Hey everyone,
My thanks to K8YSE, who heard my faint CQ on AO-7 at 13:16 UTC this morning and called me. We had a contact that lasted about a minute with a few exchanges, which is really a thrill here because I was transmitting a half-watt out on a Yaesu FT-817ND.
As I suspected from the "test run" the other night, my setup here requires that AO-7 reach roughly 50 degrees elevation before I can hear myself at all on this lowest-of-all power settings for my SSB/CW satellite station. I also suspect I can lower that elevation some by working CW instead of SSB, and I intend to find out on the next really high pass over me.
Thanks, too, to Rick, WA4NVM, Pete, WB2OQQ, and others who were listening for me on the pass. By and large, the AMSAT community comprises wonderful folks who are always willing and enthusiastic to help out whenever I get a wild hair to try something on the satellites. I appreciate all of you very much.
73 to all,
Tim - N3TL