in picking up a new grid that I don't believe any Sat operators live in. Normally it's our friends across the pond that us Americans are chasing after, so I'm going to do my best to return the favor when I can, with trips like tomorrow.
As always, I'll be providing play-by-play on Twitter @KG5CCI. I may also throw an HF rig in, for the downtime between passes and I'll announce my spots on Twitter if I do. Twitter will also be the way to find out if something goes horribly wrong with the plans, such as the mountain is inhabited by silver coveting dragons and I have to trade my N-connectors for my life.. or snow.. but more likely dragons.. anyway..
Hope to hear you tomorrow.
73!
Dave, KG5CCI