Hi!
I'm getting caught up on my logbook, and wanted to thank everyone who worked WD9EWK on Tuesday while I was in northern Arizona. I had posted to the -BB that morning about my plans to operate from there, and logged 43 QSOs on 5 passes - 2 passes each on AO-27 and SO-50, plus an FO-29 pass in the late afternoon. A good day away from the office in the mountains.
I was in Flagstaff to take in the high altitude training camp for the Collingwood Football Club, an Australian rules football club that has been coming to Arizona in November over the past few years (their season in the Australian Football League typically runs from March until the end of September or in early October). Their Arizona base of operations is Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. Many other sports teams, along with some Olympic competitors, use the Flagstaff area for this sort of training. Flagstaff is at 7000 feet (2133m) above sea level, and there are mountains near the city up as high as 12000 feet (3658m) elevation. The Grand Canyon is just over an hour northwest of the city. Flagstaff is only 2 hours north of Phoenix, and a place I like to visit from time to time.
I spent the morning in the NAU Skydome, a 16000-seat domed stadium on the campus, watching the club work out on the football field. Later in the morning, the club went to a weight room under the stands, and invited me to follow them down there. These guys traveled thousands of miles/km from Australia, and were happy to see a local fan up there. Seeing their kicking practice, I can see why several Australians are punters in the NFL. Even the Collingwood coach could kick the football far enough to be an NFL punter, and he's 57! I took lots of pictures and video, even getting autographs from several players and the coach. I've watched Australian football since the early 80s, and have been a fan of the Collingwood club for most of that time. It was very cool to be among one of those clubs not far from my home. (Note to self - a US ham doesn't need to file paperwork to operate ham radio in Australia anymore. Hmmm...) :-)
After the club broke for lunch and other activities away from the Skydome, I went out to the parking lot to work both AO-27 and SO-50 just after 1300 local (2000 UTC). Fifteen QSOs were logged on the AO-27 pass, and 8 more on the subsequent SO-50 pass. I drove around Flagstaff, thinking about getting a bite to eat, but simply returning to the Skydome for the AO-27 and SO-50 passes starting at 2144 UTC. Six QSOs on AO-27, then 9 more on the SO-50 pass just after 2200 UTC.
I had read the e-mail from JE9PEL about the successful reactivation of FO-29 earlier in the morning, and wanted to try working a pass up there before making the drive home. There was a pass starting around 2342 UTC. After getting a bite to eat after the FM passes, I was ready for FO-29. I logged 5 QSOs on that pass, and that wrapped up my satellite operating for the day.
Of the stations I worked on Tuesday, I know that I've worked some of them from DM45 or the DM35/DM45 boundary at some point in the pass. I know for a few others that DM45 would be a new grid. As I tell others and sometimes mention in -BB posts, I can go back to a particular grid every few months and be a new grid for someone. I will print some QSL cards for the afternoon's QSOs, and be happy to mail out cards for anyone who worked me from there. Just drop me an e-mail with the QSO details, and you don't have to mail a QSL card or SASE to me.
73!
Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/