Ah yes, the dreaded WAS from the NE. While I have a substantially better chance of being able to make the QSO to HI, AO-7 and I do not get along. I am a bit better on RS-44 but have not attempted low angle passes on it.
There is needing the perfect pass, which seemed to be spaced quite a bit apart, and someone there that is willing and able to work said pass. Even then, it is a tiny window of mutual footprint.
HEO would make it more possible. GEO might feel like cheating!
On Mon, Aug 10, 2020, 14:54 Wes Baden via AMSAT-BB amsat-bb@amsat.org wrote:
Any ideas about the following? My QTH is in Maine, FN54, 120 feet ASL. I'm closing in on WAS, but the problem is going to be Hawaii. From my rough calculations, I need a SAT that has a 4500+ mile footprint, meaning an apogee of 1200+ miles, and even then any operating window will be pretty short. Current MEO satellites do not seem to offer a window quite that big, or am I missing something? In theory, I guess, I could go to Mt. Washington, NH (fortunately only 90 miles away) and a KH6 could go up on a volcanic peak there, to try to make use of over-the-horizon signal bending. But I'm not sure if even that would work at the present time, and in any case I can wait if a better MEO or an HEO bird is in the offing in the next few years. Does anyone know if ME-HI will be possible in the future, and if so when? WAS SAT is on my bucket list. Of course I envy all of you to the west of me, who can contact HI, but on the other hand it is nice to be only 3200 or so from London, 3800 miles from Berlin. We are all prisoners of our locations, at least until another HEO satellite is in orbit again. Thanks for feedback. And by the way, I'm always happy to sked with anyone needing FN54, not the rarest grid in ME but a challenge for many stations, especially out west or so they tell me.
73, Wes NA1ME _______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb